the actor observer bias psychology definition

The actor and the observer: Divergent perceptions How Do People Perceive the Causes of Behavior? Experiments based onĪttribution theory offer some insights into how actors and observers differ in viewing the causal structure of their social world, American Scientist, 64(3), pp.300-305. In particular, it seems that this bias is only present when the behaviour is negative. A 2006 meta-analysis, however, called into question the results of previous studies. įor a long time, the actor / observer bias was considered to be a firmly established and widespread bias in the population. It can also manifest itself at the level of relations between groups: we attribute external causes to the negative behaviours of members of our own group and internal causes to the negative behaviours of members of another group (see the ultimate attribution error). This difference in interpretation between the actor and the observer can therefore lead to misunderstandings and cause problems in interpersonal relationships.

Conversely, and consistent with the fundamental attribution error, when we observe the behaviour of another person, we tend to explain that behaviour through the characteristics of the person being observed, rather than the situation.

Thus, when explaining our own actions, we will tend to call on aspects of the situation (difficulty of the task, chance, etc.), rather than personal elements (effort provided, personality, etc.). Actor-observer bias refers to our tendency to attribute external causes to our own behaviour and to attribute internal causes to the behaviour of others.

The actor observer bias psychology definition