Which of the following is the best demonstration of the fundamental attribution error?

• A. Believing your own poor performance on a test was due to the test being unfair
• B. Explaining your friend's success by saying they worked very hard
• C. Attributing your lateness to heavy traffic instead of your own time management
• D. Assuming a classmate is rude because of their personality, rather than considering they might be having a bad day

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the fundamental attribution error (FAE): it is the tendency to overemphasize personal characteristics and ignore situational factors when explaining others' behavior.
2. Identify examples where behavior is explained by internal traits (like personality) rather than external circumstances (like the situation or context).
3. Evaluate each option to see if it reflects this bias toward internal attribution for others' actions.
4. Recognize that attributing your own behavior to external factors (like traffic or test fairness) is not FAE, but rather a self-serving or situational attribution.
5. Conclude that the best demonstration of FAE is assuming a classmate is rude because of their personality, without considering situational reasons such as having a bad day.