The Actor-Observer Bias is Alive and Well in Prison

Abstract

Based on attribution theory analysis, the authors predicted that actors attribute their behavior more to internal and unstable causes than do observers. From this logic, actors should also assess as less probable future occurrences of their behavior. 7hese hypotheses were tested by having inmates and officials at a medium security penitentiary rate the causes of the prisoners' (N= 60) offenses. The results supported all three predictions. These data are in contrast with those collected by Wells (1980), who found results inconsistent with the actor-observer bias postulate. An explanation of the different results of the two studies was offered in terms of whether observers had, or had not, previously engaged in the same behaviors as the actors.