65% of Americans believe they are above average in intelligence: Results of two nationally representative surveys
Year: 2018
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Psychologists often note that most people think they are above average in intelligence. We sought robust, contemporary evidence for this "smarter than average" effect by asking Americans in two independent samples (total N = 2,821) whether they agreed with the statement, "I am more intelligent than the average person." After weighting each sample to match the demographics of U.S. census data, we found that 65% of Americans believe they are smarter than average, with men more likely to agree than women. However, overconfident beliefs about one's intelligence are not always unrealistic: more educated people were more likely to think their intelligence is above average. We suggest that a tendency to overrate one's cognitive abilities may be a stable feature of human psychology.
Source: PLoS ONE
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,382
OpenAlex ID: W2811371292