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Abstract:Prior research has linked religiosity to certain forms of self-enhancement. We extend this literature by three studies linking religiosity to the well-established better-than-average effect.First, a reanalysis of self-judgments of desirable characteristics in 15 nations showed that the better-than-average effect was stronger in more religious countries, even taking into account GDP, interdependence, and economic inequality. Second, in two online surveys totaling 1000 Americans, the better-than-average effect was stronger among more religious individuals.Several observations indicated that this relation was due to individuals self-stereotyping with respect to their religious ingroups. In particular, the relation was restricted to characteristics on the warmth dimension, consistent with the religious stereotype, and the average religious ingroup member tended to be judged even more favorably than self. The latter phenomenon, which we term "humble self-enhancement", is consistent with other studies linking stronger religiosity to greater favoritism of the religious ingroup and greater derogation of religious outgroups.

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AcknowledgmentsWe thank Pontus Strimling and several anonymous reviewers for helpful advice. The "above-average effect" is the phenomenon that people tend to judge themselves above average on desirable traits. Based on social identity theory, we propose that a "belowaverage effect" may arise when individuals rate themselves and the average ingroup member on traits stereotypically associated with the ingroup. In two studies Republican and Democrat participants rated themselves and the average political ingroup member on possession of desirable traits related to warmth and competence. Current political stereotypes in America associate the former dimension with Democrats and the latter with Republicans. Consistent with our hypothesis, the above-average effect was moderated by political group and dimension in interaction. In particular, Democrats rated themselves below the average Democrat on warmth and Republicans rated themselves below the average Republican on competence.