COMPARATIVE EXAMINATIONS OF SELF-REPORTS AND PERCEIVED ABSENTEEISM NORMS - WADING THROUGH LAKE-WOBEGON

The properties of self-reports and perceived norms of absenteeism were examined and compared in 7 progressive studies. Regardless of attenda nce context, time interval, type of estimate, or administration condit ion, individuals reported (on average) having roughly half the absente eism of the perceived norm among their peers; 85% to 95% of respondent s reported being above average in their attendance record. This ''Lake Wobegon effect'' was traced to a small negative bias (underreporting) in self-reports and a large positive bias (overreporting) in perceive d norms. Self-presentation and availability processes were proposed as explanations for these biases. In a study in which direct observation s of past and future absenteeism were collected, self-reports correlat ed .69 (p < .01) with the direct observations. Perceived norms explain ed unique variation (Delta R(2) = .10, p < .01) in future absenteeism.