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This is a 3 page paper that provides an overview of the fundamental attribution error. The cognitive bias is described and a real-life example is given from the writer's perspective. Bibliography lists 1 source.
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3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: KW60_KFferror.doc
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example of such a bias is the "fundamental attribution error", and by extension the "self-serving bias", which shed light on the difference between how people tend to view themselves versus
how they tend to view others. What the fundamental attribution error states is that people have a tendency to attribute the behavior of others to their innate character, whereas
we tend to attribute our own behavior to external circumstances (Heffner, 2004). In reality, of course, behavior is complex and cannot often be easily reduced to one simple set of
circumstances, whether internal or external. Nevertheless, the desire to explain behavior simply and tidily causes this error to manifest. Consider the following example. Imagine that one were walking down the
street and witnessed an individual pass by a young homeless child begging for alms on the sidewalk without giving anything. In reality, this could have been for any number of
reasons: perhaps the person had no cash on hand, or perhaps they simply didnt notice the young child there. The fundamental attribution error, however, might cause one to decisively attribute
the behavior to an innate moral failing on the individuals part. If, however, someone were accused of the same behavior by someone else, they would likely have an external explanation
handy to excuse their behavior, rather than acknowledging any moral failing on their own part. This is an example of the self-serving bias, which often goes hand in hand with
the fundamental attribution error. Part Two Cognitive biases and errors of thought are a common part of the human experience. This is why they are such useful models
for categorizing and explaining the intricacies of human behavior. One of the most commonly manifested errors in cognition is the fundamental attribution error, or the willingness to attribute the actions
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