Psychology / Unit 11 Psych 1185 short lesson, about 20 seconds
The Fundamental Attribution Error
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The idea
The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overestimate personal causes and underestimate situational ones when explaining others' behavior.
In practice
A driver who cuts across a lane is judged reckless rather than possibly responding to an emergency.
Where people slip
The error is weaker in collectivist cultural contexts, which is evidence it is partly learned.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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