In social psychology, the fundamental attribution error (FAE) [a] is a cognitive attribution bias in which observers underemphasize situational and environmental factors for the behavior of an actor while overemphasizing dispositional or personality factors.[1] In other words, observers tend to overattribute the behaviors of others to their personality (e.g., he is late because he's selfish) and underattribute them to the situation or context (e.g., he is late because he got stuck in traffic). Although personality traits and predispositions are considered to be observable facts in psychology, the fundamental attribution error is an error because it misinterprets their effects.
The group attribution error (GAE) is identical to the fundamental attribution error, where the bias is shown between members of different groups rather than different individuals.[2]
The ultimate attribution error is a derivative of the FAE and GAE relating to the actions of groups, with an additional layer of self-justification relating to whether the action of an individual is representative of the wider group.[3]
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- ^ Gawronski, Bertram (2007). "Fundamental Attribution Error".
- ^ Bandinelli, Pier Lluca; Palma, Carlo (2012). "Subthreshold thoughts disorder: a continuum with paranoid delusions? The role of attributional heuristic biases in maintaining self-esteem". In Minati, G.; Abram, M.; Pessa, E. (eds.). Methods, Models, Simulations And Approaches Towards A General Theory Of Change. World Scientific Publishing Company Pte Limited. p. 587–602. doi:10.1142/9789814383332_0042. ISBN 978-981-4383-32-5.
Fundamental attribution error (Ross, 1977 [33]), is the tendency for explanations of other individuals' behaviors to overemphasize the influence of their personality and underemphasize the influence of their situation (see also actor-observer bias). However, this is coupled with the opposite tendency for the self in that explanations for our own behaviors overemphasize the influence of our situation and underemphasize the influence of our own personality. The group attribution error (Allison and Messick, 1985 [1]) is a group-serving, attributional bias identical to the fundamental attribution error except that it occurs between members of different groups rather than different individuals. Group members are more likely to attribute a fellow group member's actions to their arbitrary circumstances, while attributing a non-group member's actions to something in that group's inherent disposition.
- ^ Bandinelli, Pier Lluca; Palma, Carlo (2012). "Subthreshold thoughts disorder: a continuum with paranoid delusions? The role of attributional heuristic biases in maintaining self-esteem". In Minati, G.; Abram, M.; Pessa, E. (eds.). Methods, Models, Simulations And Approaches Towards A General Theory Of Change. World Scientific Publishing Company Pte Limited. p. 587–602. doi:10.1142/9789814383332_0042. ISBN 978-981-4383-32-5.
The negativity effect (Regan et al., 1974 [31]; Vonk, 1993 [39]), is an attributional bias that occurs when subjects are asked what they think caused actions of other people whom they dislike. Under these conditions, the positivity effect is reversed and people rate the positive behavior of those they dislike to the situation and their negative behavior to something in their inherent disposition. The negativity effect is sometimes called the ultimate attribution error because of its clear role in racial prejudice. Studies have also found that people assign more weight to negative information in descriptions of others. The positivity effect (Taylor and Koivumaki, 1976 [35]) refers to the tendency for people to attribute the positive behavior of other people whom they like to their disposition, while attributing negative behavior to their situation. It is thus an attributional bias. The opposite effect is called the negativity effect in which the opposite bias in attribution is found when subjects rate others whom they specifically dislike.