Attribution, or how we explain what we and others do in the world, is a core concept in psychology. The original theory proposed that we are inherently biased when judging ourselves versus others.

For example, the actor-observer bias states that when something bad happens to us, we tend to blame external factors rather than ourselves. If we do poorly on a test, it is because the teacher didn't ask the right questions. The fundamental attribution bias says that when something happens to someone else, we blame internal factors for their situation. If another person does poorly in school, we assume that they are dumb or lazy.

Ugh, right? It’s a rather negative spin on human nature, and believing these biases (e.g., the world will put us down if we make a mistake)........

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