Behavioral and Brain Sciences

Open Peer Commentary

Directions and beliefs of self-presentational bias

David C. Fundera1

a1 Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521. funder@ucr.edu http://rap.ucr.edu

Abstract

The target article tends to conflate self-deception and self-enhancement, but biased self-presentation can be negative as well as positive. Self-deceiving self-diminishers may be depressed and non-self-deceiving self-diminishers may project false modesty. The article's otherwise brilliant argument for the advantages of self-deceptive self-enhancement for deceiving others may underemphasize the risks it entails for poor decision making.

(Online publication February 03 2011)

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