What is Actor-Observer Bias? Know the definition, reasons and impact.

Understanding the Theory of Actor-Observer Bias in Social Psychology

While all of us possess the general tendency to observe the behavior of other individuals as the cause of dispositional factors, we are significantly less likely to observe our own behavior due to such factors. As a matter of fact, we are most likely to concentrate on the situation’s role in leading to our own behavior. This common psychological behavior is referred to as the actor observer bias theory in context with the principles of social psychology.  

The actor-observer bias is a common terminology in the field of social psychology that indicates the tendency to observe one’s own behaviors or actions to some forms of external causes while observing other individual’s behaviors to similar internal causes. It is a form of attributional or behavioral bias that plays a major role in determining how individuals perceive as well as interact with other people. Typically, individuals are known to make different observations depending on whether they are the observer or the actor in the given situation.

What is Actor-observer Bias? 

As per the principle of actor-observer bias, individuals tend to explain their own actions or behaviors with the respective situational causes along with the behavior of other individuals with some types of internal causes.  

The principle of actor-observer bias tends to be highly significant in situations wherein the outcomes might be negative. In a situation wherein an individual might experience something negative, the person will mostly blame the existing circumstances or situations. In case something negative takes place to some other individual, people will mostly go ahead with blaming the person for their individual choices, actions, or behaviors. 

What are the Common Signs of actor-observer bias? 

There are some typical signs that the actor-observer bias might be affecting interpretations of the situation. Some common indicators are: 

• Getting biased by blaming others or strangers for what is happening in their lives but observation comes to situational or conditional forces when it is concerned with your, family members, or your friends. 

• Blaming others for causing specific events without acknowledgement of the role you have played 

• Not paying attention to internal factors contributing to the results of the occurrences taking place in your life 

• Focusing only on the negative aspects of the particular situation while ignoring the positive situations 

• Being ignorant of situational factors while assessing behavior of other individuals 

Researchers have revealed that people experience the bias quite less frequently with individuals they are properly aware of -like family members and close friends. Why? It is because they have more information about the overall motivations, needs, and thoughts of those people. People tend to be accountable to external forces for impacting the overall behavior.  

What are the Causes of actor-observer bias? 

When people tend to be actors in the given situation, they will have a difficult time in observing the condition objectively. However, when individuals are observers, they go ahead with viewing the situation from a distant perspective.  

When you look at situations from either the outsider or insider perspective, it will lead to observing situations differently. Individuals are more likely to consider conditional or situational forces while attributing their actions. Still, they continue focusing on personality traits or internal characteristics while explaining the behaviors of other individuals. 

Impact of the Actor-Observer Bias 

The theory of actor-observer bias can serve to be problematic while often leading to arguments and misunderstandings. In case of an argument, you might go ahead with blaming some other individual for a particular event without looking into factors that also played a major part.  

The actor-observer bias theory leads individuals to avoid taking the overall responsibility for the respective actions. Rather than acknowledging their roles, they will place the blame somewhere else. This will lead to the creation of conflict with respect to interpersonal relationships.  

The actor-observer bias leads to the creation of a complicated situation for individuals to recognize the overall importance of changing the behavior to prevent common problems in the future.  

Conclusion 

The actor-observer bias is regarded as a form of attribution error that could have a negative impact on the overall ability to precisely judge different situations. In addition to leading to major conflicts with other individuals, it will also affect your overall ability to analyze and ensure changes to the respective behavior.  

When you are aware of this bias, it can help you in finding ways to overcome the same. Rather than focusing on finding blame when wrong events take place, you should look for ways you are capable of effectively understanding or even improving the situation. You should aim at being empathetic while looking for situations rather than trying to assign the overall blame.