title: The Role of Overconfidence in Romantic Desirability and Competition.
abstract: Four studies and a computer simulation tested the hypothesis that people who are overconfident in their self-assessments may be more successful in attracting mates. In Study 1, overconfident people were perceived as more confident in their dating profiles, and this perceived confidence predicted increased romantic desirability. Study 2 revealed that overconfident people also tend to be perceived as arrogant, which counteracts the positive effects of perceived confidence. However, Study 3 revealed that overconfidence might confer an advantage in intrasexual competition, as people were less likely to compete with overconfident individuals by virtue of their perceived confidence and arrogance. Study 4 showed that overconfident raters were also more likely to choose to compete for romantic partners. In Study 5, agent-based modeling incorporating the coefficients from these studies suggested that overconfidence facilitates mate acquisition in the presence of intrasexual competition.
authors.affiliation: University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia seanchrismurphy@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sean C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: von Hippel
authors.affiliation: University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Shelli L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Dubbs
authors.affiliation: Arizona State University, Tempe, USA.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Angilletta
authors.affiliation: University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Robbie S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Biosocial Research Foundation, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Trivers
authors.affiliation: Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Fiona Kate
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Barlow
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003163:Competitive Behavior; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003380:Courtship; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept; D012919:Social Behavior; D012928:Social Desirability
keywords: confidence; evolutionary psychology; intrasexual competition; mating; overconfidence