What is Actor-Observer Bias: A Complete Guide with Examples
Published by at June 9th, 2023 , Revised On October 5, 2023
We have seen how fast people change their perspectives and statements. They like something for themselves and criticise others for doing that same thing. This behavioural bias is known as actor-observer bias.
In this psychological condition, the person acts according to his thoughts, feelings, and circumstances. While on the other hand, he lacks this personal understanding and often depends on noticeable behaviour when it comes to others.
Individuals hold the power to change this world, but embracing deeper connections and mental well-being will be hard with such psychological behaviour.
What is Actor-Observer Bias?
Actor-observer bias is a phenomenon where a person tends to explain his actions based on the circumstances he finds himself in while explaining the actions of others based on their personality attributes.
For instance, if you are driving on a highway, a car cuts in front of you, almost causing an accident. If you were the actor in this situation, you might have attributed your behaviour to external factors. i.e. the speed of the car or the fact you had to switch lanes.
However, if you were the observer in such an accident, you probably would have thought the driver was careless and terrible.
Characteristics of Actor-Observer Bias
The following are some of the characteristics of actor-observer bias:
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Differential Perspectives
The bias arises due to the difference in perspectives between the actor and the observer. Actors can access their thoughts, feelings, and situational context, shaping their understanding of their behaviour. Observers, on the other hand, lack this intimate knowledge and rely primarily on observable behaviour.
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Self-Serving Attribution
The bias often involves self-serving attributions, where individuals tend to attribute their own positive behaviour to internal, dispositional factors while negative behaviour to external, situational factors. This tendency helps maintain a positive self-image and protect self-esteem.
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Situational Attribution
Actors are more likely to attribute their behaviour to external situational factors. They consider the circumstances, constraints, and environmental influences contributing to their actions, leading to situational attribution bias.
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Cognitive Processes
The bias is driven by cognitive processes involved in attribution, including salience, consistency, distinctiveness, and consensus. Moreover, actors may consider these factors more extensively, leading to different attributions than observers with limited information.
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Impact on Interpersonal Relationships
Actor-observer bias can affect interpersonal relationships by influencing how individuals perceive and interpret each other’s behaviour. The bias can lead to misunderstandings, miscommunication, and conflicts if individuals need to recognise and account for the bias in their attributions.
Causes of Actor Observer Bias
The following are some basic causes of the actor-observer bias:
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Self-Preservation
People naturally tend to protect their self-image and maintain a positive view of themselves. When explaining their behaviour, individuals often prefer attributing it to external factors to avoid taking personal responsibility or appearing flawed or incompetent.
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Access to Information
As actors, individuals can access more detailed information about the situational factors influencing their behaviour. They may have insights into their thoughts, feelings, intentions, and external circumstances that are not readily available to observers.
This additional information can lead them to attribute their behaviour to external factors more readily than observers who lack the same level of information.
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Cognitive Processing
When individuals assess their behaviour, they have direct access to their thoughts, intentions, and emotions, which can bias their attribution process.
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Perceptual Differences
Observers often have limited information about the internal thoughts and emotions of actors. Consequently, they rely more heavily on observable behaviour and may attribute that behaviour to internal characteristics.
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Biases in Attribution
This bias predisposes individuals to over-emphasise dispositional factors when explaining others’ behaviour while under-emphasising situational factors.
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Perspective Taking
Actors have firsthand experience of the situational factors that influence their behaviour. In contrast, observers often lack the same insight and perspective, leading them to attribute behaviour more strongly to internal factors.
Factors Influencing Actor-Observer Bias
Actor-observer bias can be influenced by various factors that shape how individuals attribute behaviour.
The following are some key factors that contribute to the emergence of the actor-observer Bias:
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Access to Information
Actors have more access to their internal thoughts, feelings, and situational context than observers. This differential access to information can lead actors to consider external situational factors when explaining their behaviour. Observers lacking this intimate knowledge may rely more on observable behaviour and attribute it to internal dispositional factors.
