What ‘Fundamental Attribution Error’ Means For MSPs

Let's delve into a psychological concept known as the 'Fundamental Attribution Error'. This term was introduced in the 1970s by social psychologist Lee Ross. It describes a pervasive bias where we tend to explain someone's behaviour based on their personality traits, overlooking the role of situational influences.

To illustrate this, if someone cuts you off in traffic, your immediate reaction might be to label them as rude or reckless. This is the Fundamental Attribution Error in action—you're attributing their behaviour to their personality, ignoring situational factors such as maybe they're rushing to an emergency.