Self-Perception Theory

Self-perception theory describes how people form new attitudes and beliefs, including those related to the self, from observing their own behavior. In 1965, Daryl Bem proposed that people deduce their own internal [Page 701]states, like attitudes and emotions via the same processes by which they deduce the internal states and dispositions of others. Specifically, when people attempt to explain the behavior of another individual, they can assume the attitudes, beliefs, and other internal characteristics of the actor by observing the actor's behavior and the external factors that reduce or increase the observed act. By taking an outsider's perspective, people can also deduce their own internal states, including their attitudes, beliefs, emotions, and even self-views, from information provided by their own actions.

The inferences that people make about their own states critically depend upon the external factors perceived to be influencing their behavior in the situation. For example, when observers think that another person's interaction with an object is caused by something external, such as a large reward or pressure from others, observers can reasonably conclude that the behavior does not reflect how the actor thinks or feels about the object. Behavior that is clearly caused by something external to a person does not provide useful information regarding how the person views the issue or about what type of person he or she is. However, behavior that occurs when there is no clear external cause can provide more information about the actor's internal states. Thus, when observers perceive that an actor's behavior was not influenced by external factors such as big rewards or conformity pressures, then observers are likely to conclude that the cause of the observed behavior must be related to the actor's attitudes, values, or beliefs about the object.

Using the same process, if people observe that their own behavior was influenced by external factors, they are reluctant to conclude that their actions say anything about who they are as a person, or anything about their own attitudes or emotions. But when they observe themselves acting without external pressures or other inducements, then people conclude that their behavior was caused by something internal to them, such as an attitude, belief, or even their personality or self-concept. Consequently, people can form a new view of themselves simply by observing that they, and nothing else, were responsible for how they acted in a given situation.