fundamental attribution error

[SoCalDem]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/05/us-inequality-poor-people-bad-choices-wealthy-bias
Wednesday 5 July 2017 05.00 EDT
Why do we think poor people are poor because of their own bad choices?
Maia Szalavitz


snip

It all starts with the psychology concept known as the “fundamental attribution error”. This is a natural tendency to see the behavior of others as being determined by their character – while excusing our own behavior based on circumstances.

For example, if an unexpected medical emergency bankrupts you, you view yourself as a victim of bad fortune – while seeing other bankruptcy court clients as spendthrifts who carelessly had too many lattes. Or, if you’re unemployed, you recognize the hard effort you put into seeking work – but view others in the same situation as useless slackers. Their history and circumstances are invisible from your perspective.

Here’s what has gone wrong: hard work and a good education used to be a sure bet for upward mobility in the US – at least among some groups of people. Americans born in the 1940s had a 90% chance of doing better economically than their parents did – but those born in the 1980s have only 50/50 odds of doing so.

As the dream has faded, however, its effects have not. Several elements of normal psychology combine to keep many across the economic spectrum convinced that the rich and the poor deserve what they get – with exceptions made, of course, mainly for oneself.

snip

[handmade34]

1. K&R

good article

[chia]

2. Also: Those with social power control the narrative:

As my social psychology text put it, "Tell me your attribution for poverty and I will guess your politics."

[Duppers]

3. Excellent quote. nt

[Duppers]

4. I question if this is a "natural tendency" or

If it is something people are taught.

[chia]

5. Yes, it's a natural tendency, it's human behavior which crosses all situations and ideologies -

the difference is in whether people are aware of the existence of the error in the first place, and whether they're able (willing) to recognize it in themselves and take steps to mitigate the effect.

If they're open to seeing themselves capable of falling into a fundamental attribution error (whatever the situation might be), and open to allowing others the same benefit of situational allowance vs. individual culpability they allow themselves, they'll find themselves with a more objective viewpoint.

That's not to say that the error can't be taught/passed on, but that the instinct to be self-protective is pretty much already built in.