Final answer:
External attribution assigns the cause of behavior to situational factors rather than to personal characteristics. It contrasts with dispositional attribution, which focuses on inherent personality traits and is often overlooked due to the fundamental attribution error.
Step-by-step explanation:
When you make an external attribution, you are attributing the causes of behavior to some situational factor outside the person. This is opposed to internal or dispositional attribution, where the behavior is explained by the person's inherent characteristics like personality or temperament. External attributions are often related to the context or circumstances in which a behavior occurs rather than anything innate to the individual displaying the behavior.
For example, if someone acted hostile after losing a job, making an external attribution involves understanding that the situational stress of being laid off contributed to their behavior, not necessarily that they are a hostile person by nature. This understanding aligns with the fundamental attribution error, where people tend to overemphasize personality traits while underestimating situational factors when judging others' behaviors.