Olga Stavrova|Daniel Ehlebracht
The Cynical Genius Illusion: Exploring and Debunking Lay Beliefs About Cynicism and Competence
Tilburg University|University of Cologne
cynicism refers negative appraisal human naturea belief selfinterest ultimate motive guiding human behavior explored laypersons beliefs cynicism competence extent beliefs correspond reality four studies showed laypeople tend believe cynical individuals cognitive superiority three studies based data 200000 individuals 30 countries debunked lay beliefs illusionary revealing cynical vs less cynical individuals generally worse cognitive ability academic competency tasks crosscultural analyses showed competent individuals held contingent attitudes endorsed cynicism warranted given sociocultural environment less competent individuals embraced cynicism unconditionally suggesting thatat low levels competenceholding cynical worldview might represent adaptive default strategy avoid potential costs falling prey others cunning