Comparative examinations of self-reports and perceived absenteeism norms: Wading through Lake Wobegon

Abstract

The properties of self-reports and perceived norms of absenteeism were examined and compared in 7 progressive studies. Regardless of attendance context, time interval, type of estimate, or administration condition, individuals reported (on average) having roughly half the absenteeism of the perceived norm among their peers; 85% to 95% of respondents reported being above average in their attendance record. This "Lake Wobegon effect" was traced to a small negative bias (underreporting) in self-reports and a large positive bias (overreporting) in perceived norms. Self-presentation and availability processes were proposed as explanations for these biases. In a study in which direct observations of past and future absenteeism were collected, self-reports correlated .69 with the direct observations. Perceived norms explained unique variation in future absenteeism. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)