Thus, it is proposed that we evaluate ourselves based on what we feel and others based on what we see (Pronin, 2008).Ĭlearly, the AOB can be problematic and has been proposed to be linked to a number of misunderstandings and conflicts. Whereas, when we judge ourselves, we have less access to direct visual information concerning our behaviors and so rely more on internal information. In addition, when viewing others, we only have access to visual information

Thus, actors may see themselves as being more multifaceted and more subject to influence from a range of factors. Specifically, they argued that people have access to far more information about themselves, their intentions, and their feelings that precede action while they only have information about the actions of others. Jones and Nisbett (1971) proposed that AOBs occur as a result of basic, unconscious perceptual processes. For instance, while an athlete may attribute his/ her own poor performance to external factors, such as luck, or the contributions of teammates an observer (teammate, coach, parent) may attribute the same poor performance to a lack of ability, effort, or mental fortitude. The actor-observer bias (AOB) is a systematic and predictable cognitive bias by which individuals exaggerate the role of unstable, situational factors as determinants of their behavior, while also exaggerating the role of stable, dispositional factors as determinants of the behavior of others.

Actor observer bias