Another Type of Self-serving Bias: Coexistence of Self-effacing and Group-serving Tendencies in Attribution in the Japanese Culture

Abstract

Tested 2 hypotheses: (1) individuals in a group tend to make self-effacing attribution for their personal performance and group-serving attribution for performance of their group and (2) these tendencies appear more strongly when members express their attribution in the presence of other group members because it reflects a self-presentation strategy to gain one's positive public image. Results of 2 experiments confirm Hypothesis 1 but provide mixed support for Hypothesis 2. However, results suggest that group-serving attribution is not a mere self-presentation strategy toward ingroup members, but a more deeply internalized tendency of the Japanese people. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)