The better-than-average effect

Abstract

The better-than-average effect is a particular type of social comparison, one in which people compare their characteristics or behaviors against a norm or standard, which is usually the average standing of their peers on the characteristic. In this regard, the better-than-average effect falls outside the mainstream of traditional social comparison theory. Following Festinger (1954), social comparison theorists have emphasized the precursors and consequences of comparisons between people. Arguably, however, comparisons with normative standards are at least as prevalent as interpersonal comparisons. The self versus average peer judgments studied in better-than-average effect research are akin to social comparisons such as assessing whether one is meeting a group’s moral standards or performance expectations.