What is the fundamental attribution error?

• A. Attributing others' behavior to internal traits while underestimating external situational factors.
• B. Attribuating one's own behavior to external factors.
• C. Believing that others' behavior is due to luck.
• D. Attributing behavior to random chance.

Answer: (A)

This is about how we explain other people’s behavior by favoring personality over the situation. The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to attribute someone’s actions to their internal traits or character while underestimating the influence of external circumstances. So when you see someone act a certain way, you’re more likely to think that behavior reveals who they are rather than considering what might have been happening around them—stress, time pressure, social norms, or other external factors. This explains why we often label others as “the kind of person who does X” instead of recognizing how the situation could have shaped their actions.

The other ideas don’t capture this pattern: attributing one’s own behavior to external factors describes a different bias about the self, and thinking behavior stems from luck or random chance isn’t about the persistent link between disposition and behavior.