Self-Serving Attributions: The Role of Physiological Arousal

Abstract

Asymmetrical attributions for success and failure are an established empirical fact, but the origins of this asymmetry are still the source of some debate. The present research examined whether physiological arousal plays a role in the generation of self-serving attributional judgments. Subjects received false feedback on an achievement-related task while their skin con-ductance levels were being monitored. Subsequently, they attributed their performance to various causal factors. Although attributions for success did not vary as a function of arousal level, self-serving attributions for failure were more apparent when arousal levels were high. These findings appear consistent with the claim that attributions for failure stem, at least in part, from motivational forces. The broader implications of the findings are considered.