Nicole's husband forgets their anniversary. She knows he has been distracted by clients at work so she isn't angry. When Nicole's husband brings her flowers the next day, she believes it is because he is a thoughtful husband. This tendency for Nicole to attribute negative behaviors to external factors and positive behaviors to internal factors most likely reflects which attribution error?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Self-serving bias is the tendency to attribute one's successes to internal factors and failures to external factors. Nicole attributes her husband's forgetfulness to external factors (work distractions) and his thoughtful gesture to internal factors (being a thoughtful husband), which aligns with self-serving bias.

Nicole's Husband Forgets Their Anniversary