actor-observer difference

n. In attribution theory, this is a pair of biases in which the observer tends to attribute the actions of the actor to the actor’s character or inherent tendencies while actors tend to attribute their own behavior to circumstances. There is much debate about the cause of this difference: some suggest the cause is a difference in information available to actor and observer, and others suggest the cause is motivational as actors wish to attribute their own behavior to socially desirable motives.