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Self-Serving Bias
Definition
The self-serving bias refers to the tendency to take credit for successful outcomes in life, but to blame the situation or other people for failing outcomes. For example, when an individual gets a promotion at work, he or she will explain this by citing an internal cause, such as his or her ability or diligence. In contrast, when the same individual is fired from a job, he or she will explain this by pointing to an external cause, such as an unfair boss or bad luck. In general, the self-serving bias allows individuals to feel positively about themselves and to protect themselves from the negative psychological consequences of failure.
Background and History
The self-serving bias is part of a larger area in social psychology known as ...
- Action Control
- Action Identification Theory
- Adaptive Unconscious
- Apparent Mental Causation
- Approach-Avoidance Conflict
- Authenticity
- Auto-Motive Model
- Autonomy
- Behavioral Contagion
- Choking Under Pressure
- Control
- Controlled Processes
- Decision Making
- Delay of Gratification
- Drive Theory
- Ego Depletion
- Excitation-Transfer Theory
- Extrinsic Motivation
- Feedback Loop
- Free Will, Study of
- Goals
- Grim Necessities
- Guilty Pleasures
- Habits
- Helplessness, Learned
- Home-Field Advantage and Disadvantage
- Hormones and Behavior
- Implementation Intentions
- Intrinsic Motivation
- Ironic Processes
- Learned Helplessness
- Learning Theory
- Locus of Control
- Mental Control
- Meta-Awareness
- Mindfulness and Mindlessness
- Modeling of Behavior
- Nonconscious Processes
- Overjustification Effect
- Procrastination
- Reasoned Action Theory
- Regulatory Focus Theory
- Risk Taking
- Rubicon Model of Action Phases
- Scripts
- Self-Awareness
- Self-Control Measures
- Self-Defeating Behavior
- Self-Determination Theory
- Self-Discrepancy Theory
- Self-Efficacy
- Self-Handicapping
- Self-Regulation
- Social Facilitation
- Social Learning
- Social Loafing
- Stereotype Threat
- Stress Appraisal Theory (Primary and Secondary Appraisal)
- Temporal Construal Theory
- Theory of Planned Behavior
- Zeal
- Antisocial Behaviors
- Aggression
- Antisocial Behavior
- Aversive Racism
- Betrayal
- Bobo Doll Studies
- Bullying
- Catharsis of Aggression
- Cheater-Detection Mechanism
- Conflict Resolution
- Date Rape
- Deception (Lying)
- Displaced Aggression
- Frustration–Aggression Hypothesis
- GRIT Tension Reduction Strategy
- Hostile Masculinity Syndrome
- Intimate Partner Violence
- Media Violence and Aggression
- Milgram's Obedience to Authority Studies
- Moral Hypocrisy
- Narcissistic Reactance Theory of Sexual Coercion
- Ostracism
- Rape
- Rejection
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- Social Exclusion
- Stanford Prison Experiment
- Terrorism, Psychology of
- Threatened Egotism Theory of Aggression
- Attitude
- Anticipatory Attitude Change
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- Attitude Formation
- Attitude Strength
- Attitude–Behavior Consistency
- Attitudes
- Balance Theory
- Beliefs
- Brainwashing
- Cognitive Consistency
- Cognitive Dissonance Theory
- Dual Attitudes
- Effort Justification
- Elaboration Likelihood Model
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- Forewarning
- Heuristic-Systematic Model of Persuasion
- Implicit Attitudes
- MODE Model
- Motivated Reasoning
- Polarization Processes
- Satisficing
- Theory of Planned Behavior
- Values
- Culture
- Collective Self
- Collectivistic Cultures
- Cultural Animal
- Cultural Differences
- Culture
- Culture of Honor
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- Ideology
- Independent Self-Construals
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- Moral Development
- Mortality Salience
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- Sexual Economics Theory
- Terror Management Theory
