Which of the following best explains the basic underlying reason why people tend to make attributional mistakes when interpreting others' behavior?

• A. We rely on cognitive shortcuts and heuristics that simplify complex social information.
• B. People are naturally unbiased and rarely make errors in social perception.
• C. We always have complete and accurate information about others' intentions.
• D. Attributional mistakes occur only because of deliberate deception by others.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of attribution in psychology, which refers to how people explain the causes of behavior and events, often distinguishing between internal (dispositional) and external (situational) causes.
2. Recognize that attributional mistakes, such as the fundamental attribution error, occur because people tend to overemphasize internal characteristics and underestimate situational factors when interpreting others' behavior.
3. Identify that these mistakes happen largely due to cognitive shortcuts or heuristics, which are mental strategies that simplify complex social information processing but can lead to systematic biases.
4. Consider that people rarely have complete or perfectly accurate information about others' intentions or the full context of a situation, which contributes to reliance on heuristics and potential errors.
5. Conclude that the best explanation for why attributional mistakes occur is that people rely on cognitive shortcuts and heuristics to make sense of social information efficiently, even though this can sometimes lead to errors.