Self-Serving and Group-Serving Bias in Attribution

Abstract

Summary This study examined self-serving and group-serving attribution biases under conditions of individual and group success and failure. Previous research has found evidence for a self-serving bias in the context of laboratory groups, especially in conditions of group success. The present study used 52 male and female intercollegiate athletes involved in team sports who rated the performance of themselves and teammates on a series of questionnaires. Group-serving biases were stronger than self-serving bias, and this effect emerged even in the face of failure.