SHOW / EPISODE

The Fundamental Attribution Error

6m | Apr 11, 2026

Why do we blame people's haracter for their actions - but excuse our own behaviour as "just the situation"? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions. we explore the fundamental attribution error - the tendency to overestimate personal traits and underestimate situational factors when judging others.

Discover how this bias shapes the way we interpret behavior, why we're quick to label others but slow to consider context, and how recognising this pattern can lead to fairer, more accurate judgements.

Studies and links:

The Attribution of Attitudes | Edward E. Jones and Victor A. Harris | Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 3, 1-24 (1967) PII: 0022-1031(67)90034-0

Fundamental Attribution Error Theory in Psychology | Simply Psychology Fundamental Attribution Error Theory in Psychology

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