Which of the following statements best reflects the fundamental attribution error?

• A. She failed the exam because she is lazy, not because the test was difficult.
• B. He passed the test because he studied hard and the questions were easy.
• C. I was late because there was heavy traffic on the way to work.
• D. They succeeded because they had a lot of help from their friends.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of the fundamental attribution error (FAE). It is a common cognitive bias where people tend to overemphasize personal characteristics (dispositional factors) and underestimate situational factors when explaining others' behaviors.
2. Step 2: Identify the difference between dispositional and situational attributions. Dispositional attributions relate to internal traits like personality or effort, while situational attributions relate to external circumstances or environmental factors.
3. Step 3: Analyze each statement to see whether it attributes behavior to dispositional or situational causes. For example, 'She failed the exam because she is lazy' attributes failure to a personal trait (dispositional), whereas 'I was late because there was heavy traffic' attributes behavior to an external factor (situational).
4. Step 4: Recognize that the fundamental attribution error occurs when someone explains another person's behavior mainly by dispositional factors, ignoring situational influences. The statement 'She failed the exam because she is lazy, not because the test was difficult' exemplifies this error.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the statement best reflecting the fundamental attribution error is the one that blames personal traits for others' negative outcomes while discounting situational reasons.