The hubris hypothesis: The downside of comparative optimism displays

Abstract

According to the hubris hypothesis, observers respond more unfavorably to individuals who express their positive self-views comparatively than to those who express their positive self-views non-comparatively, because observers infer that the former hold a more disparaging view of others and particularly of observers. Two experiments extended the hubris hypothesis in the domain of optimism. Observers attributed less warmth (but not less competence) to, and showed less interest in affiliating with, an individual displaying comparative optimism (the belief that one's future will be better than others' future) than with an individual displaying absolute optimism (the belief that one's future will be good). Observers responded differently to individuals displaying comparative versus absolute optimism, because they inferred that the former held a gloomier view of the observers' future. Consistent with previous research, observers still attributed more positive traits to a comparative or absolute optimist than to a comparative or absolute pessimist.

When Praising Yourself Insults Others: Self-Superiority Claims Provoke Aggression

“…More specifically, observers are hypothesized to relatively dislike explicit braggarts because they infer that these braggarts hold a negative view of others and hence of them. In previous studies, mediation analyses confirmed this reasoning (Hoorens et al, 2017; Van Damme, Hoorens, & Sedikides, 2016).…”

“…Participants responded to affiliation questions adapted from Helweg-Larsen, Sadeghian, and Webb (2002; Hoorens et al, 2017). Two of these here served as an unobtrusive measure of liking, namely, if the braggart was pleasant to be around (1 = not at all , 7 = definitely pleasant ) and if participants would like to have the braggart as a friend (1 = not at all , 7 = very much ).…”

“…First, observers do not interpret explicitly comparative bragging as suggesting a particularly inflated self-view (Hoorens et al, 2012; Hoorens, Van Damme, Helweg-Larsen, & Sedikides, 2017; Van Damme, Hoorens, & Sedikides, 2016). Second, any self-judgment arguably rests on social comparison (e.g., Biernat, 2005; Corcoran & Mussweiler, 2009, 2010).…”

Self-Enhancement and Psychological Adjustment: A Meta-Analytic Review

“…This might be so because informants infer that the self-enhancing person holds a disparaging view of others, including a disparaging view of the informant herself or himself. Informants might then evaluate the person unfavorably, as they are personally offended by such inferred direct and self-serving social comparisons (Hoorens, Pandelaere, Oldersma, & Sedikides, 2012; Hoorens, Van Damme, Helweg-Larsen, & Sedikides, 2017; Van Damme, Hoorens, & Sedikides, 2016).…”

Impression mismanagement: People as inept self‐presenters

“…Impression mismanagement occurs when people are oblivious to hubris, namely, the impact that their self‐aggrandizing displays can have on the audience's self‐views. A program of research systematically varied an actor's self‐presentations (using different types of self‐enhancing and non‐self‐enhancing claims) and assessed the inferences that observers make about the actor (e.g., liking) and also the inferences that they make about the actor's opinion of others in general as well as of observers in particular (Hoorens, Pandelaere, Oldersma, & Sedikides, ; Hoorens, Van Damme, Helweg‐Larsen, & Sedikides, ; van Damme, Hoorens, & Sedikides, ).…”