We study an experimentation problem in a situation where the outcomes depend on the decision-maker’s intrinsic ability and on an external variable. We analyze the mistakes made by individuals who hold inaccurate prior beliefs about their ability. Overconfident individuals take too much credit for their successes and excessively blame external factors if they fail. They are too easily dissatisfied with their environment, which leads them to experiment in variable environments and revise their self-confidence over time. In contrast, underconfident individuals might be trapped in low-quality environments and incur perpetual utility losses. (JEL D11, D83, D91)

中文翻译：

---

自我服务归因偏差的实验

我们在结果取决于决策者的内在能力和外部变量的情况下研究实验问题。我们分析了那些对自己的能力持有不准确的先前信念的个人所犯的错误。过度自信的人对他们的成功过分夸大其词，如果他们失败了，则会过度归咎于外部因素。他们太容易对自己的环境不满意，这导致他们在多变的环境中进行实验，并随着时间的推移修正他们的自信。相比之下，不自信的人可能会陷入低质量的环境中，并遭受永久性的效用损失。(JEL D11, D83, D91)