AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The fundamental attribution error is our tendency to explain someone’s behavior based on internal factors, like personality or disposition, and to underestimate the influence that external factors, like situational influences, have on another person’s behavior. The opposite is true when we explain our own behavior.

Detailed explanation-2: -What Is the Fundamental Attribution Error? The fundamental attribution error refers to an individual’s tendency to attribute another’s actions to their character or personality, while attributing their behavior to external situational factors outside of their control.

Detailed explanation-3: -The fundamental attribution error is the tendency people have to overemphasize personal characteristics and ignore situational factors in judging others’ behavior. Because of the fundamental attribution error, we tend to believe that others do bad things because they are bad people.

Detailed explanation-4: -The fundamental attribution error is a cognitive bias that causes people to underestimate the influence of environment-based situational factors on people’s behavior, and to overestimate the influence of personality-based dispositional factors.