Which bias leads people to attribute negative behaviors of others to their personality rather than external circumstances?

The Fundamental Attribution Error refers to the tendency for individuals to overemphasize personal characteristics and downplay situational factors when interpreting the behaviors of others. This bias often results in attributing negative behaviors—such as someone being rude or uncooperative—to their inherent personality traits rather than considering external influences or circumstances that might have affected their actions.

For instance, if a colleague seems irritable during a meeting, a person may conclude that the colleague is simply unfriendly or unhelpful, rather than considering that they might be dealing with personal issues or stress outside of work. Understanding this bias is crucial in managing interpersonal relationships and promoting empathy in organizational settings.

The other options describe different cognitive biases or psychological phenomena but do not directly relate to the attribution of negative behaviors to personality traits. Self-serving bias involves attributing successes to oneself and failures to external factors, framing refers to how choices are presented and interpreted, and first impression is about the immediate judgment formed upon meeting someone without necessarily linking it to behavior.