Epley, N. & Caruso, E. M. (2004). Egocentric ethics. Social
Justice Research, 17(2), 171-187.
I really
enjoyed the section in Epley and Carusos article on egocentric biases. This
topic has a lot to do with judgment and one’s self-perception—especially when a
person is close minded and believes that their perception is true and sacred.
I
think I’m fascinated by this topic because these types of people can easily
drive me crazy. I appreciate it when people are open-minded. That is not to say
that I don’t think individuals are entitled to their opinions. I think that
being close-minded can be detrimental to a person—whether professionally or
personally.
In the
article, we learn that there are several factors that increase and accelerate
egocentric biases. According to Epley and Caruso:
1.
First, egocentric biases increase when the
ability to expend attentional resources is compromised.
2.
Second, egocentric biases are reduced when
participants are given financial incentives for accuracy
3.
Third, egocentric biases increase when people
are asked to respond quickly
4.
Fourth, egocentric biases are enhanced by
manipulations that increase the likelihood of accepting values encountered
early in the process of adjustment away from an egocentric default.
After reviewing their list of factors that increase egocentric biases,
the two that stand out to me are financial incentives and when people are asked
to respond quickly. I feel like I’ve seen both of these scenarios play out in
life. Financial incentives can often have a negative result, especially when a
person can possibly be in for some type of personal gain. When people are asked
to respond quickly, they are not providing their undivided attention and the
proper amount of time to really think through the situation.
I also get frustrated when dealing with closed-minded individuals, as I try to always consider all sides of an argument before making my own judgments. It can be very difficult, as some of the people I love most in life are extremely opinionated when it comes to politics and stances on many of the ethical dilemmas we've discussed in class.
ReplyDeleteI think the Epley and Caruso article did a good job of demonstrating how, given more time to think about and respond, many will consider others' arguments more in their response. When reaction time is limited, individuals will generally respond with their true tendencies and those that are in their own best interest.