Suppose that you are reading two books that try to explain the breaking up of the Soviet Union.One book,written by a Chinese historian,emphasizes the situational factors that contributed to the breakup,whereas the other book,written by an American historian,emphasizes the personalities involved,such as the political leaders.This difference reflects the notion that the fundamental attribution error
A) is different from the actor-observer difference.
B) is more common in individualistic than collectivistic cultures.
C) is more common in collectivistic than individualistic cultures.
D) is more likely to occur when people reflect on the past.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overemphasize dispositional (internal/personality) explanations for others' behavior and underemphasize situational (external/environmental) explanations. The American historian's emphasis on the personalities of political leaders reflects a dispositional explanation, while the Chinese historian's emphasis on situational factors reflects an external explanation. This suggests that the American historian may be more prone to the fundamental attribution error, which is more common in individualistic cultures (such as the US) than collectivistic cultures (such as China). Therefore, the best choice is B.

Suppose That You Are Reading Two Books That Try to Explain