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Cognitive Perspective
The bias arises due to the difference in cognitive perspectives between the actor and the observer. Actors tend to adopt a more self-focused perspective when explaining their behaviour, considering the situational factors influencing their actions. On the other hand, observers adopt a more other-focused perspective, focusing on observable behaviour and attributing it to internal factors.
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Motivational Factors
Self-serving motivations can influence the emergence of actor-observer bias. Actors may be motivated to maintain a positive self-image and protect their self-esteem, attributing positive behaviour to internal and negative behaviour to external factors. This self-serving bias helps individuals maintain a favourable view of themselves.
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Information Availability
The availability and salience of information can also impact the actor-observer bias. Actors have more direct access to information about their thoughts, intentions, and situational context. On the other hand, observers rely on observable information and may not have access to the full range of contextual details.
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Perceptual Focus
The perceptual focus of individuals can influence bias. Actors often focus on the external environment and situational factors influencing their behaviour. Observers, in contrast, focus on the observable behaviour of others and may attribute it to internal dispositions.
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Cultural and Social Factors
Cultural and social norms can shape attributional processes and contribute to the actor-observer Bias. Cultural values, beliefs, and expectations influence how individuals interpret behaviour and attribute causes. Moreover, social roles and norms also influence how individuals perceive and explain their behaviour versus the behaviour of others.
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Actor-Observer Bias vs Self-Serving Bias
Actor-Observer and Self-Serving Bias are related but distinct psychological phenomena involving attribution biases. The following are the key differences between actor-observer Bias Vs Self-Serving Bias:
Actor-Observer Bias:
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Perspective
Actor-observer bias refers to individuals’ tendency to attribute their behaviour to external situational factors while attributing the behaviour of others to internal dispositional factors.
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Differential Access to Information
Actor-observer bias vs. self-serving Bias arises because actors have access to their thoughts, feelings, and situational context, which shapes their understanding of their behaviour.
Self-Serving Bias:
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Attribution Of Success and Failure
Self-serving bias refers to individuals’ tendency to attribute their successes to internal factors and their failures to external factors. It involves taking credit for success while externalising blame for failure.
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Self-Preservation and Enhancement
The primary motivation behind self-serving bias is to protect one’s self-esteem and maintain a positive self-image.
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Lack of Different Perspectives
Self-serving bias does not involve the differentiation of actor and observer perspectives. It focuses solely on attributions of one’s behaviour.
Other readings: What is Affect Heuristic, and What are the Causes of Egocentric Bias? Further, if you want to read about outgroup bias, we have a complete guide in our library section.
Examples of Actor-Observer Bias
The following are some examples that can help you understand the phenomenon of actor-observer bias:
A student who performs well on an exam might attribute his success to his hard work, study habits, or effective learning in the actor mode. However, the same student in an observer mode observes another student’s high performance; he might attribute it to that student being naturally intelligent or having an easy test.
In an actor role, a basketball player who scores well in a game may credit his focus, skill, and training. On the contrary, when observing his opponent’s game-winning shot, he might attribute it to luck or favourable circumstances.
When employees achieve a successful outcome in an actor role, they attribute it to their competence, dedication, or problem-solving skills. On the other hand, when they witness a colleague’s success, they may attribute it to favouritism or his good luck in the observer role.
Individuals can mitigate actor-observer Bias by practising perspective-taking, considering situational factors, and being aware of the potential bias in their attributions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Actor-Observer Bias is a phenomenon where a person tends to explain his actions based on the circumstances while explaining the actions of others based on their personality attributes.
The reasons for actor-observer bias include differential access to information, cognitive perspectives, and situational attributions for oneself. Self-Serving Bias arises from self-enhancement motives and the preservation of self-esteem by attributing success to internal factors and failure to external factors.
Actor-observer bias can affect interpersonal relationships and communication and lead to misunderstandings, conflicts, and biased judgments.
Individuals can mitigate actor-observer bias by practising perspective-taking, considering situational factors, and being aware of the potential bias in their attributions.
