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The bias in the bias: comparative optimism as a function of event social undesirability

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The bias in the bias: comparative optimism as a function of event social undesirability. / Sweldens, Steven; Puntoni, Stefano; Paolacci, Gabriele et al.
In: Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Vol. 124, No. 2, 07.2014, p. 229-244.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

Sweldens, S, Puntoni, S, Paolacci, G & Vissers, M 2014, 'The bias in the bias: comparative optimism as a function of event social undesirability', Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, vol. 124, no. 2, pp. 229-244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2014.03.007

APA

Sweldens, S., Puntoni, S., Paolacci, G., & Vissers, M. (2014). The bias in the bias: comparative optimism as a function of event social undesirability. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 124(2), 229-244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2014.03.007

Vancouver

Sweldens S, Puntoni S, Paolacci G, Vissers M. The bias in the bias: comparative optimism as a function of event social undesirability. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. 2014 Jul;124(2):229-244. Epub 2014 May 4. doi: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2014.03.007

Author

Sweldens, Steven ; Puntoni, Stefano ; Paolacci, Gabriele et al. / The bias in the bias : comparative optimism as a function of event social undesirability. In: Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. 2014 ; Vol. 124, No. 2. pp. 229-244.

Bibtex

@article{b5779f4b4c7449d88b222db43e220058,
title = "The bias in the bias: comparative optimism as a function of event social undesirability",
abstract = "We present a new event-level predictor of comparative optimism: comparative optimism is larger for more socially undesirable events. A meta-analysis shows that event social undesirability predicts comparative optimism effect sizes reported in the literature, over and above the effects of other known predictors. Four experiments corroborate this finding and demonstrate the key role played by respondents{\textquoteright} impression management motives. The effect of social undesirability decreases with stronger than usual anonymity assurances, increases with greater impression management tendencies, and reverses when people want to make a negative impression. Because social undesirability is correlated to other known predictors of comparative optimism (e.g., controllability, severity), it is important to take its effects into account when assessing the effect of other event characteristics. The current research adds to, and bridges, the literatures on event-level predictors and impression management in comparative optimism.",
keywords = "Comparative optimism, Social undesirability, Impression management, Unrealistic optimism, Meta-analysis",
author = "Steven Sweldens and Stefano Puntoni and Gabriele Paolacci and Maarten Vissers",
year = "2014",
month = jul,
doi = "10.1016/j.obhdp.2014.03.007",
language = "English",
volume = "124",
pages = "229--244",
journal = "Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes",
issn = "0749-5978",
publisher = "Academic Press Inc.",
number = "2",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - The bias in the bias

T2 - comparative optimism as a function of event social undesirability

AU - Sweldens, Steven

AU - Puntoni, Stefano

AU - Paolacci, Gabriele

AU - Vissers, Maarten

PY - 2014/7

Y1 - 2014/7

N2 - We present a new event-level predictor of comparative optimism: comparative optimism is larger for more socially undesirable events. A meta-analysis shows that event social undesirability predicts comparative optimism effect sizes reported in the literature, over and above the effects of other known predictors. Four experiments corroborate this finding and demonstrate the key role played by respondents’ impression management motives. The effect of social undesirability decreases with stronger than usual anonymity assurances, increases with greater impression management tendencies, and reverses when people want to make a negative impression. Because social undesirability is correlated to other known predictors of comparative optimism (e.g., controllability, severity), it is important to take its effects into account when assessing the effect of other event characteristics. The current research adds to, and bridges, the literatures on event-level predictors and impression management in comparative optimism.

AB - We present a new event-level predictor of comparative optimism: comparative optimism is larger for more socially undesirable events. A meta-analysis shows that event social undesirability predicts comparative optimism effect sizes reported in the literature, over and above the effects of other known predictors. Four experiments corroborate this finding and demonstrate the key role played by respondents’ impression management motives. The effect of social undesirability decreases with stronger than usual anonymity assurances, increases with greater impression management tendencies, and reverses when people want to make a negative impression. Because social undesirability is correlated to other known predictors of comparative optimism (e.g., controllability, severity), it is important to take its effects into account when assessing the effect of other event characteristics. The current research adds to, and bridges, the literatures on event-level predictors and impression management in comparative optimism.

KW - Comparative optimism

KW - Social undesirability

KW - Impression management

KW - Unrealistic optimism

KW - Meta-analysis

U2 - 10.1016/j.obhdp.2014.03.007

DO - 10.1016/j.obhdp.2014.03.007

M3 - Journal article

VL - 124

SP - 229

EP - 244

JO - Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes

JF - Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes

SN - 0749-5978

IS - 2

ER -