Why are most people more creative than others? Exploring the better-than-average effect in creativity

Abstract

People tend to rate themselves as more creative than average, but how this better-than-average effect (BTAE) generalizes across creativity aspects and which individual differences predict it remains unclear. In two online studies (N = 700), participants evaluated themselves relative to others on various traits (e.g., openness) and behaviors (e.g., creative writing). An independent sample rated the traits for social desirability and the behaviors for typical engagement frequency. The BTAE replicated for global creativity and most traits, but weakened or reversed for behaviors. Trait self-evaluations were primarily predicted by social desirability, whereas behavior self-evaluations were predicted by engagement frequency. Creativity self-assessments were further related to creative activity, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. Thus, the BTAE in creativity is predictably shaped by item- and person-level factors: it is robust for high-value traits but diminishes for rare, difficult behaviors, consistent with self-enhancement theory.