01/11/2006 Archived Entry: "Self Serving Bias"

Self Serving Bias is one of the most interesting things I learned about in MSCI. It also came up in Psych and Soc, albeit under different names. Basically, self serving bias is a defence mechanism which tells you whatever it is that’s gone wrong is not your fault. If you fail a test, your prof sucked or it was unfairly difficult. If you get rejected by a girl/guy, they weren’t good enough for you in the first place. It is a defence mechanism because it protects your ego and allows you to try, try again without self-doubt.

Being a very introspective, and supremely objective, kinda guy, I don’t think that I rely too much on SSB. I tend to think more along the lines of “how did I mess up here and how would I go about improving this?”. Whether or not I implement the improving part is another story. Also, having learnt about Self-Serving Bias, I tend to recognize when I’m using it.

I’ve noticed a strong streak of SSB in a lot of people I know; and, yes, it does seem to work as they’re not fazed by their failures. So, is it better to not know your faults and go on through life without trying to correct them? It depends. I think SSB is helpful in cases where you’ve failed at something wholly due to circumstances outside of your control; but if SSB kicks in strongly when it is obviously your fault, then you’ll never learn from your mistakes.

For example. If you fail to impress at a job interview and SSB it away as the interviewer being stupid or something but you showed up poorly dressed and stinking of sewer and don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, then you’re not in a good position to win over the people at your next job interview. However, if you showed up well dressed and knew what you were talking about but there just happened to be someone better qualified that day, and SSB comes in to protect your ego, then your next interview will not be greatly affected by this one.

Replies: 4 comments

Did someone else get your job? :( Poor Thai :P

Posted by Gosia @ 01/11/2006 11:46 PM EST

...no...it was just an example...

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