The Projection Error is a cognitive bias in which people project their own thoughts, feelings, or beliefs onto others, often based on no evidence. We often unconsciously assume that other people think, feel and act in a similar way to ourselves. This can lead to misinterpretations and false assumptions, especially if individual differences are not taken into account.

The Projection Error can play a role in both social interaction and decision-making – for example, when people consider their own preferences and expectations to be universally valid.

The Projection Error is difficult for those affected to recognize because it draws on empathy and sympathy to conclude that the other person has the same characteristics as oneself.

Studies have shown that it is often enough to meet someone from the same area or with the same hobby when abroad to be able to deduce their culinary preferences or political views.

Another form of the Projection Error is that we assume that we will have the same needs and ways of thinking in the future as we do now. When it's cold outside, we like to order warm clothes, even if we don't need them right now. If we go to the supermarket hungry, we buy more food than if we were full. So we tend to make decisions based on how we feel in the moment, rather than how we might feel in the future. It's difficult for us to imagine that the future usually looks different from the present.

Origin

The concept of projection was originally introduced in psychoanalysis by Sigmund Freud (1895) to explain psychological defense mechanisms. It was later further developed in social and cognitive psychology, notably by Ross et al. (1977), who described the 'false consensus effect' – the tendency to overestimate the agreement of one's own opinion with that of other people.

  • Freud, S. (1895). The Project for a Scientific Psychology».
  • Ross, L., Greene, D., & House, P. (1977). The 'False Consensus Effect': An Egocentric Bias in Social Perception and Attribution Processes. *Journal of Experimental Social Psychology*, 13(3), 279–301.

Application in UX and UI design

In UX and UI design, the Projection Error can cause designers to make false assumptions about users because they assume their own preferences or experiences. If UX teams work without user testing, there is a risk that they will develop products for themselves instead of considering the actual needs of their target groups.

Impact on the User Experience

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Further information