BiasSocial judgment · Attribution Bias · Entry 141
Puritanical Bias – when people blame morality instead of circumstances
Do you believe poor people are just lazy? That’s Puritanical Bias – the tendency to blame negative outcomes on personal morality rather than external, societal, or economic factors.
Where it can show up
- Wealth & success – assuming rich people worked harder, while the poor are responsible for their own failures.
- Addiction & illness – seeing addiction as a lack of willpower instead of a complex mix of biology and environment.
- Crime & justice – judging criminals solely for their choices while ignoring the conditions they grew up in.
A practical countermeasure
- Consider systemic factors – success and failure are often shaped by external influences.
- Don’t reduce everything to morality – people make mistakes due to circumstances, not just weak character.
- Look at the full context – before judging, consider what external pressures might have played a role.