title: Trait valence and the better-than-average effect.
abstract: People tend to regard themselves as having superior personality traits compared to their average peer. To test whether this "better-than-average effect" varies with trait valence, participants (N = 154 students) rated both themselves and the average student on traits constituting either positive or negative poles of five trait dimensions. In each case, the better-than-average effect was found, but trait valence had no effect. Results were discussed in terms of Kahneman and Tversky's prospect theory.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Deakin University, VIC 3125, Australia. rongold@deakin.edu.au
authors.forename: Ron S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Gold
authors.forename: Mark G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D010551:Personality; D012649:Self Concept; D012647:Self-Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult