When a local resident in the town of Henzville killed 4 people with a gun, he was considered a murderer. However, weeks later, when a policeman killed 2 civilians in the same town, it was reasoned that he was suffering from depression and financial stress. This exemplifies _____.

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The scenario demonstrates the fundamental attribution error, which refers to the tendency for people to overemphasize dispositional (internal) explanations for others' behavior rather than situational (external) factors. The local resident was labeled as a murderer, indicating a dispositional attribution, while the policeman's behavior was attributed to external factors such as depression and financial stress, indicating a situational attribution.

When a Local Resident in the Town of Henzville Killed