perceptual errors: Attribution theory and the self-serving bias
- by Andrew Kemp
The situation displayed in this Calvin & Hobbes comic is an excellent example of an individual demonstrating perceptual errors and fundamental principles of attribution theory. The strip’s main star, Calvin, demonstrates a strong self-serving bias in how he feels that external features in his environment, namely society as a whole, are the primary reason he does “bad things.”
Calvin begins this comic by stating that “nothing bad I do is my fault” which clearly shows that somewhere during his thought process, he used attribution theory to defend his beliefs. This personal philosophy shows that Calvin is clearly seeking external causes to explain his position, and is therefore demonstrating a self-serving bias. The self-serving bias is the tendency for individuals to blame personal failures and shortcoming on external factors, while attributing personal strengths and successes on internal factors (Sedikides, 1999).
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By believing (or at least claiming) that he is a “helpless victim of countless bad influences” and that “unwholesome culture panders to (his) undeveloped values and pushes (him) to maleficence (Watterson, 1993)” because he is “young and impressionable (Watterson, 1993),” Calvin is trying to blame his sometimes-not-so-civilized actions on people and environments that surround him to quickly reach closure on the question “why do I misbehave?” This-self-serving bias likely does not stop only at home in regards to his behaviour, but is also likely present in the classroom regarding his grades. As demonstrated in Figure 1.1, Calvin may not be a model student in the classroom and if he uses the same self-serving bias in these situations, he will likely attribute failures in the classroom to shortcomings in the educational system, a bad teacher, or an unsupportive classroom environment in general.
In this comic strip, it may also be possible that Calvin uses a self-serving bias in order to escape consequences that follow his actions at home due to a failure experience. For example, perhaps Calvin’s Dad had just shoveled a large pile of snow in the back yard and asked Calvin for some help in finishing the job.
In this comic strip, it may also be possible that Calvin uses a self-serving bias in order to escape consequences that follow his actions at home due to a failure experience. For example, perhaps Calvin’s Dad had just shoveled a large pile of snow in the back yard and asked Calvin for some help in finishing the job.
This-self-serving bias likely does not stop only at home in regards to his behaviour, but is also likely present in the classroom regarding his grades. As demonstrated in Figure 1.1, Calvin may not be a model student in the classroom and if he uses the same self-serving bias in these situations, he will likely attribute failures in the classroom to shortcomings in the educational system, a bad teacher, or an unsupportive classroom environment in general.
In this comic strip, it may also be possible that Calvin uses a self-serving bias in order to escape consequences that follow his actions at home due to a failure experience. For example, perhaps Calvin’s Dad had just shoveled a large pile of snow in the back yard and asked Calvin for some help in finishing the job. |
Instead of helping his Dad, Calvin decided to hop in the middle of the pile and play around in the snow, spreading it everywhere and negating all the work done by his father in the first place. This situation would be defined as a failure experience, or self-threat, according to research done by W. Keith Campbell and Constantine Sedikides that found positive correlations between high levels of self-threat and larger displays of a self-serving bias (Sedikides, 1999). This could have been the scenario before the events of this comic strip took place, and Calvin enters the comic strip defending his actions using attribution theory and a self-serving bias to avoid punishment.
Calvin demonstrates the self-serving bias once again in Figure 1.2, and although Calvin is the only one demonstrating the self-serving bias in these comic strips, he can find comfort in knowing that many people use the self-serving bias as a defense mechanism to guard their own self-image (Boon, 2005). Calvin’s Dad took advantage of Calvin’s common perceptual error in the third frame of this comic strip by saying that the only way Calvin can vanquish society’s negative influence on his behaviours is to “build more character.” The comic finishes with Calvin regretting bringing the topic up in the first place, as he is now forced with the unwanted consequence of shoveling the walk because of his statement that society has negatively contributed to his daily behaviours.
Calvin demonstrates the self-serving bias once again in Figure 1.2, and although Calvin is the only one demonstrating the self-serving bias in these comic strips, he can find comfort in knowing that many people use the self-serving bias as a defense mechanism to guard their own self-image (Boon, 2005). Calvin’s Dad took advantage of Calvin’s common perceptual error in the third frame of this comic strip by saying that the only way Calvin can vanquish society’s negative influence on his behaviours is to “build more character.” The comic finishes with Calvin regretting bringing the topic up in the first place, as he is now forced with the unwanted consequence of shoveling the walk because of his statement that society has negatively contributed to his daily behaviours.