Availability and Social Projection

Abstract

Two studies are reported that examined the effects of sequence of measurement and wording of the estimation question on estimates of consensus. In both studies estimates of consensus for own choice, and hence the magnitude of false consensus effects, were larger when estimates were generated before making the choice and when individuals estimated consensus for their own choices. It is suggested that sequence of measurement and the wording of the estimation question influence the cognitive availability of the choices used in social projection research. These findings confirm at the level of primary research some subtle determinants of the magnitude of social projection effects that werefirst identified using meta-analytic techniques.