The defensive attribution hypothesis is a social psychological concept where an observer attributes the causes of a mishap to minimize their fear of being a victim or implicated in a similar situation. The level of blame assigned is inversely related to the similarities between the observer and the individuals involved in the mishap; the more dissimilar the individuals, the more responsibility is attributed to them. This attribution serves to create a reassuring belief that the incident was avoidable and controllable.
For instance, in discussions surrounding sexual assault, male participants often blame the rapists less than female participants do, while blaming victims more. This demonstrates how observers' similarities to those involved can influence their attributions of responsibility.
To overcome defensive attribution bias, individuals can practice empathy and strive to understand the situations of others without jumping to blame based on perceived differences or similarities.