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Egocentrism

Definition

Egocentrism is a cognitive bias where an individual overestimates their own point of view and has difficulty understanding others' perspectives. It's most evident in children during the preoperational stage.

Analogy

Imagine you're watching a movie in a theater, and you think that because you can see the screen clearly, everyone else can too, regardless of where they're sitting. This is like egocentrism - assuming everyone sees things from your perspective.

Related terms

Theory of Mind: The ability to understand that others have beliefs, desires, intentions, and perspectives that are different from one's own.

Centration: The tendency to focus on one salient aspect of a situation and neglect other possibly relevant aspects.

Personal Fable: A belief held by many adolescents telling them that they are special and unique, so much so that none of life's difficulties or problems will affect them regardless of their behavior.