In self-serving attributions, what do individuals typically credit for their successes?

Study for the UVA Social Psychology exam. Enhance your understanding with multiple choice questions that provide hints and explanations. Prepare effectively for your test!

In the context of self-serving attributions, individuals typically attribute their successes to internal dispositional factors, such as their abilities, efforts, or personal qualities. This tendency allows individuals to maintain a positive self-image and enhance their self-esteem. By linking accomplishments to their own characteristics, they reinforce a sense of agency and competence.

This pattern contrasts with how failures are often attributed, which tends to lean towards external situational factors or other influences beyond their control. This dichotomy helps people to protect their self-worth and view themselves in a favorable light, affirming that they have worked hard or been talented in achieving their successes. In summary, recognizing personal attributes as the cause of success is a hallmark of self-serving attributions, emphasizing the positive internal factors that contribute to achievements.

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