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Socially dominant individuals are more confident but not necessarily more competent, finds study

Research from the University of Kent's School of Psychology has found that people who strive for dominance, whether in personal or professional life, are more confident in their decision-making but are no more accurate in their choices than those of a lower social status.

The research, by the journal Personality and Individual Differences, challenges the idea that confidence signals competence, a perception that often propels dominant individuals into leadership roles.

Led by Dr. Andrew Martin, the research found that social dominance was comparable between males and females and both showed an effect of greater confidence, debunking the long-held belief that dominance-driven strategies are primarily male traits.

Dr. Martin said, "While high status within social hierarchies is often associated with socially dominant individuals, our research goes to show that there is no superiority in decision performance and why acting confidently can actually be an effective social strategy, regardless of ability. Our findings uncover how socially dominant individuals may traverse society, acquire and possibly even retain positions of social power and influence."

To reach their conclusions, the psychologists assessed the performance of participants through three studies using a two-choice statistical learning decision-making task and a self-referential memory task.