Which of the following best describes the fundamental attribution error in social psychology?

• A. It is the tendency to attribute group behavior to individual personality traits.
• B. It is the tendency to overemphasize personal traits and underestimate situational factors when explaining other people's behavior.
• C. It is the tendency to attribute one's own successes to internal factors and failures to external factors.
• D. It is the tendency to believe that others behave as they do because of the roles they occupy.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of the fundamental attribution error in social psychology. It refers to a common cognitive bias in how people explain others' behavior.
2. Step 2: Recognize that this error involves overemphasizing internal characteristics, such as personality traits, when interpreting someone else's actions.
3. Step 3: Also note that it involves underestimating external or situational factors that might influence behavior, such as environmental or contextual influences.
4. Step 4: Compare the given options to see which one aligns with this definition: the tendency to overemphasize personal traits and underestimate situational factors when explaining others' behavior.
5. Step 5: Identify that the correct description of the fundamental attribution error is the option stating the tendency to overemphasize personal traits and underestimate situational factors in explaining other people's behavior.