Egoistic and Moralistic Biases in Self-Perception: The Interplay of Self-Deceptive Styles With Basic Traits and Motives

@article{Paulhus1998EgoisticAM,
  title={Egoistic and Moralistic Biases in Self-Perception: The Interplay of Self-Deceptive Styles With Basic Traits and Motives},
  author={Delroy L. Paulhus and Oliver P. John},
  journal={Journal of Personality},
  year={1998},
  volume={66},
  pages={1025-1060}
}
The literature on personality traits and defense mechanisms suggests individual differences in two self-favoring tendencies, which we label "egoistic bias" and "moralistic bias." The two biases are self-deceptive in nature and can be traced to two fundamental values, agency and communion, that impel two corresponding motives, nPower and nApproval. The two sequences of values, motives, and biases form two personality constellations, Alpha and Gamma.Associated with Alpha is an egoistic bias, a… 
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