Actor-Observer Affect Examined With Young Drivers

The actor-observer effect has been studied in great detail with mixed results. The goal of this study is to determine if by using a situation that is more socially undesirable, the attributions used by the respondents will offer a more definite bias. The question is whether the observer exhibits more risky driving behavior or do his/her friends. A set of survey questions was answered by 70 participants who ranged in age from 16 to 17 years of age, and all were drivers themselves. By asking a question that would seem to place the respondent in the place of admitting irresponsible behavior it was hoped that the difference between the responses would give the desired result. The research concluded that the individual teens did view their own behavior in a more positive light and that of their friends as more risky. The teens responded that...
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