University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Imagine Jamie comes home from work and, in response to a cheerful greeting from their spouse Morgan, yells, 'Leave me alone!' Someone committing the fundamental attribution error would likely conclude that Jamie is a mean or unfriendly person. This is a dispositional (trait-based) explanation. However, a situational explanation would consider external factors. For instance, if Jamie had just been laid off, the yelling could be attributed to a temporary state of frustration and disappointment rather than an inherent personality trait.

Example of the Fundamental Attribution Error

In the scenario where Jamie responds to Morgan with 'Leave me alone!' after being greeted cheerfully, which of the following demonstrates the fundamental attribution error?

In the scenario where Jamie responds to Morgan with 'Leave me alone!' after being greeted cheerfully, which of the following is an example of the fundamental attribution error?

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