The tendency to overemphasize personal characteristics and ignore situational factors when judging others’ actions and behavior. It results in believing that what people do reflects who they are.
Consider the case where Alice, a driver, is cut off in traffic by Bob. Alice instantly attributes Bob’s behavior to his fundamental personality, e.g. that he’s selfish and an unskilled driver. She does not immediately consider that Bob might be late for a flight, his son’s birth, or an accident. Inversely, Alice might well make the opposite mistake and excuse herself by saying she herself was influenced by situational causes. Also termed the actor-observer symmetry.
Primary origin: Lee Ross