People attribute negative outcomes to external factors to protect self-esteem

the verdict

SUPPORTED

the evidence backs this

Recorded sources

2 sources for · 0 against

Counts group repeated records of the same source within each side. They do not measure evidence strength or source independence.

Is it true that people attribute negative outcomes to external factors to protect self-esteem?

Yes. The retrieved evidence clearly supports the claim that individuals attribute negative outcomes to external factors as a self-protective mechanism to preserve self-esteem and manage threats.

Verdict: SUPPORTED · 2 sources for, 0 against · Last checked 4 Aug 2026

The analysis

Papers [4] and [8] explicitly investigate and provide empirical support for the self-serving bias and the tendency to make external attributions for negative outcomes to protect self-esteem or personal identity. None of the other retrieved papers refute this psychological mechanism.

Evidence for · 2

Self-serving beliefs about science: Science justifies my weaknesses (but not other people's).

2025

This study demonstrates that people are more willing to accept scientific explanations for their own moral failures because such explanations allow for external attributions that protect the self.

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F, C. & A, M. (2025). Self-serving beliefs about science: Science justifies my weaknesses (but not other people's).. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1177/09636625241261320

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More for · 1

An Empirical Investigation of the Relationships Among Self-Esteem, Depression and Self-Serving Bias in People with Internet Gaming Disorder.

2024

This empirical investigation directly confirms the self-serving bias, noting that people ascribe negative outcomes or failure to external or situational causes for self-protection motivation.

Get citation

Y, W., L, Z., C, W., M, L., L, Z., & X, G. (2024). An Empirical Investigation of the Relationships Among Self-Esteem, Depression and Self-Serving Bias in People with Internet Gaming Disorder.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.2147/prbm.s462184

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Receipt History

first checked04 Aug 2026

judged → SUPPORTED · 7704 Aug 2026

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