Honesty–Humility in Contemporary Students: Manipulations of Self-Image by Inflated IQ Estimations

Abstract

The HEXACO model offers a complement to the Big Five model, including a sixth factor, Honesty–Humility, and its four facets (Sincerity, Fairness, Greed-avoidance, and Modesty). The four facets of Honesty–Humility and three indicators of intelligence (one performance-based cognitive ability test, one self-estimated academic potential, and one self-report of previous IQ test results) were assessed in students entering higher education (N= 187). A significant negative correlation was observed between Honesty–Humility and self-reported intelligence (r =−.37), most evident in the Modesty facet. These results may be interpreted as tendencies of exaggeration, using a theoretical frame of psychological image-management, concluding that the Honesty–Humility trait captures students' self-ambitions, particularly within the context of an individualistic, competitive culture such as Sweden.

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