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- Ambivalence
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- Facial Expression of Emotion
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- Independence of Positive and Negative Affect
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- Mere Exposure Effect
- Moral Emotions
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- Evolution
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- Gossip
- Group Cohesiveness
- Group Decision Making
- Group Dynamics
- Group Identity
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- Group Polarization
- Groups, Characteristics of
- Groupthink
- Ingroup-Outgroup Bias
- Intergroup Anxiety
- Intergroup Emotions
- Intergroup Relations
- Jigsaw Classroom
- Leadership
- Minimal Group Paradigm
- Minority Social Influence
- Optimal Distinctiveness Theory
- Organizational Behavior
- Other–Total Ratio
- Outgroup Homogeneity
- Polarization Processes
- Power
- Procedural Justice
- Realistic Group Conflict Theory
- Ringelmann Effect
- Risky Shift
- Robbers Cave Experiment
- Roles and Role Theory
- Rumor Transmission
- Scapegoat Theory
- Self-Categorization Theory
- Self-Stereotyping
- Sex Roles
- Social Compensation
- Social Dominance Orientation
- Social Identity Theory
- Social Impact Theory
- Social Justice Orientation
- Social Loafing
- Social Power
- Socioeconomic Status
- Subtyping
- System Justification
- Territoriality
- Token Effects
- Health
- History
- Influence
- Compliance
- Conformity
- Debiasing
- Door-in-the-Face Technique
- Fear Appeals
- Foot-in-the-Door Technique
- Forced Compliance
- Forewarning
- Heuristic-Systematic Model of Persuasion
- Influence
- Informational Influence
- Ingratiation
- Ingratiator's Dilemma
- Inoculation Theory
- Mere Exposure Effect
- Milgram's Obedience to Authority Studies
- Minority Social Influence
- Normative Influence
- Norms, Prescriptive and Descriptive
- Persuasion
- Reactance
- Reciprocity Norm
- Reference Group
- Resisting Persuasion
- Scarcity Principle
- Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
- Sleeper Effect
- Social Power
- Stealing Thunder
- Supplication
- Interpersonal Relationships
- Attachment Theory
- Betrayal
- Close Relationships
- Communal Relationships
- Companionate Love
- Complementarity, of Relationship Partners
- Decision and Commitment in Love
- Dependence Regulation
- Empathic Accuracy
- Equity Theory
- Exchange Relationships
- Forgiveness
- Gossip
- Interdependence Theory
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- Intimacy
- Intimate Partner Violence
- Loneliness
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- Marital Satisfaction
- Matching Hypothesis
- Mimicry
- Need to Belong
- Nonverbal Cues and Communication
- Ostracism
- Pornography
- Propinquity
- Rejection
- Romantic Love
- Romantic Secrecy
- Self-Disclosure
- Self-Evaluation Maintenance
- Self-Expansion Theory
- Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
- Sex Drive
- Sexual Desire
- Sexual Economics Theory
- Similarity-Attraction Effect
- Social Exchange Theory
- Social Exclusion
- Social Support
- Social Value Orientation
- Teasing
- Transactive Memory
- Triangular Theory of Love
- Trust
- Unrequited Love
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Behavioral Economics
- Decision Making
- Fast and Frugal Heuristics
- Free Will, Study of
- Grim Necessities
- Group Decision Making
- Group Polarization
- Hindsight Bias
- Hot Hand Effect
- Hyperbolic Discounting
- Illusion of Transparency
- Illusory Correlation
- Ingroup-Outgroup Bias
- Integrative Complexity
- Law of Small Numbers
- Loss Aversion
- Mental Accounting
- Mere Ownership Effect
- Naive Cynicism
- Naive Realism
- Omission Neglect
- Overconfidence
- Planning Fallacy
- Pluralistic Ignorance
- Preference Reversals
- Prisoner's Dilemma
- Prospect Theory
- Public Goods Dilemma
