ROLE POSITION AND GROUP-PERFORMANCE AS DETERMINANTS OF EGOTISTICAL PERCEPTIONS IN COOPERATIVE GROUPS

Egotistical perception is the tendency to structure causal units in such a way that one receives credit for positive outcomes and avoids blame for negative outcomes. To ascertain the pattern of egotistical perceptions in cooperative groups, 66 male ROTC cadets participated as either group leaders, followers, or equals in three-man, problem-solving groups. Bogus feedback was provided to foster perceptions of group success or failure. As hypothesized, leaders assumed high personal responsibility for the group’s performance irrespective of success or failure, while followers and equals assumed high personal responsibility following group success but much lower personal responsibility following group failure. Also, as hypothesized, following failure, leaders rated the quality of their own performance lower than did followers or equals, while following success, occupants of all role positions rated their performances highly. Leaders also assumed that the other members of their group were more highly motivated to do well than did followers or equals. © 1979 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.