False Consensus Effect
The tendency to overestimate how many other people share one’s own beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.
- Ex: A student who studies with music on assumes most of the class does.
- Ex: A voter is surprised when her candidate loses, because everyone she knows was voting for him.
- Ex: A manager who checks email at night assumes the staff does too, and schedules accordingly.
Last updated: September 27, 2026 at 8:21 PM