← Back to the library
Social & Emotional InfluenceMember ingredient
False Consensus Effect
People who choose one response often estimate it as more common than people who choose an alternative do; calling it “false” requires an actual base-rate check.
Public evidence overview
One checked source, with its limits.
This preview is not the complete evidence base. Use it as a question to investigate in your own product, not as a prediction of what an individual will do.
Checked source previewAcademic paper
Statistical Criteria for Establishing a Truly False Consensus Effect
Research-assisted source review
- What it supports
- Own response can contain information about a population rate, so a relative association is not sufficient to establish a truly false or irrational estimate; calibration against actual rates matters.
- Where it may not transfer
- The paper is a statistical critique rather than a new behavioural experiment. Its argument does not imply all consensus estimates are accurate or that self-projection cannot bias judgements.
See how sources and limitations are checked in our editorial method.
Member depth
Continue into the complete evidence and application.
Practitioner includes the complete checked source set, study context and practical takeaways for this ingredient. The public overview above remains available without upgrading.