If another student drops his books, we perceive him to be clumsy, but if we drop our books, we perceive something in the environment caused us to do so. This is referred to as:
A) self-serving bias
B) locus of control effect
C) actor-observer bias
D) false consensus hypothesis

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The actor-observer bias refers to the tendency for individuals to attribute their own behavior to situational factors, while attributing the behavior of others to dispositional factors. In this case, when we drop our own books, we are more likely to perceive something in the environment caused it, which is a situational factor. However, when we see another student drop their books, we are more likely to attribute it to their clumsiness, which is a dispositional factor.

If Another Student Drops His Books, We Perceive Him to Be