The phenomenon of attributing cause of others' messages and behaviors to internal sources while attributing the cause of our own negative messages or behaviors to external causes is referred to as:
A) Symbolic interactionism.
B) Social judgment theory.
C) The self-serving bias.
D) Machiavellianism.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The self-serving bias is a cognitive bias that leads individuals to attribute their successes to internal factors (like their own abilities or effort) and their failures to external factors (like luck or the actions of others). This phenomenon explains why people might attribute the cause of others' behaviors to internal sources while explaining away their own negative behaviors with external causes.

The Phenomenon of Attributing Cause of Others' Messages and Behaviors