Research by Messick et al. (1985) concerning the egocentric fairness b
ias was replicated using linguistic choices rather than rating scales.
Subjects were asked to choose from among six frequency quantifiers to
describe the estimated frequency of moral and immoral behaviours as p
erformed by 'I' or 'Other people'. Results replicate the dual slope ph
enomenon found by previous researchers. Subjects chose quantifiers ref
erring to higher frequencies when estimating frequencies for 'I'-moral
behaviour than for 'Other people'-moral behaviour, and quantifiers re
ferring to lower frequencies when estimating frequencies for 'I'-immor
al behaviour than for 'Other people'-immoral behaviour. This 'I-'Other
' differentiation was greater for the immoral behaviours than the mora
l behaviours.