NOT only are overconfident people more likely to wage war, they fare worse in the ensuing battles. What’s more, this characteristic is not the sole preserve of the male.
Dominic Johnson of Princeton University and colleagues recruited 200 volunteers to play the role of the leader of a fictitious country that is in conflict with another. Before the game, volunteers were asked to predict how their performance would rank compared with the other 199 volunteers. They then played anonymously and received $10 if they beat their opponent – that is, if they amassed the most wealth or won the war.
People…
