Each section illustrates an example of one of the four most common errors in attribution. Text under Errors in Attribution reads, Attributions are beliefs we develop to explain human behaviors and characteristics, as well as situations. We can explain behaviors in many ways, but social psychologists often compare explanations based on traits or personality characteristics, dispositional attributions, to explanations based on external situations, situational attributions. But as we seek to explain events and behaviors, we tend to make predictable errors, making the wrong assumption about why someone is behaving in a certain way. Let’s look at four of the most common types of errors in attribution. The first section is titled, Fundamental attribution error. Text underneath this reads, Observer tends to think actor’s behavior is caused by internal characteristics, ignoring the role of the situation. An illustration under the text shows an observer watching an actor, pretending to be a waiter who spills a tray of wine. A thought bubble from the observer reads, that waiter is so clumsy! Text related to the observer’s thought bubble reads, Observer ignores external circumstances, such as a slippery floor.
The second section is titled, Just-world hypothesis. Text underneath this reads, Observer tends to think people get what they deserve. An illustration under the text shows an observer, watching the actor who is playing a waiter told by another actor You’re fired! The observer thinks, He must be a really lousy waiter to get fired. Text related to this thought bubble reads, Observer ignores other possible reasons, such as that the manager would rather hire a friend instead.
The third section is titled, Self-serving bias. Text underneath this reads, we tend to attribute our successes to internal characteristics and our failures to external circumstances. There are two illustrations under this text. The first illustration shows a jar labeled tips, overflowing with cash and a waiter saying, Success! I got a lot of tips tonight. A thought bubble from the waiter reads, I’m an excellent waiter so I earn good tips. In the second illustration, there is a jar labeled tips, with very little cash. The waiter says, Failure! I hardly earned any tips. The thought bubble from the waiter reads, Diners were really stingy tonight, so I wasn’t tipped well. The fourth section is titled, False consensus effect. Text underneath this reads, Observer tends to assume the actor is behaving similarly to how she would act in that situation. An illustration below the text shows an observer watching an actor who is pretending to be a waiter that has just dropped a tray of wine. The thought bubble from the observer reads, Oh no, he’s going to get angry and blame it on someone else. That’s what I do when I feel embarrassed. Text related to the observer’s thought reads, Observer fails to appreciate that the actor may not have the same emotional and behavioral reaction. Rather than getting angry and blaming someone else for the mishap, he might think the situation is funny and start laughing.