Attribution Theory: How We Explain Why Things Happen — and Why We Get It Wrong
In 1967, Jones and Harris had subjects read essays supporting Fidel Castro's Cuba. Even when subjects were explicitly told the writers had been...
December 2024
The Just-World Hypothesis: Why We Blame Victims and Call It Justice
In 1965, Melvin Lerner showed subjects an innocent woman receiving electric shocks. Unable to stop the shocks, observers began to derogate her —...
The Self-Serving Bias: Taking Credit, Avoiding Blame
In 1964, Johnson, Feigenbaum, and Weiby gave teachers feedback on a student's performance. When the student improved, teachers attributed it to...
November 2024
The Fundamental Attribution Error
In 1967, Edward Jones and Victor Harris asked students to rate the true attitudes of essayists who had written pro-Castro arguments. When told the writer chose the position freely, students inferred pro-Castro attitudes. When told the writer was assigned the position — forced to argue a side they might not believe — students still inferred pro-Castro attitudes. The situational constraint made no difference. The fundamental attribution error: we systematically underestimate the power of situations and overestimate the role of character when explaining other people's behavior.
March 2022
The Fundamental Attribution Error: Judging Others vs. Ourselves
In 1967, Edward Jones and Victor Harris asked students to rate the true attitudes of essayists who had written pro-Castro arguments.