Fundamental Attribution Error

We attribute other people's behaviour to their character while attributing our own behaviour to circumstances. If someone cuts you off in traffic, they are an aggressive, selfish driver. If you cut someone off, you were running late to an emergency. Named by Lee Ross in his landmark 1977 paper, the fundamental attribution error is the cornerstone of social psychology's contribution to understanding human conflict. We underestimate the power of situations — stress, context, incentives, systemic pressure — in shaping behaviour, while over-weighting the role of individual character. It fuels moral judgement, discrimination, and the persistent failure to understand why good people make bad decisions.