Question

You are walking in a parking lot full of small puddles of water. A car drives through one near you and splashes you with water. You attribute the driver's behavior to his own carelessness and lack of civility. This example best illustrates

a) The fundamental attribution error
b) The self-serving bias
c) Stereotyping
d) Prejudice

Answer 1

The correct answer is option a) The fundamental attribution error.

Step-by-step explanation:

The situation described is best illustrated by the fundamental attribution error, which occurs when individuals attribute someone else's actions to their character or personality, while ignoring situational factors that may have influenced their behavior. In the scenario, you immediately think the driver is careless and uncivil, without considering external factors, such as the possibility that the driver may not have seen the puddle or could not avoid it safely.

The self-serving bias is when individuals attribute their own successes to internal factors and their failures to external factors. The actor-observer bias is when we attribute our own behavior to situational factors but others' behavior to their dispositions.

Stereotyping is when we assume that someone has certain characteristics based on the group they belong to, while prejudice involves having a negative attitude towards someone solely based on their group membership.