Tamara is careless at the office one day and accidentally prescribes the wrong medicine for a twelve year-old patient. When her new associate catches the mistake, he assumes she does not know the difference in medications and that she must not be practicing very good medicine, and that she may not be very bright. This tendency to underestimate the role of situational factors when explaining Tamara's behaviour is the
A)indiscriminatory process
B)cognitive dissonance theory
C)fundamental attribution error
D)internal locus of control

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The fundamental attribution error is a concept in social psychology where people tend to underestimate situational factors and overestimate dispositional (or personality) factors when explaining others' behaviors. In this scenario, the associate is attributing Tamara's mistake to her personal qualities (e.g., lack of knowledge, incompetence) rather than considering situational factors (e.g., being careless one day).

Tamara Is Careless at the Office One Day and Accidentally