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(male narrator)[br]Today we're going to talk about

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the fundamental attribution error.

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What exactly is[br]the fundamental attribution error?

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And why is so important?

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Let's look at an example:

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Say your friend Bob takes you to a party.

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And at that party he introduces you[br]to his other friend, Erik.

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Erik is particularly curt,[br]and seems uninterested in meeting you.

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He comes off as unfriendly.

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Chances are, your first reaction is to assume[br]Erik is just an unfriendly person.

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A real jerk, if you will, right?

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What if Erik is just having[br]a really tough day.

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Maybe he broke up with his girlfriend.

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Or maybe someone close to him[br]has passed away.

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Then you may think that Erik's behavior[br]is excusable because well,

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he's just having a bad day.

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I guess Erik isn't that bad a guy, huh?

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Well this mix up in judgement

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is a perfect example [br]of the fundamental attribution error.

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In other words,

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people tend to place more emphasis[br]on internal explanations

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rather than considering[br]the circumstances.

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So next time [br]you meet someone at a party,

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don't be so quick to judge them.