Above-Average Effect

Principal Category: Cognitive Biases

Authors:
• Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.

Abstract

The Above-Average Effect, also known as Illusory Superiority, is a cognitive bias where individuals overestimate their abilities compared to others, believing they are less likely to be deceived or make mistakes. This natural but dangerous mental shortcut plays a significant role in scam victimization. Before a scam, it creates a false sense of invulnerability that blinds potential victims to warning signs. During a scam, it drives cognitive dissonance, leading victims to rationalize inconsistencies rather than admit they might be wrong, trapping them deeper in the manipulation. After a scam, the collapse of this illusion can result in overwhelming shame, guilt, and isolation, compounding emotional trauma. Understanding the Above-Average Effect helps victims and families see that falling for a scam is not a sign of foolishness, but a reflection of human vulnerability that scammers expertly exploit. Managing this bias through awareness, cautious decision-making, and seeking trusted support networks is key to both prevention and healing. Recovery involves accepting human limits without shame and rebuilding trust in oneself with greater wisdom and resilience.

Understanding the Above-Average Effect and How It Affects Scam Victims Before, During, and After Their Scam

What Is the Above-Average Effect?

The Above-Average Effect, sometimes called Illusory Superiority, is a cognitive bias where people believe they are better, smarter, or more capable than the average person. It is a very common mental shortcut that most people are unaware they use. In simple terms, it means you tend to believe you are less likely to make mistakes, less likely to be fooled, and more likely to succeed compared to others.

Research consistently shows that a majority of people rate themselves as above average in intelligence, driving skills, honesty, leadership ability, and even attractiveness. Of course, it is mathematically impossible for everyone to be above average. Yet emotionally, it feels reassuring to believe it.

This bias does not come from arrogance in most cases. It comes from the brain’s natural drive to protect your self-esteem and sense of control. Believing that you are capable, smart, and able to handle challenges feels safer and more stable. Your mind leans toward that view, often without your conscious awareness.

However, this very human bias can lead to serious problems, especially when it comes to scams. When you overestimate your ability to spot deception or avoid manipulation, you actually become more vulnerable to sophisticated scammers.

Understanding how the Above-Average Effect works — and how it affects scam victims at every stage — can help you protect yourself and help others do the same.

How the Above-Average Effect Influences People Before a Scam

Before a scam happens, the Above-Average Effect creates a dangerous illusion of invulnerability. Many people walk into risky situations because they genuinely believe:

• “I would never fall for that.”

• “Only foolish people get scammed.”

• “I can spot a liar a mile away.”

• “I know what to look for.”

This mindset is comforting, but it is not based on reality. Scammers are professional manipulators. They use advanced psychological tactics that bypass normal defenses. They trigger emotions — hope, fear, loneliness, greed, love — and once emotions take over, rational thinking gets compromised.

When you believe you are smarter than average or “too smart to be scammed,” you are less likely to:

• Double-check information.

• Ask for second opinions.

• Research deeply before making decisions.

• Listen to your own internal warning signs.

This false sense of superiority blocks natural caution. It makes you move faster, trust sooner, and question less. In other words, the Above-Average Effect acts like an invisible opening in your armor — and scammers know how to find and exploit it.

The Emotional Set-Up: Why This Bias Is So Powerful

The Above-Average Effect is rooted in emotions more than in logic. It is tied to:

• The need to feel competent.

• The need to feel safe in a complex world.

• The fear of embarrassment, shame, or failure.

Admitting that you are vulnerable feels frightening. Accepting that anyone — even you — could be tricked feels uncomfortable. So the mind leans toward denial, painting a reassuring but unrealistic picture: “It will not happen to me.”

This emotional self-protection is understandable, but it creates a major blind spot. Before a scam, this blind spot can keep you from seeing small warning signs, gut feelings, or inconsistencies that might otherwise raise red flags.

How the Above-Average Effect Influences People During a Scam

During a scam, the Above-Average Effect does not disappear. In fact, it often intensifies.

