Researchers asked some participants to think of six times they had behaved assertively and asked other participants to think of twelve times they had behaved assertively, and then asked all participants to rate how assertive they thought they really were. Participants who tried to generate six examples of assertive behaviors rated themselves as more assertive than did participants who tried to generate twelve examples. Why? Schwarz suggests that participants __________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Participants who were asked to generate six examples were able to do so more easily than those asked to generate twelve examples. This may have led them to believe that they are more assertive, as it was easier for them to recall assertive behaviors from memory. Participants who were asked to generate twelve examples may have found the task more difficult and thus may have rated themselves as less assertive.

Researchers Asked Some Participants to Think of Six Times They