- Recency Effect
- Representativeness Heuristic
- Risk Taking
- Risky Shift
- Satisficing
- Sequential Choice
- Simulation Heuristic
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- Social Dilemmas
- Spreading of Alternatives
- Sunk Cost
- Visceral Influences
- Methods
- Autobiographical Narratives
- Behavioral Economics
- Bennington College Study
- Big Five Personality Traits
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- Content Analysis
- Control Condition
- Critical Social Psychology
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- Demand Characteristics
- Discursive Psychology
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- LISREL
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- Mundane Realism
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- Operationalization
- Order Effects
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- Semantic Differential
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- Social Relations Model
- Sociometric Status
- Structural Equation Modeling
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- Twin Studies
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- Achievement Motivation
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- Curiosity
- Defensive Pessimism
- Depression
- Expertise
- Extraversion
- Gender Differences
- Genetic Influences on Social Behavior
- Hardiness
- Hostile Masculinity Syndrome
- Identity Status
- Implicit Personality Theory
- Individual Differences
- Introversion
- Locus of Control
- Masculinity/Femininity
- Metatraits
- Narcissism
- Narcissistic Entitlement
- Need for Affiliation
- Need for Closure
- Need for Cognition
- Need for Power
- Neuroticism
- Personalities and Behavior Patterns, Type A and Type B
- Personality and Social Behavior
- Power Motive
- Rejection Sensitivity
- Self-Complexity
- Self-Concept Clarity
- Self-Control Measures
- Self-Esteem
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- Self-Monitoring
- Sensation Seeking
- Sex Drive
- Sex Roles
- Shyness
- Social Desirability Bias
- Testosterone
- Thematic Apperception Test
- Traits
- Uniqueness
- Prejudice
- Problem Behaviors
- Prosocial Behaviors
- Altruism
- Altruistic Punishment
- Attraction
- Bystander Effect
- Compassion
- Cooperation
- Decision Model of Helping
- Distributive Justice
- Empathic Accuracy
- Empathy
- Empathy–Altruism Hypothesis
- Gratitude
- GRIT Tension Reduction Strategy
- Helping Behavior
- Negative-State Relief Model
- Positive Psychology
- Prisoner's Dilemma
- Prosocial Behavior
- Public Goods Dilemma
- Reciprocal Altruism
- Religion and Spirituality
- Search for Meaning in Life
- Volunteerism
- Self
- Actor–Observer Asymmetries
- Apparent Mental Causation
- Barnum Effect
- Basking in Reflected Glory (BIRGing)
- Brainwashing
- Close Relationships
- Collective Self
- Contingencies of Self-Worth
- Deindividuation
- Downward Social Comparison
- Ego Shock
- Egocentric Bias
- Escape Theory
- Executive Function of Self
- Exemplification
- Facial-Feedback Hypothesis
- Identity Crisis
- Illusion of Control
- Illusion of Transparency
- Impression Management
- Independent Self-Construals
- Ingratiator's Dilemma
- Interdependent Self-Construals
- Introspection
- Looking-Glass Self
- Mental Control
- Mere Ownership Effect
- Misattribution of Arousal
- Moral Development
- Mortality Salience
- Name Letter Effect
- Objectification Theory
- Optimal Distinctiveness Theory
- Overjustification Effect
- Personal Space
- Phenomenal Self
- Positive Illusions
- Procrastination
- Projection
- Psychological Entitlement
- Reactance
- Regulatory Focus Theory
- Roles and Role Theory
- Schemas
- Self
- Self-Affirmation Theory
- Self-Attribution Process
- Self-Awareness
- Self-Categorization Theory
- Self-Complexity
- Self-Concept
- Self-Concept Clarity
- Self-Control Measures
- Self-Deception
- Self-Defeating Behavior
- Self-Determination Theory
