External: When we make external attributions, we blame outside factors for why something happened or why someone behaved a certain way.In this case, this is a form of attribution bias that affects how we perceive and explain behavior.Īttributions can be generally divided into two different types:

The self-serving bias is a type of cognitive bias, which are errors in thinking that can distort perceptions and judgments. And if you are always blaming bad things on outside factors, it inhibits personal growth and stops you from reflecting on the ways that you could improve. If you think your successes are really due to your own inherent skills or knowledge, you might be tempted to never try to learn more to get better. While the self-serving bias is a natural human tendency, it can become a really problem when it distorts how people interpret the reality of a situation.

It’s also why you might blame your teacher when you do poorly on an assignment (“She never explained anything, and the questions on the test didn’t make any sense!).

It’s why we might boast about our talents and hard work when things go our way but focus on external, situational factors when we don’t live up to expectations.įor example, it’s why you might attribute your good score on an exam to your inherent intelligence (“Of course, I did great I’m gifted!”). The self-serving bias involves taking credit for our success but blaming others for our failures.

Actor observer bias psychology example