The actor-observer bias is the tendency to attribute our actions to external influences and other people’s actions to internal ones. The way we perceive others and how we attribute their actions hinges on a variety of variables, but it can be heavily influenced by whether we are the actor or the observer in a situation.
When it comes to our own actions, we are often far too likely to attribute things to external influences
For example:
- You might complain that you botched an important meeting because you had jet lag.
- You might say you failed an exam because the teacher posed too many trick questions.
When it comes to explaining other people’s actions, however, we are far more likely to attribute their behaviors to internal causes. For example:
- A colleague screwed up an important presentation because he’s lazy and incompetent (not because he also had jet lag).
- A fellow student bombed a test because they lack diligence and intelligence (and not because they took the same test as you with all those trick questions).
While there are many factors that may play a role, perspective plays a key role. When we are the actors in a situation, we are able to observe our own thoughts and behaviors. When it comes to other people, however, we cannot see what they are thinking. This means we focus on situational forces for ourselves, but guess at the internal characteristics that cause other people’s actions.