If John takes credit for work that he completes on time, but blames his co-workers for his delays, he is exhibiting: Select one:
a. fundamental attribution error.
b. primacy effect.
c. self-fulfilling prophecy.
d. self-serving bias.
e. projection bias.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is d. self-serving bias.
Self-serving bias is the tendency to attribute one’s successes to internal factors, such as ability or effort, while attributing failures to external factors, such as other people, luck, or circumstances. In this case, John takes credit for completing work on time, attributing his success to his own actions or abilities. However, when he faces delays, he blames his co-workers, externalizing the cause of the failure. This behavior reflects self-serving bias, as he is protecting his self-esteem by taking credit for positive outcomes and shifting blame for negative ones.
This cognitive bias helps individuals maintain a positive self-image, which is important for psychological well-being. However, it can also lead to distorted perceptions of reality and affect interpersonal relationships. For example, John’s co-workers might notice that he consistently deflects blame, which could lead to frustration or resentment.
In contrast, other answer choices reflect different types of biases or effects:
- a. Fundamental attribution error refers to the tendency to overemphasize internal characteristics (like personality) when explaining someone else’s behavior, while underestimating the role of external factors. This doesn’t apply to John, as he’s applying the bias to his own actions.
- b. Primacy effect involves the tendency to place more weight on the first information encountered when forming an impression, unrelated to the context of taking credit or blaming others.
- c. Self-fulfilling prophecy refers to situations where beliefs about future outcomes can lead to actions that cause those outcomes to happen, not relevant to John’s attribution style.
- e. Projection bias involves attributing one’s own thoughts, feelings, or behaviors to others, which doesn’t fit John’s behavior in this scenario.