Date of Award
1993
Document Type
Thesis
Publication Status
Version of Record
Submission Date
October 2026
Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]
Monson, Thomas C.
Abstract
The fundamental attribution error (FAE) refers to the social perceiver's tendency to emphasize dispositional rather than situational information when determining the causes for an actor's behavior (Ross, 1977). The present study challenges previous FAE research by suggesting that highly constrained experimental circumstances, not representative of real-world occurrences in which self-selection variables play a major role, are perhaps responsible for these findings. Subjects were given behavioral information and asked to make attributions based on a target's level of agreeableness and predict their intentions concerning future interactions. The data indicates that limited information can still lead to accurate identification of true scores. Attributions for behaviors that were exhibited under both low and high situational constraint were useful in detecting a target's underlying trait. They also form a foundation for guiding future interactions. Together, these findings support the notion that the FAE serves as an adaptive and appropriate strategy.
Extent
149 p.
Recommended Citation
Wilson, Lili Milian, "implications of self-selection for the adaptiveness of the fundamental attribution error" (1993). Electronic Theses and Dissertations 1990 - 1999. 456.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_general_4/456
Identifier
FADT14927
Comments
Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1993.|Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1993.