Results
We successfully replicated the finding that making people aware of changes in themselves reduces their beliefs that others are in decline. Asking participants about their own changes in driving ability caused a decrease in the belief that others driving is getting worse (M = 2.619, SD = 1.756) relative to asking about others first (M = 2.266, SD = 1.88; t(1498) = -3.754, p < .001, d = -.194, 95%CI = -.092 to -.295).
There was also an unexpected finding in the data. In the original investigation, there was no order effect of asking about the self first or second on beliefs about one’s own change. In this replication, however, we found that asking about others’ change first caused an increase in the belief that one’s own driving ability is getting worse. Participants who answered the beliefs about their own abilities first thought they had been getting better over the past 10 years (M = -.131, SD = .955) but thought they were getting worse when asked about others decline first (M = .204, SD = 1.777; t(1498) = 3.472, p < .001, d = .179, 95%CI = .078 to .281).