Final answer:
The self-serving bias is a phenomenon that can affect SME job analysis ratings when the SME is an incumbent, leading to potentially inflated or inaccurate ratings due to the tendency of attributing positive outcomes to one's own characteristics.
Step-by-step explanation:
One phenomenon that seems to affect SME (Subject Matter Expert) job analysis ratings when the SME is an incumbent is the self-serving bias. This bias is a tendency for individuals, including SMEs, to attribute positive outcomes to their own characteristics while attributing negative outcomes to external factors. In the context of job analysis, an SME might overestimate their own abilities or contributions due to the self-serving bias, potentially leading to inflated or inaccurate job analysis ratings. This can contrast with an observer's perspective, who might not have the same comprehensive view of the incumbent's situational influences and might therefore attribute behavior to dispositional factors, known as the actor-observer bias. In essence, the SME, having more information about their own behavior, is likely to use this information to explain job performance in a way that’s favorable to themselves, often overlooking situational factors.