Humans Exhibit Self-Attribution Bias In Error Assignment
Okamoto et al. (published December 16, 2025) used a novel visuomotor task to test how participants attribute outcomes to skill versus chance, finding a consistent self-attribution bias: subjects credited successes to skill and blamed failures on randomness. Computational modelling revealed asymmetric belief updating (a positivity bias) and a dissociation between perceived ability and confidence, with higher confidence when feedback was judged random.
Key Points
- 1Demonstrate self-attribution bias: participants credit successes to skill, blame failures on randomness.
- 2Reveal positivity bias in belief updating, with stronger influence from positive than negative feedback.
- 3Imply modelling consequences: distorted self-perception alters choices; confidence increases when blaming external factors.
Scoring Rationale
Solid experimental and computational evidence of attribution biases, but limited novelty and primarily academic scope.
Sources
Public references used for this report.
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