- Self-Disclosure
- Self-Discrepancy Theory
- Self-Efficacy
- Self-Enhancement
- Self-Esteem
- Self-Esteem Stability
- Self-Evaluation Maintenance
- Self-Expansion Theory
- Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
- Self-Handicapping
- Self-Monitoring
- Self-Perception Theory
- Self-Presentation
- Self-Promotion
- Self-Reference Effect
- Self-Regulation
- Self-Reports
- Self-Serving Bias
- Self-Stereotyping
- Self-Verification Theory
- Social Comparison
- Social Identity Theory
- Spotlight Effect
- Stigma
- Symbolic Self-Completion
- Terror Management Theory
- Threatened Egotism Theory of Aggression
- Uniqueness
- Value Priorities
- Zeal
- Social Cognition
- Accessibility
- Accountability
- Action Identification Theory
- Actor–Observer Asymmetries
- Adaptive Unconscious
- Alcohol Myopia Effect
- Anchoring and Adjustment Heuristic
- Assimilation Processes
- Associative Networks
- Attention
- Attribution Theory
- Attributional Ambiguity
- Attributions
- Automatic Processes
- Availability Heuristic
- Bad Is Stronger Than Good
- Barnum Effect
- Base Rate Fallacy
- Basking in Reflected Glory (BIRGing)
- Belief Perseverance
- Blaming the Victim
- Central Traits Versus Peripheral Traits
- Confirmation Bias
- Consciousness
- Contrast Effects
- Controlled Processes
- Correspondence Bias
- Correspondent Inference Theory
- Counterfactual Thinking
- Creativity
- Curiosity
- Debiasing
- Defensive Attribution
- Depressive Realism
- Diagnosticity
- Dilution Effect
- Discounting, in Attribution
- Distinctiveness, in Attribution
- Downward Social Comparison
- Dual Process Theories
- Egocentric Bias
- Emotional Intelligence
- Encoding
- Excuse
- Expectancy Effects
- Expectations
- Eyewitness Testimony, Accuracy of
- False Consciousness
- False Consensus Effect
- False Uniqueness Bias
- Focalism
- Fundamental Attribution Error
- Gain–Loss Framing
- Gambler's Fallacy
- Halo Effect
- Heuristic Processing
- Heuristic-Systematic Model of Persuasion
- Hostile Attribution Bias
- Hostile Media Bias
- Hot Hand Effect
- Illusory Correlation
- Implicit Personality Theory
- Inference
- Integrative Complexity
- Interpersonal Cognition
- Justice Motive
- Just-World Hypothesis
- Kelley's Covariation Model
- Lay Epistemics
- Lowballing
- Matching Hypothesis
- Meaning Maintenance Model
- Memory
- Metacognition
- Mimicry
- Mind-Wandering
- Misattribution of Arousal
- Moral Emotions
- Moral Reasoning
- Motivated Cognition
- Motivated Reasoning
- MUM Effect
- Nonconscious Processes
- Norms, Prescriptive and Descriptive
- Omission Neglect
- Person Perception
- Personality Judgments, Accuracy of
- Person-Positivity Heuristic
- Positive–Negative Asymmetry
- Primacy Effect, Attribution
- Primacy Effect, Memory
- Priming
- Projection
- Prototypes
- Recency Effect
- Responsibility Attribution
- Risk Appraisal
- Salience
- Satisficing
- Schemas
- Scripts
- Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
- Self-Reference Effect
- Self-Serving Bias
- Self-Verification Theory
- Shifting Standards
- Similarity-Attraction Effect
- Social Categorization
- Social Cognition
- Social Cognitive Neuroscience
- Social Comparison
- Social Impact Theory
- Social Projection
- Spontaneous Trait Inferences
- Spreading of Alternatives
- Subliminal Perception
- Subtyping
- Symbolic Interactionism
- Theory of Mind
- Thin Slices of Behavior
- Three-Dimensional Model of Attribution
- Transactive Memory
- Value Pluralism Model
- Subdisciplines
- Applied Social Psychology
- Consumer Behavior
- Critical Social Psychology
- Discursive Psychology
- Environmental Psychology
- Ethology
- Evolutionary Psychology
- Eyewitness Testimony, Accuracy of
- Forensic Psychology
- Health Psychology
- History of Social Psychology
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- Peace Psychology
- Personality and Social Behavior
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