Question

The tendency to attribute successful behavior to internal, personal characteristics is to ____, as the tendency to blame ourselves for our failures while downplaying our successes is to ___.

a) Self-serving bias; Fundamental attribution error
b) Fundamental attribution error; Self-serving bias
c) Confirmation bias; Attribution bias
d) Stereotyping; Self-perception bias

Answer 1

The first tendency is known as self-serving bias, whereas the second tendency fits the description of actor-observer bias.

Step-by-step explanation:

The tendencies described in the question are examples of cognitive biases that influence our attributional style. The tendency to attribute successful behavior to internal, personal characteristics is an example of the self-serving bias. This bias leads us to credit our own qualities for our successes, such as when we ace an exam and think it's because we're smart, rather than considering the ease of the exam as the cause. Conversely, the tendency to blame ourselves for our failures while downplaying our successes, and attribute these outcomes to external circumstances is indicative of the actor-observer bias.

To answer the student's question: The tendency to attribute successful behavior to internal, personal characteristics is to self-serving bias, as the tendency to blame ourselves for our failures while downplaying our successes is to actor-observer bias.