Changing
Minds
.org

How we change what others think, feel, believe and do

 

Disciplines

 

Techniques

 

Principles

 

Explanations

 

Theories

 

 

Home

 

Blog!

 

Quotes

 

Guest articles

 

Analysis

 

Books

 

Guestbook

 

Links

 

 

Now, you can buy
the real book!

Add/share/save
this page:

Add to Google

 

 


Save the rain


 

 

 

Self-Serving Bias

 

Explanations > Theories > Self-Serving Bias

Description | Example | So What? | See also | References 

 

Description

This is our tendency to take credit for success (self-enhancing bias) and deny any responsibility for failure (self-protective bias).

This helps to protect our ego. It also enables us to confirm that we are meeting our goals.

We will tend to be less self-serving if other needs interrupt, for example if we are subject to public scrutiny.

Group-serving bias happens at group level, in the same way.

Example

I am proud of my good exam results except for the failure in one subject where I was unfortunately rather ill on the day of the examination.

So what?

Using it

Set the other person up to succeed at something and then let them take credit. They will feel good and be more amenable to your requests. Or let them take the credit and then subtly blackmail them.

Defending

Be honest. Do not take credit when you do not deserve it. You will gain more credibility.

See also

Attribution Theory

http://www.has.vcu.edu/psy/faculty/fors/ratt2.html

References

Johnson, Feigenbaum and Weisbeg (1964), Fiske and Taylor (1991)

|dp|

 

Contact Caveat About Students Webmasters Awards Guestbook Feedback Sitemap Changes

 

 

  © Syque 2002-2010

TOP

Massive Content -- Maximum Speed