Can Over-Confidence be Contagious?

The Journal of Experimental Psychology's latest research has specific implications for the work environment and teamwork.

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Through 6 separate studies (utilising both correlational and experimental designs), their research results indicated that we can effectively “catch” over-confidence from others, with the potential for it to spread extensively throughout social groups and networks.

Specifically focusing on over-placement (the tendency to believe that we are better than others), the researchers found that over-confidence spreads as a direct result of our tendency to align ourselves with the confidence levels of our peers – even when we know these to be exaggerated!

Full details of the study can be accessed here

Important implications for the workplace and how we go about breaking this transmission.