The Genius Effect: Evidence for a Nonmotivational Interpretation

The genius effect refers to the tendency for people to exaggerate the ability of (a) a person who outperforms them and (b) a person whom they outperform. It has been argued by the researchers who first demonstrated this phenomenon that it is motivational in nature. In the present article we suggest that the genius effect is not an attempt on the part of individuals to protect or enhance their self-esteem, as proposed by Alicke, LoSchiavo, Zerbst, and Zhang (1997), but is instead due to the pervasive tendency of individuals to use the self as a standard of comparison in their dispassionate judgments of others. A pilot study and two experiments are reported that provide supportive evidence for this alternative, nonmotivational account.