Do unbiased people act more rationally? - The case of comparative realism and vaccine intention
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In: Royal Society Open Science, Vol. 10, No. 2, 220775, 01.02.2023.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Do unbiased people act more rationally? - The case of comparative realism and vaccine intention
AU - Izydorczak, Kamil
AU - Dolinski, Dariusz
AU - Genschow, Oliver
AU - Kulesza, Wojciech
AU - Muniak, Pawel
AU - Casara, Bruno Gabriel Salvador
AU - Suitner, Caterina
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors. This research was supported by grants: 1. RID(Regionalna Inicjatywa Doskonałości Mazowsza—Regional Excellence Initiative for Masovian District—https://www.gov.pl/web/edukacja-i-nauka/regionalna-inicjatywa-doskonalosci): ‘Unrealistic optimism in the age of pandemic. Health research and ensuring safety for the inhabitants of Mazovia district’ granted to D.D. (2020/2). 2. The Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA—https://nawa.gov.pl/) within the Urgency Grants programme granted to W.K. (number: PPN/GIN/2020/1/00063/U/00001).
PY - 2023/2/1
Y1 - 2023/2/1
N2 - Within different populations and at various stages of the pandemic, it has been demonstrated that individuals believe they are less likely to become infected than their average peer. This is known as comparative optimism and it has been one of the reproducible effects in social psychology. However, in previous and even the most recent studies, researchers often neglected to consider unbiased individuals and inspect the differences between biased and unbiased individuals. In a mini meta-analysis of six studies (Study 1), we discovered that unbiased individuals have lower vaccine intention than biased ones. In two pre-registered, follow-up studies, we aimed at testing the reproducibility of this phenomenon and its explanations. In Study 2 we replicated the main effect and found no evidence for differences in psychological control between biased and unbiased groups. In Study 3 we also replicated the effect and found that realists hold more centric views on the trade-offs between threats from getting vaccinated and getting ill. We discuss the interpretation and implication of our results in the context of the academic and lay-persons' views on rationality. We also put forward empirical and theoretical arguments for considering unbiased individuals as a separate phenomenon in the domain of self-others comparisons.
AB - Within different populations and at various stages of the pandemic, it has been demonstrated that individuals believe they are less likely to become infected than their average peer. This is known as comparative optimism and it has been one of the reproducible effects in social psychology. However, in previous and even the most recent studies, researchers often neglected to consider unbiased individuals and inspect the differences between biased and unbiased individuals. In a mini meta-analysis of six studies (Study 1), we discovered that unbiased individuals have lower vaccine intention than biased ones. In two pre-registered, follow-up studies, we aimed at testing the reproducibility of this phenomenon and its explanations. In Study 2 we replicated the main effect and found no evidence for differences in psychological control between biased and unbiased groups. In Study 3 we also replicated the effect and found that realists hold more centric views on the trade-offs between threats from getting vaccinated and getting ill. We discuss the interpretation and implication of our results in the context of the academic and lay-persons' views on rationality. We also put forward empirical and theoretical arguments for considering unbiased individuals as a separate phenomenon in the domain of self-others comparisons.
KW - COVID-19
KW - meta-analysis
KW - realisms
KW - self-others comparisons
KW - unrealistic optimism
KW - vaccine intention
KW - Psychology
KW - Business psychology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85147576553&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1098/rsos.220775
DO - 10.1098/rsos.220775
M3 - Journal articles
C2 - 36756056
AN - SCOPUS:85147576553
VL - 10
JO - Royal Society Open Science
JF - Royal Society Open Science
SN - 2054-5703
IS - 2
M1 - 220775
ER -