Author:

Keywords:

Self-superiority claims, Threatening information, Above average effet, Self-description

Abstract:

When people hear or read a communicator describe the outstanding qualities or performances of a given actor (who may either be the communicator or a third individual) they may find this information threatening because it puts them into an unwanted upward comparison situation. On the other hand, hearing or reading about someone’s outstanding qualities or performances may be inspiring and uplifting. The present research tested under which circumstances observers find a communicator’s self- and other-praise aversive. In Study 1, participants disliked self-praise when it was explicitly socially comparative (“I am better than others”) but liked it when it was non-comparative (“I am good”), regardless of whether the claim was about a communion or an agency domain. In Study 2, participants responded less favorably to a comparative than to a non-comparative flattering person description when the description involved other-praise as well as when it involved self-praise. This finding shows that people do not merely dislike explicitly comparative praise because they dislike interacting with arrogant or self-enhancing individuals. Demonstrating that comparative praise only provokes dislike when it is threatening, Study 3 demonstrated that people dislike socially comparative self-praise but not intra-individually comparative self-praise (“I am better than I used to be”). Various potential explanations will be addressed along with theoretical, practical and methodological implications for person perception, impression management, and interpersonal consequences of self-superiority beliefs.