Egocentric definitions of traits and abilities in social judgment

Dunning, David; Cohen, Geoffrey L.

doi:10.1037/0022-3514.63.3.341

Cited by 198Social and Intergroup PsychologyPersonality Traits and PsychologyEducation, Achievement, and Giftedness

Egocentric definitions of traits and abilities in social judgment

Dunning, David, Cohen, Geoffrey L.·1992·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

DOI 10.1037/0022-3514.63.3.341

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Abstract

People possess idiosyncratic, self-serving definitions of traits and abilities. This observation was supported by 6 studies in which people articulated the performances along behavioral criteria (e.g., math Scholastic Achievement Test score) necessary to qualify for relevant traits (e.g., math ability) or made judgments about performances attained by other people. When making judgments of others, high-performing Ss tended to rate target performances less favorably than did low-performing Ss, with these disagreements most pronouced when the target's performance was low

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Authors: Dunning, D., & Cohen, G. L.
Affiliations: Cornell University (US)
ORCID: Dunning, David
Cohen, Geoffrey L.
Venue: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
Published: 1992-09
Volume: 63
Issue: 3
Pages: 341-355
ISSN: 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
1939-1315
DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.63.3.341
OpenAlex: W2157137842
Cited by: 196
References: 45
Citations by year: 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 10
FWCI: 12.71
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Education, Achievement, and Giftedness
Keywords: self-serving bias, trait definitions, social judgment, self-perception, performance evaluation, idiosyncrasy, mathematical ability, mathematics achievement

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Egocentric definitions of traits and abilities in social judgment

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