59. People Assume it's You, Not the Situation

Fundamental Attribution Error

• Attribution theory - Attribution error and culture | Individuals and Society | MCAT | Khan Academy (Embed)
• People have a tendency to give personality-based explanations for other peoples' behavior MORE weight than situational factors.
• When thinking about yourself, it's the opposite.
• You assume that your own behaviors are based on a reaction to the situation, not personality factors.

So What Does that Mean?

Different Cultures Perceive Differently

• U.S. & individualistic cultures:
• common to attribute others' behavior to personality
• fundamental attribution error is common
• common to attribute own behavior to the situation
• Collectivist behavior cultures (ex. China):
• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​fundamental attribution error not as common

People Can't Stop

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• Research exhibits that even if you know you're making fundamental attribution errors, it is hard to stop doing it, and you will likely still make the error.

Takeaways

• Be wary of how you interpret interviews for focus groups for product design. You will tend to think about what people are likely to do based on personality versus the situation.
• Be mindful of how you interpret expert advice on what people do or will do. The expert may inherently look at people's personalities over situational factors.
• Try to check your own biases, and ask yourself if you are making a fundamental attribution error.