Draft:Assumed Similarity Bias

The Assumed Similarity Bias is the inclination of individual people to overemphasize the degree to which other's beliefs and characteristics are like or similar to their own. This cognitive bias can influence a variety of interpersonal relations, interactions, and decision-making, which can oftentimes lead to miscommunications and falsely assumed directions.

Relevant disciplines for uncovering such biases include psychology and organizational behavior.

History
The concept was first introduced by renowned American Psychologist, Lee J. Cronbach, in 1955 to discuss the accuracy of which individuals attribute their own personal characteristics unto others.

Implications
Assumed Similarity shows a cognitive bias that persists over the accurate perceptions of Actual Similarity. Assumed Similarity therefore diminishes the accuracy of one's judgement of others, due to the fact that individuals over-project their own characteristics. Assumed Similarity has been shown to affect a variety of characteristics such as political preferences, communication styles, Agreeableness and Openness to Experience.