Recall the cross-cultural differences in the self-serving bias between Eastern and Western cultures. Describe the differences, and provide an example of how someone in China might attribute a failure compared to someone from Canada

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer: In Eastern cultures, people tend to make more internal attributions about their failures, but external attributions about their successes. It is just the opposite in Western cultures, such that people tend to make more internal attributions about others' behavior, but more situational attributions about their own behavior. An example of an attribution a Chinese person is likely to make about failure would be internal and answers might include: I was lazy; I am not very smart; I didn't try very hard. A Canadian would be more likely to make external attributions for failure. Examples of attributions include: I didn't have time to do a good job; other people were distracting me; I was sick.