Six experiments investigated people's optimism in competitions. The studies involved hypothetical and real competitions (course grades in Experiments 1 and 2, a trivia game in Experiments 3-5, and a poker game in Experiment 6) in which the presence of shared adversities and benefits (factors that would generally hinder or help the absolute performance of all competitors) was manipulated. Shared...

This paper investigates children’s comprehension and production of demonstrative pronouns (DPs), ‘zhege’ (this) and ‘nage’ (that), in Mandarin Chinese. Subjects are children of ages three, four, five and six. Based on the results of the present experiment, children’s developmental stages and the corresponding age grading are provided. Also, the present study incorporates a physical clue into th...

In this paper, we develop an integrative conceptual framework capturing the underlying mental models that guide engagement in relationships at work and elsewhere. Specifically, we are looking at mental models that go beyond egocentrism and social exchange, which have served as the basis for most frameworks found in research on organizations. The goal of this paper is to present a more complex p...

This study investigates subjective well being (SWB) among residents of Munich (n 380) and Venice (n 545) with respect to their individual SWB and their judgments of SWB for residents of their own city and those living in the other city. Our results indicate that egocentrism rather than striving for self enhancement guided people's judgments of SWB. For people with low individual SWB, a below av...

Four experiments examined the relative influence of three causal processes in the above-average effect (AAE) and related comparative biases: (a) egocentrism, (b) focalism, and (c) referent group diffuseness. By manipulating the inclusion or exclusion of the self from the referent group (Experiments 1–3) or target group (Experiment 4), the relative contributions of each influence were assessed. ...

The purpose of this paper is to respond to D. Elkind’s (1985, Developmental Review, 5, 218-226) reply to D. Lapsley and M. Murphy’s (1985, Developmental Review, 5,201-217) critique of the adolescent egocentrism theory. After a reprise of the issues in contention, we address the problem of theoretical consistency and self-other differentiation in Dr. Elkind’s (1967, Chi/d Development, 38, 102.5-...

Egocentrism has always been viewed as profoundly unethical, and thus a reason against ethical egoism. This paper examines the arguments for such claims and finds them somewhat wanting. It then considers the positions that egocentrism is psychologically untenable and that it is philosophically unstable. Though it appears true that egocentrism is a psychologically unappealing position for many, i...