Which statement best describes self-serving bias?

• A. Positive behaviors attributed to internal, stable factors; negative behaviors to external factors.
• B. Positive behaviors attributed to external factors; negative behaviors to internal factors.
• C. All behavior is attributed to random chance.
• D. All behaviors are attributed to intentional control.

Answer: (A)

Self-serving bias is the tendency to protect self-esteem by explaining successes with internal, stable factors (your own abilities or effort) and failures with external, situational factors (luck, task difficulty, others’ actions). The statement that positive outcomes are attributed to internal, stable causes and negative outcomes to external causes best captures this pattern, because it shows why people take credit for good results while blaming outside factors for bad ones. This helps maintain a sense of competence, though it can distort judgment by downplaying personal weaknesses or the role of luck. For example, acing a test is often credited to ability and hard work, while a poor grade is blamed on a tough exam or distracting circumstances rather than a lack of ability. This bias is different from theories about others’ behavior (where attributions about others tend to be internal) and from viewing outcomes as random; it specifically applies to how we explain our own successes and failures.