In a situation indicating possible pseudo‐participation, we examined whether outcome favorability affects perceived procedural fairness and resentment as a result of self‐serving attributions for outcomes. Laboratory participants received a production target that was either substantially above (i.e., unfavorable outcome) or substantially below (i.e., favorable outcome) a target they had voiced to a supervisor. As hypothesized, outcome favorability was related to procedural fairness (positively) and resentment (negatively) among participants who lacked persuasive evidence of pseudo‐participation. In support of the idea that these effects were a result of self‐serving attributions, rather than instrumental concerns, they did not emerge among participants who had persuasive evidence of pseudo‐participation.