A Pluto.Studio app
Debias Spot your own cognitive biases · Android · Free

Trait Ascription Bias

The tendency to see your own traits as more variable and situational, while viewing others' traits as more fixed and consistent.

Too much information Noticing flaws in others

This bias occurs because we have rich context for our own behavior but limited information about others. We attribute our own actions to circumstances, but others' actions to their character. For example, if you're late, it's due to traffic; if someone else is late, they're irresponsible.

Would you catch it?

Recognising a definition is not the same skill as spotting it.

Two scenarios from the app, with distractors drawn from the same family of biases — which is what makes them hard.

Scenario 1Which bias?

After giving a shaky presentation, Anna attributes it to the awkward room layout and a difficult audience. She later sees a colleague give a shaky presentation and thinks the colleague is simply not a good speaker.

Scenario 2Which bias?

After missing a shot in a game, Mike tells himself the sun was in his eyes. When his opponent misses a shot, Mike thinks the opponent is just not a good player.

100+ more scenarios for this bias alone. 18,869 across all 188 — plus a log of which biases are yours.
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Related

Biases rarely arrive alone.

Understand more. Assume less.

188 biases, 18,869 scenarios, and a record of how you actually decide.

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