What is the Fundamental Attribution Error?

• A. The tendency to underestimate situational influence and overestimate dispositional influence in others' behavior
• B. The process of compliance gaining
• C. The tendency to conform to social norms
• D. The tendency to attribute our own actions to external factors

Answer: (A)

The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to explain others’ actions as due to their personality or character (dispositions) while underestimating the power of the situation (external factors). We often jump to say someone did something because that’s who they are, rather than considering external circumstances they might be facing. This bias is about how we interpret other people’s behavior, not our own. For our own actions, we’re more likely to attribute them to the situation, which is a related idea but a different bias. The other concepts are about different ideas entirely—compliance gaining, conforming to norms, and attributing our own actions to external factors (not the same focus as judging others).