While sitting in the movie theatre watching the latest Iron Man movie, Michael hears a person behind him talking on his mobile phone. "What an inconsiderate jerk that person is," Michael thinks to himself. He does not consider that the telephone call may have been some very serious emergency that required immediate attention. Michael has fallen prey to the ________ error.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Michael's assumption that the person on the phone is an "inconsiderate jerk" is an example of the fundamental attribution error, which occurs when people overemphasize dispositional (internal/personality) explanations for others' behavior while underemphasizing situational (external/environmental) factors. In this case, Michael is assuming that the person is inherently rude, rather than considering that there may be a valid reason for their behavior (e.g. an emergency).

While Sitting in the Movie Theatre Watching the Latest Iron