No. #109

Fundamental Attribution Error
- Misattributing Behaviors

The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to attribute others' behaviors to their character rather than to situational factors, while giving oneself a pass for similar behaviors due to external circumstances. This can lead to misunderstandings and misjudgments in social interactions, teamwork, and user feedback interpretation.

Read more on Wikipedia

Product example

A product manager might attribute negative user feedback to users not understanding the product, rather than considering situational factors like poor usability or design flaws.

Empathy tips

1

Promote Situational Awareness

Encourage awareness of situational factors that might influence behavior or feedback.

2

Objective Review Processes

Implement objective processes for reviewing feedback and behaviors to avoid bias.

3

Educate on Attribution

Educate teams on the fundamental attribution error and its impact on interpersonal and user relations.

4

Encourage Perspective Taking

Facilitate exercises or discussions that promote perspective taking to understand the situational factors affecting others.

Need an empathic partner?

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Anna Lundqvist
UX & AI ethics expert driving better products and smarter teams.
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Eddy Salzmann
Design lead crafting seamless products and mentoring design teams.
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Ola Möller
Facilitator helping organisations see the big picture and take action.