Guarding Against Attribution Errors

Scenario: Ben misses a project deadline, and his coworker assumes he is lazy and irresponsible.

What type of attribution error is being made?

• Self-serving bias

• Fundamental attribution error

• External attribution

• Actor-observer bias

Scenario: A driver cuts you off in traffic, and you think they are reckless and inconsiderate.

What is a better way to guard against this attribution error?

• Assume they are always like this.

• Consider alternative explanations, such as rushing to an emergency.

• Ignore the incident entirely.

• Yell at them to express your frustration.

Scenario: Your friend cancels dinner plans last minute, and you think they don’t value your friendship.

What should you do to guard against an attribution error?

• Assume they have no interest in spending time with you.

• Talk to them calmly and ask if everything is okay.

• Cancel all future plans with them out of frustration.

• Ignore their message and move on.

Scenario: A teacher notices a student frequently falling asleep in class and assumes they are lazy and uninterested in learning. What is the teacher’s attribution error?

• Self-serving bias

• Fundamental attribution error

• External attribution

• Stereotyping

Scenario: Your partner snaps at you during a conversation, and you assume they’re always rude and irritable. What is a better approach to this situation?

• Consider they might have had a stressful day.

• Respond by snapping back at them.

• Criticize them for being rude.

• Ignore them completely.

Scenario: A customer is rude to you while you’re working at a store, and you think they are just a mean person. How can you guard against this attribution error?

• Reflect on possible external factors affecting their behavior.

• Assume all customers are mean.

• Avoid interacting with customers.

• Complain to your manager about the customer.

Scenario: Your friend arrives late to a meeting, and you think they don’t respect your time. Which of the following shows a better response?

• Ask if something delayed them on the way.

• Confront them angrily about their lateness.

• Assume they are always inconsiderate.

• Stop inviting them to future meetings.

Scenario: A team member misunderstands instructions and submits incorrect work. You assume they are careless and inattentive. What could you do instead?

• Clarify the instructions for future tasks.

• Blame them for not paying attention.

• Avoid assigning them any tasks in the future.

• Leave the situation unresolved.

Scenario:
Your server at a restaurant seems inattentive and distracted, and you assume they are bad at their job. What would be a fair way to perceive the situation?

• Assume they’re overwhelmed with too many tables.

• Complain immediately to the manager.

• Leave a bad review online.

• Ignore the server and leave.

Scenario:
Reflecting on your day, you realize you’ve made assumptions about others’ behavior without considering external factors. What is one way to improve your ability to guard against attribution errors?

• Always give the benefit of the doubt.

• Assume everyone is acting based on their personality.

• Focus only on your perspective.

• Avoid interacting with others entirely.