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The number-of-examples theory is a psychological model proposing that when people make judgments about themselves, such as their level of assertiveness, they base their evaluation on the sheer quantity of relevant examples they can bring to mind. It is often contrasted with the ease-of-retrieval theory.

Number-of-Examples Theory

A study by Schwarz and colleagues illustrates the power of testing competing theories by investigating how individuals judge their own assertiveness. They compared two conflicting theories: one suggesting judgments are based on the number of examples recalled, and another suggesting judgments rely on the ease of recalling examples. By asking participants to recall either six (easy) or twelve (difficult) examples, the theories made mutually exclusive predictions. The finding that people recalling fewer examples felt more assertive provided decisive evidence supporting the ease-of-retrieval theory over the number-of-examples theory.

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