Your roommate questions how charitable you really are. She says to you, "Give me just one example of the last time you gave money to a homeless person." Odds are that her challenge will convince you that you really are a generous person. Based on research by Schwarz and his colleagues (1991), why is that?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Schwarz and his colleagues (1991), people tend to rely on their self-schemas (beliefs about themselves) when evaluating their own behaviors. When challenged to recall a specific example of a behavior that aligns with their self-schema (in this case, being charitable), it is easy to recall one example that supports that belief. Thus, the challenge from the roommate would likely prompt the person to recall an instance of giving to a homeless person, reinforcing their belief that they are a charitable person.

Your Roommate Questions How Charitable You Really Are