Which of the following statements is the best example of the fundamental attribution error?

• A. Assuming that a coworker missed a deadline because they are lazy, without considering that they may have had personal issues.
• B. Attributing your success at work to your hard effort and skills.
• C. Thinking that a friend succeeded in a competition because they had help from others.
• D. Believing that your own poor performance on a test was due to the test being unfair.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the fundamental attribution error (FAE). It is a common cognitive bias where people tend to attribute others' behaviors to their personality or disposition, while underestimating situational factors.
2. Step 2: Analyze each statement to see if it reflects this bias. The key is to identify if the behavior of another person is explained by their character rather than external circumstances.
3. Step 3: Look at the statement: 'Assuming that a coworker missed a deadline because they are lazy, without considering that they may have had personal issues.' This directly shows FAE because it attributes the coworker's behavior to laziness (dispositional) and ignores situational factors.
4. Step 4: Compare with other options: attributing your own success to effort is a self-serving bias, thinking a friend succeeded because of help is attributing success externally, and blaming a test for poor performance is also situational attribution for oneself, not FAE.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the best example of FAE is the first statement, as it clearly demonstrates attributing another person's behavior to internal traits while neglecting external influences.