Final answer:
True The fundamental attribution error is a true concept in social psychology where internal factors are emphasized over external ones when explaining others' behavior, influenced by factors including the level of information available and cultural background.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement 'Fundamental attribution error refers to the tendency to attribute the behavior of other people to internal factors more than external factors.' is true.
The fundamental attribution error is a concept in social psychology where individuals tend to overemphasize personality-based explanations for behaviors observed in others while undervaluing situational explanations.
This cognitive bias arises because, as observers, we often lack complete information about other individuals' situations, leading us to make quick judgments based on what we think are their dispositions.
This is not to say that we always use this error; several factors, such as the level of detail we have about the situation and our cultural background, can influence its prevalence. Cultural differences, particularly between individualistic and collectivistic societies, significantly affect the tendency to commit this error.
For instance, in individualistic cultures like the United States, there's a stronger tendency to commit fundamental attribution error compared to collectivist cultures, where the context of behavior is given more consideration.
This bias plays a role in different social situations and can be demonstrated in experiments such as the quizmaster study where a clear situational advantage was often overlooked in favor of dispositional judgments about intelligence.