Which bias leads to the tendency to attribute personal success to internal factors and failures to external circumstances?

The self-serving bias refers to the tendency individuals have to attribute their successes to internal traits, abilities, or efforts while blaming external factors for their failures. This psychological concept is particularly important because it affects self-esteem and how individuals perceive their own actions in relation to the events around them.

For example, a student who receives an excellent grade on a test may believe that their intelligence or hard work led to that success. Conversely, if they fail a test, they might attribute it to the test being unfair or external distractions rather than their own lack of preparation. This bias helps maintain a positive self-image and can influence an individual's motivation and resilience in the face of challenges.

In contrast, situational attribution focuses specifically on how people's behaviors are influenced by external situations, which does not encompass the personal success and failure differentiation of the self-serving bias. The fundamental attribution error involves overemphasizing internal traits of others while underestimating external pressures affecting their behaviors, differing markedly from the self-reflective nature of the self-serving bias. Lastly, social identification relates to how individuals identify with groups and does not directly pertain to the attribution of personal successes and failures.