What characterizes the fundamental attribution error?

The fundamental attribution error is characterized by the tendency to underestimate the extent to which situational factors influence individuals’ behaviors while overemphasizing personal characteristics or dispositions. This means that individuals observing someone else's behavior are prone to attribute it to internal traits, such as personality or intelligence, rather than considering external circumstances that may have influenced that behavior.

In several contexts, this leads to skewed perceptions of others. For example, if someone is late to a meeting, a person making a fundamental attribution error might think, "They are careless" instead of considering potential situational factors, like traffic or an unexpected emergency. Thus, option B accurately reflects this cognitive bias, highlighting the significant role that situational factors play in how behaviors should be understood but often get overlooked in favor of individual-oriented explanations.

Consequently, this behavior can result in misjudgments about others and reinforce stereotypes, as it doesn't account for the complex interplay of environmental influences on behavior.