Social desirability bias
The tendency to present ourselves in a flattering light, over-reporting good behavior and under-reporting bad behavior. It shows up strongly in surveys, interviews and other self-reports.
In everyday life
On a health survey, people report eating more vegetables and drinking less alcohol than they really do.
Your doctor asks how many days a week you exercise, and you say 'four or so,' even though it has been one day most weeks lately.
Why your mind does this
To act at all, we need some belief that our choices matter and that we can pull them off. A bit of extra confidence gets us moving, keeps us going after setbacks, and protects our sense of self-worth and our standing in a group.
Its family, in 30 seconds: Confidence to act
How to spot it
Ask whether your answer would change if nobody could ever link it back to you.
How to counter it
When you need honest answers from others, use anonymous forms and neutral wording so no answer sounds like the 'right' one.
Same family: Confidence to act
- Overconfidence effect
- Social desirability bias
- Third-person effect
- False consensus effect
- Hard-easy effect
- Lake Wobegon effect
- Dunning-Kruger effect
- Egocentric bias
- Optimism bias
- Forer effect
- Barnum effect
- Self-serving bias
- Actor-observer bias
- Illusion of control
- Illusory superiority
- Fundamental attribution error
- Defensive attribution hypothesis
- Trait ascription bias
- Effort justification
- Risk compensation
- Peltzman effect
SourcesKrumpal (2013)·Wikipedia