自我提升(英語:Self-enhancement)或称自我膨胀、自我拉抬是人的一种动机,有些人通过它使自己自我感觉良好和保持自尊[1],在受到威胁、遭遇失败和自尊心被打击时相对多见[2][3][4]。自我提升时,人们倾向于接受正面的自我概念[5]。自我提升使得人们改变控制自身行为的自律过程。它是四种自我评估动机之一,其他三种为自我评定(寻求准确自我概念的动机)、自我验证(寻求与自我感觉一致的自我概念的动机)和自我改善(改良自我概念的行为)。
人们可以使用很多策略提升自己的个人价值感知,比如忽视自己不擅长的方面、通过比较并批评他人让自己感觉更好。通过这些策略,人们趋向认为自己比别人优点更多,缺点更少[6]。自我提升的人群中既有高自尊心者也有低自尊心者,但各自使用的策略不同。高自尊心者会通过偏差地处理信息,直接提升自我概念;低自尊者通过更间接的策略,如避免暴露缺点的情况出现[7]。
自我提升是否对个体有利的问题是有争议的。
自我提升策略的影响显示在人们将自己视为比别人的优点更多,前途更光明[6]。
主条目:正面错觉
人们通常对自己有着不切实际的个人价值感知,这些自我满足的看法可以被归为三类,称之为正面错觉三元素[8],他们是:超过平均效应[9]、控制错觉[10]和不切实际的乐观[11]。很多情境下,这三种错觉都会出现,而且很难校正。讽刺的是,当被告知这些错觉的存在时,人们普遍认为自己比别人出现得更少[12]。
主条目:虚幻的优越感
优于常人效应是超过平均效应的最常见证明。此效应十分顽固,即使条件与其他被评价个体完全相同时,人们仍然会对自己作出更高的评价。[9]人们也会对与自己相关的事物给予更高的优越感,人们认为自己的亲密朋友[13][14]和个人财产[15]高于其他人。然而当成果被认为是需要精湛技巧的,人们通常会谨慎而表现出劣于常人效应。例如,多数人会把自己骑独轮车能力评为低于常人。
多数人超过平均在很多下是不可能的,比如在对称分布情况下,此时 平均数 = 中位数 = 众数 。[16]或者非对称分布的情况下,此时平均数 < 中位数 < 众数 或 众数 < 中位数 < 平均数。然而在非对称分布的情况下,如果把平均数或者众数看作平均值,多数人超过平均则是可能的。
人们在很多方面上的自我提升的原因是超过平均效应。人们通常倾向于在有正面、合意的结果的事物中显示出高于平均,在负面、不合意的事物中低于平均。
超过平均效应现象包括:
- 多数大学生认为自己的礼仪、运动技能和领导力是前50%卓越的。[17][18][19]
- 语法和逻辑领域的12%优秀者也会认为自己的水平是前62%。[20]
- 94%的大学教授认为自己的教学能力高于平均水平。[21]
- 英国和美国的大学生认为自己的驾驶能力高于平均水平驾驶员。[22]即使是因造成车祸住院的驾驶员,也认为自己不比普通驾驶员差。[23]
- 即使在被告知优于常人效应后,人们也认为自己受此偏差之影响少于他人。[24]
主条目:控制幻觉
人们会高估自己控制结果和偶然的能力[25] ,实际无关时认为自己的行为是有影响的[26]。人们也相信他们可以影响本身随机的系统,如彩票,尤其是对于与技巧相关的任务。尽管偶然性一定程度上存在于行为和结果中,但它被人们高估了[26]。
主条目:乐观偏差
人们通常相信自己将经历的好事比同类人多,坏事比同龄人少。[11][27][28]人们对于像恋人、好朋友一样的同伴也会有不切实际的乐观,但是程度小些。[29]
不切实际的乐观明显出现在人们多种情境下的行为和看法中。人们会高估自己预测未来的能力[30]以及低估自己完成任务的所需时间[31]。人们高估自己社会预测的准确度[32],并将个人正面结果解读为价值更高,负面结果解读为价值更低[33]。令人担心的是,吸烟者会低估自己相对于不吸烟的癌症风险,甚至会与同类吸烟者比较[34]。
自我提升是否有利于个体的适应度是存在争议的。[35][36]多种动机可以影响自我提升的出现,因此既有好处,又有坏处。[37]对自己表现评估出错的人(同时包括自我提升者和自我低估者)易于获得较低的学习成绩,其他表现也更差。各种文化中,似乎都会出现此种现象。[38]
- 如果将“自我提升”理解为“对自己的评价比对别人的评价高”,那么结果经常是好的。[39][40]
- 如果将“自我提升”理解为“自己对自己 比别人对自己的评价高”,那么结果经常是不好的。[41][42]
两种定义中使用哪种是有争议的。有的研究者人为前一种不算自我提升。[43]
一些研究显示,自我提升与心理水平良好有强烈关系[44],另一些研究恰恰相反,说与心理水平糟糕有关[41]。 自我提升也有社会代价。对九一一恐怖袭击幸存者的治疗中发现,自我提升者的朋友和家人把他们的社会适应度和诚实评为降低。[45]
反推之為何有倖存者與恐怖襲擊?人類,一種米養百種人,一頁一頁寫成歷史成了忠字。
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