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.
"Egocentrism" appears in:
Study guides (1)
Practice Questions (3)
- Egocentrism, animism, and artificialism are characteristics of which of Jean Piaget's stages of cognitive development?
- In which stage is egocentrism present?
- Which of Piaget's stages is characterized by egocentrism?
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