Testing four explanations for the better/worse-than-average effect: Single- and multi-item entities as comparison targets and referents

Jerry Suls; John Chambers; Zlatan Krizan; Chad R. Mortensen; Bryan Koestner; Kathryn Bruchmann

doi:10.1016/j.obhdp.2010.03.003

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Testing four explanations for the better/worse-than-average effect: Single- and multi-item entities as comparison targets and referents

Journal article

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Testing four explanations for the better/worse-than-average effect: Single- and multi-item entities as comparison targets and referents

Jerry Suls, John Chambers, Zlatan Krizan, Chad R. Mortensen, Bryan Koestner and Kathryn Bruchmann

Organizational behavior and human decision processes, Vol.113(1), pp.62-72

2010

DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2010.03.003

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Abstract

In six experiments, we tested four explanations for the better/worse-than-average effect (B/WTA) by manipulating the number of items comprising the target or referent of direct comparison. A single-item target tended to be rated more extremely than a single-item or a multi-item referent (Experiments 1–3). No B/WTA was obtained, however, when a multi-item target was compared with either a single- or multi-item referent (Experiments 4 and 5). A bias favoring a multi-item target was found only if cohesiveness among the items was increased through instructions (Experiment 6). The Unique-Attributes Hypothesis generally provided the best explanation the findings; the focalism explanation also demonstrated some empirical viability. The results suggest that important preferential decision-making outcomes can be affected by both the number of items and whether items are strategically manipulated to serve as targets or referents of comparison.

Better-than-average effect

Comparative bias

Focalism

Social comparison

Worse-than-average effect

Details

Title: Subtitle: Testing four explanations for the better/worse-than-average effect: Single- and multi-item entities as comparison targets and referents
Creators: Jerry Suls - University of Iowa
John Chambers - University of Florida
Zlatan Krizan - Iowa State University
Chad R. Mortensen - Arizona State University
Bryan Koestner - University of Iowa
Kathryn Bruchmann - University of Iowa
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Organizational behavior and human decision processes, Vol.113(1), pp.62-72
Publisher: Elsevier Inc
DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2010.03.003
ISSN: 0749-5978
eISSN: 1095-9920
Language: English
Date published: 2010
Academic Unit: Stead Family Department of Pediatrics; Psychological and Brain Sciences; Hospital Medicine
Record Identifier: 9984353827602771

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