杏吧原创

TO A curmudgeon, psychology is the art 鈥� not science 鈥� of stating the bleeding obvious. Either that, or of jumping to false conclusions. In 2016, Norwegian psychologist Jan Smedslund, a veteran of 60 years鈥� standing, went so far as to argue that , thanks to the sheer impossibility of untangling myriad influences on human behaviour.

Such criticisms have some merit, but are unduly harsh. Every now and again, experimental psychology produces an insight that truly changes how we think about ourselves. Take the study half a century ago that revealed that a cohort of 50 drivers all rated themselves as above-average 鈥� despite being in hospital for self-inflicted crash injuries (鈥�The car-crash study that found we all think we鈥檙e special鈥�).

It is a finding that, in that best possible way, makes you laugh and then think. The 鈥渂etter than average鈥� effect is now well established in many fields of human endeavour. Avoiding the insidious effects of such cognitive biases is central to improving public safety and helping us all rub along a little better.

So let鈥檚 hear it for a belittled discipline 鈥� and the odd result that truly is better than average.

This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淏etter than average?鈥