As a scammer builds a relationship, presents an opportunity, or creates a crisis, victims who see themselves as “smarter than most” are placed in a dangerous psychological position. If you have believed that you could not be fooled, and now doubts are creeping in, your mind faces a terrible choice:

• Admit you might be wrong (which feels humiliating and frightening).

• Double down on the belief that you are right (which feels safer in the moment).

Most people, without realizing it, choose the second path. They rationalize small inconsistencies. They explain away red flags. They tell themselves, “No, I would know if this was a scam,” because that belief feels less painful than facing the growing evidence.

This cognitive dissonance — the emotional discomfort of holding conflicting beliefs — pushes people deeper into the scam. The longer it goes on, the harder it becomes to turn back, because admitting the truth would mean confronting not just the scam but also the painful realization that “I was not as invulnerable as I thought.”

Scammers use this dynamic expertly. They build emotional bonds, create high-trust environments, and make the victim feel special, smart, and in control — all feeding into the Above-Average Effect and keeping the victim locked into the scam.

How the Above-Average Effect Influences People After a Scam

After a scam ends — whether through discovery, collapse, or confrontation — the Above-Average Effect often transforms into deep emotional injury.

Victims may feel:

• Overwhelming shame for “being so stupid.”

• Crushing guilt for not seeing the signs.

• Deep humiliation, believing they are now “below average” compared to others.

This is a tragic reversal. Before the scam, the Above-Average Effect offered protection. After the scam, it can turn cruelly against the victim. The gap between how they once saw themselves (“I am smart and careful”) and what happened (“I was deceived”) can feel unbearable.

It is very common for scam victims to become isolated after a scam, not because others reject them, but because they cannot face the loss of self-image. They feel exposed, broken, and deeply ashamed, often withdrawing from family, friends, and professional help.

If you are recovering from a scam, it is crucial to understand that your experience does not mean you are foolish, gullible, or weak. It means you were human — and that human beings, by nature, carry cognitive biases that scammers know how to exploit.

Healing means confronting the Above-Average Effect honestly, without shame. It means recognizing that the illusion of invulnerability was just that — an illusion. It means learning to move forward with wiser, humbler self-trust, rather than living in self-hatred.

How to Protect Yourself by Managing the Above-Average Effect

You cannot eliminate the Above-Average Effect entirely. It is hardwired into human nature. But you can manage it with awareness, humility, and protective habits.

Here are some important steps:

Assume You Are Vulnerable

Instead of believing you are immune, assume you are a potential target. This does not mean living in fear. It means living in reality. Vulnerability is normal. Acknowledging it gives you the power to put protections in place.

Slow Down Important Decisions

Whenever you feel excited, pressured, or emotional about a decision — especially financial or relational ones — make it a rule to pause. Scammers thrive on impulsive choices. Pausing gives your rational brain time to catch up.

Always Verify, Even When It Feels Unnecessary

Trust your instincts, but back them up with verification. Research independently. Ask for documentation. Double-check identities. If someone resists your need for verification, that is a major red flag.

Stay Connected to Others

Isolation feeds vulnerability. Regular conversations with trusted people create a safety net. Talk about your decisions openly. Let others question you. Let yourself hear other perspectives, even when you think you know best.

Educate Yourself About Cognitive Biases

Learning about human mental shortcuts — like the Above-Average Effect, confirmation bias, and authority bias — can help you recognize when your mind is taking risky shortcuts.

Awareness itself becomes a powerful guardian.

A Closing Word About Healing After a Scam

If you are reading this after being scammed, please hear this clearly: you are not stupid. You are not a failure. You are not ruined. You are a human being who was deceived by people trained to exploit human psychology.

The Above-Average Effect may have played a role, but it is not your enemy. It is simply a part of your mind that needed better protection.

Healing after a scam includes rebuilding your sense of self — not by denying what happened, but by integrating it into a wiser, stronger identity. You are capable of great things. You are capable of protecting yourself without losing your openness, your kindness, or your dreams.

You are still you — worthy, strong, and growing wiser every day.