Self-Serving Bias ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Self-Serving Bias: The tendency to perceive oneself favorably. Self-Serving Bias: our tendency to take credit for success (self-enhancing bias) & deny any responsibility for failure (self-protective bias). Self-serving bias (the norm) helps to protect our ego. It also enables us to confirm that we are meeting our goals. It's adaptive! When self-serving bias diminishes responsibility for one’s self & places responsibility for failure externally, it's maladaptive! We tend to be less self-serving if other needs interrupt, for example if we are subject to public scrutiny. * False Consensus Effect: The tendency to overestimate the commonality of one's opinions & one's undesirable or unsuccessful behaviors. * False Uniqueness Effect: The tendency to underestimate the commonality of one's abilities & one's desirable or successful behaviors. --------------------------------------- Social Psychology Robert C. Gates