How long will I suffer?" versus "How long will you suffer?" A self-other effect in affective forecasting

Datos Bibliográficos

ID6206009
AutoresEric R Igou (0000-0001-7744-9648, Tilburg University, autor de correspondencia)
Año2008
Volumen95
Número4
Páginas899-917
Fecha de publicación2008-01-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaJournal of Personality and Social Psychology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0022-3514 • E-ISSN: 1939-1315
EditorialAmerican Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1037/a0011619
PMID18808266
OpenAlexW1997524354
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas14
Referencias citadas29

This research presents evidence that people predict longer durations of negative affect for others than for themselves. It is argued that this self-other effect is based on the asymmetric availability of knowledge about psychological strategies that reduce negative affective experiences. Specifically, because people have available knowledge about their own coping strategies, they use this information when making predictions about their affect. The lack of information about others' coping strategies leads to longer predictions of affect duration for others, creating the self-other effect. A series of studies demonstrated this self-other effect, its source, and its boundary conditions. Specifically, the self-other effect occurred for negative but not for positive events, it was stronger when participants predicted affect duration for unfamiliar others than when participants predicted affect duration for familiar others, and the impact of the self versus other focus on affective forecasts was mediated by the availability of knowledge about coping strategies. In addition, alternative explanations for the self-other effect were ruled out. The implications for biases in affective forecasting are discussed

Affect (linguistics) · Coping (psychology) · Developmental psychology · Clinical Psychology · Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics · Mental Health Research Topics · Psychological and Temporal Perspectives Research · Psychology · Social Psychology