OVERCONFIDENCE AND PERSONAL EVALUATIONS OF SOCIAL RANK

Research on confidence judgements suggests that people are often overc onfident. However, some studies have found that depressed mood reduces this positive bias. To date this has been explained as a mood phenome non. In this study we explore an alternative theory which suggests tha t confidence is related to internal judgements of social rank and stat us. This theory suggests that the lower one perceives oneself to be in status and rank the less one can afford to be overconfident. Data fro m a student population suggests that confidence judgements are associa ted with internal judgements of status.