The Upside to Feeling Worse Than Average (WTA): A Conceptual Framework to Understand When, How, and for Whom WTA Beliefs Have Long-Term Benefits

Abstract

Our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are shaped in critical ways by our beliefs about how we compare to other people. Prior research has predominately focused on the consequences of believing oneself to be better than average (BTA). Research on the consequences of worse-than-average (WTA) beliefs has been far more limited, focusing mostly on the downsides of WTA beliefs. In this paper, we argue for the systematic investigation of the possible long-term benefits of WTA beliefs in domains including motivation, task performance, and subjective well-being. We develop a conceptual framework for examining these possible benefits, we explore the usefulness of this framework to generate novel insights in an important psychological domain (skill learning), and we conclude with broader recommendations for research in other domains such as friendship formation, moral, and political decision making.

Problem Behavior and Life Satisfaction in Early Adolescence: Longitudinal Findings in a Chinese Context

“…Another explanation of the ″dark side of happiness″ is that when one feels satisfied, his or her impetus to change may not be high (Semmer et al 2005). As remarked by Whillans et al (2020), feeling worse or dissatisfied with one′s current situation may drive an individual to take action to improve the situation (i.e., perform ″behavioral remediation″ in the long run). In other words, negative feelings, such as those related to low LS, may motivate an individual to rectify his or her behavioral problems, resulting in a positive association between LS and PB.…”

“…It appears that the existing findings support claims on both ″protective effect of LS″ and ″the dark side of LS″, suggesting the relationship between LS and future developmental outcomes may be nonlinear and vary across situations. For example, high LS may act as a short-term protective factor while low LS might motivate an individual to strive for positive changes in the long-run (Whillans et al 2020;Joshanloo 2019). In addition, high LS appears to be more likely to have a negative influence on adolescents already having behavioral problems (Jung and Choi 2017;Baumeister et al 2003).…”

Both better and worse than others depending on difficulty: Replication and extensions of Kruger’s (1999) above and below average effects

“…Yet, the article has had a significant impact on several scientific and practical fields, including management (Bazerman & Moore, 2012), economy (DellaVigna, 2009;Koellinger et al, 2007), medicine (Stewart et al, 2013), education, or the workplace in general (Dunning et al, 2004). At the time of writing (May 2021), there were 1178 Google Scholar citations of the article and many important follow-up theoretical and empirical articles (Chambers & Windschitl, 2004;Moore, 2007;Moore & Cain, 2007;Moore & Small, 2007;Whillans et al, 2020;Windschitl et al, 2008b). We chose Study 1, as it was the first demonstration of the core phenomenon.…”

“…In contrast, less research has been conducted on the below-average-effect's impacts, predominantly focusing on its negative consequences, such as lower grades (Mattern et al, 2010), or worse subjective well-being (Goetz et al, 2006). Other research suggested that the below-average-effect can also induce positive motivational and behavioral consequences in the long run (Whillans et al, 2020). This highlights the need for continued research on the below-and-above-averageeffects' consequences.…”