Self-serving bias

Useful self- distortion (English self-serving bias) referred to in the social psychology tends own successes in doubt, more internal causes ( such as its own skills and abilities ) and own failures rather external causes ( the situation, the random etc. ) attributable.

Causes

Defense of a stable, positive self-image

Normally the actions of others rather with their personality characteristics, own behavior are more likely explained by the special situation, the so-called actor - observer divergence. If the result of their own behavior, however, regarded as a failure, the self-esteem- supporting distortion of maintaining a stable, positive self-image serves. This cognitive distortion is particular to avoid cognitive dissonance to be used when threatened namely the insight that he can not prevent a new failure even with increased effort. Otherwise, the internal cause of poor performance is recognized and motivated to increased efforts.

Self-presentation

The second reason for attributing causes self-esteem- relevant, the desire to appear to themselves and others in a good light. Who is intended to create a bad outcome, like falls back on excuses. If this is done deliberately and systematically, one also speaks of impression management.

Knowledge of previous performance

The experience can usually complete a task, suggests attributed success to internal, a failure to external factors. ( cf. Kelley Kovariationsprinzip ).

Avoidance of helplessness

Experiences or reports of disasters, diseases or crimes that are reminiscent of our own mortality, can be mitigated by using defensive attributions. Who persuades himself that such tragedies only happen to people who are self- help, perhaps because they are bad, careless or stupid ( Melvin Lerner's " just world hypothesis " ), creates the illusion of being able to influence the occurrence of such events. Victims give yourself a guilt because they could then take care to prevent this in the future. Outsiders give victims blame because they can then believe themselves to be immune against it ( cf. victims devaluation ).

Unrealistic optimism

Another reason to internal causes a sense of achievement, is the so-called " unrealistic optimism ": The majority of people believed to have more positive and fewer negative experiences than the average.

Examples

• For professional athletes, we find the following attribution: Successes are more likely attributed to their own achievements, failures rather uncontrollable causes.
• Experienced athletes give to their own failures rather than less experienced; Individual athletes are more prone to self-esteem- relevant attributions than team sports.

• Partners from divorced marriages tend to give the other party the blame for the failure of the marriage (Gray & Silver ).
• Manager giving at economic failures of their company rather the staff or external companies to blame. However, employees are more likely to attribute the management or also external factors to blame.
• People perceive as a fair wage increases, if they get more money than their colleagues - regardless of their actual performance. Likewise, people feel better when they earn more than others - regardless of the absolute level of income: In a study preferred subjects a low salary, but which was significantly higher than that of their peers, compared with a high salary, but which all employees received.