When a student does well on a test, she immediately takes the credit, saying that she did well because she studied hard or because she is a "brain." When she does poorly, however, she blames the teacher for making up an "impossible" test or her roommates for interrupting her study. This student is demonstrating

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The student is demonstrating the self-serving bias, which is the tendency to attribute positive outcomes to internal factors (like one's own ability or effort) and negative outcomes to external factors (like other people's actions or situational factors).  A self-serving bias leads people to take credit for their successes (by making internal or dispositional attributions) but to deny or explain away responsibility for their failures (by making external or situational attributions).

When a Student Does Well on a Test, She Immediately