Overconfidence about one’s own objectivity: A historical review and consideration of adaptive significance

Abstract

Extant research has robustly demonstrated over time that social judgment is frequently influenced by motivational and cognitive biases that compromise objectivity in social perceptions. Individuals typically fail to recognize biases in their social judgment, despite substantial evidence. Scholars indicate that this tendency due to naïve realism: people tend to be overconfident about their objectivity and believe that they see the world as it is (Ross & Ward, 1996). As observed, human perception and judgment are frequently biased. The lack of awareness of one’s bias can itself be dubbed “biased perception.” An emerging point of view is that many cognitive errors can support personal, societal, or evolutionary advantages (Haselton & Buss, 2000) and that blindness to one’s bias may be a product or by-product of adaptation. This article summarizes previous empirical and theoretical research findings that provide preliminary support for overconfidence in one’s objectivity and discusses this tendency from social and ecological validity perspectives.