The Fundamental Attribution Error

The Fundamental Attribution Error is a common tendency to blame someone’s personality or character for their behavior, while overlooking situational factors that may have influenced their actions. For example, if someone is late, you might think they are irresponsible, rather than considering they may have had traffic issues or an emergency. It reflects a bias toward attributing others' actions to who they are, rather than understanding the context. Recognizing this helps us be more empathetic and avoid unfair judgments about people's behavior.