overplacement

Overplacement is a cognitive bias in which an individual believes they are superior to others on a specific attribute or performance domain. It is a form of illusory superiority that concerns relative standing rather than absolute ability. For example, a person might rate themselves as above average at driving or leadership even when average or below-average performance is typical among the relevant population. The bias is domain-specific and can vary across different skills or contexts.

Overplacement is related to but distinct from the broader above-average effect and the Dunning–Kruger effect. The key distinction is that overplacement concerns social comparison to others; a person may correctly assess their absolute ability while misjudging their rank among peers. It is influenced by social comparison processes, motivations to enhance self-esteem, and cultural norms about competition. Researchers measure it by asking participants to rate themselves relative to others on a given domain or to identify the proportion of peers they believe perform better.

Implications of overplacement include a tendency toward excessive risk-taking, biased decision-making, and potential interpersonal conflict when people insist on being superior to others. In workplaces and educational settings, overplacement can affect collaboration and receptiveness to feedback if individuals assume they are already at or near the top of the hierarchy. Cross-cultural research indicates variability in prevalence and expression, reflecting different norms around competition and self-presentation.