Russ, Greene, and House (1977) asked college students to wear a sandwich-board sign that said "Repent" and walk around campus for 30 minutes. Although only 50 percent of the total number of students volunteering for the study agreed to wear the sign, those who did wear the sign estimated 77 percent of the other participants would do it. Which cognitive bias explains this difference?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The difference is explained by the false consensus bias, which occurs when individuals overestimate how much others agree with them or are likely to engage in the same behaviors as they do. In this case, the students who agreed to wear the sign assumed a higher percentage of their peers would also agree to wear it, overestimating the consensus of their behavior.

Russ, Greene, and House (1977) Asked College Students to Wear