Fundamental Attribution Error
The fundamental attribution error is explaining other people's behaviour by their character while underweighting the situation they were actually in.
Full definition of Fundamental Attribution Error →:: COMPARE ::
FAEvsActor-observer bias
The short answer
They're usually taught as one idea, and only half of it held up. The FAE — over-attributing others' behaviour to character — is well supported. The actor-observer extension is precisely the part a 173-study meta-analysis found close to zero.
Side by side
| Aspect | FAE | Actor-observer bias |
|---|---|---|
| About | Others | Self vs others |
| Evidence | Strong | Near zero overall |
| Proposed | 1967 / 1977 | 1971 |
| Status | Standing | Heavily qualified |
What each one means
Actor-Observer Bias
Actor-observer bias is the proposed tendency to explain your own behaviour by your circumstances while explaining other people's identical behaviour by their personality — a claim that largely did not survive testing.
Full definition of Actor-Observer Bias →