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Related Experiment Videos

Aging, cognitive complexity, and the fundamental attribution error.

Katherine J Follett1, Thomas M Hess

  • 1Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695-7801, USA.

The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
|June 27, 2002
PubMed
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Middle-aged adults exhibit less fundamental attribution error (FAE) than younger and older adults. This age-related difference in attributional bias may stem from variations in cognitive complexity and resources.

Area of Science:

  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • The fundamental attribution error (FAE) is a cognitive bias where individuals overemphasize dispositional or personality-based explanations for others' behaviors while underemphasizing situational explanations.
  • Previous research indicates variations in the FAE across different age groups, but the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate age-related differences in the prevalence and underlying mechanisms of the fundamental attribution error (FAE).
  • To examine how cognitive and attributional complexity influence the FAE across different age groups.

Main Methods:

  • Participants from three age groups (young, middle-aged, older adults) observed an actor responding to political questions.

Related Experiment Videos

  • An experimental manipulation involved two conditions: a no-choice condition (actor's responses were predetermined) and a choice condition (actor selected responses).
  • Attributional bias was measured by comparing attitude attributions made in the no-choice versus choice conditions.

    • Main Results:

    • Middle-aged adults demonstrated significantly less FAE compared to young and older adults, evidenced by a weaker tendency to infer attitudes from behavior in the no-choice condition.
    • Higher levels of cognitive and attributional complexity were associated with reduced attributional bias across all participants.
    • Cognitive and attributional complexity did not fully explain the observed age differences in FAE.

    Conclusions:

    • The study confirms age-related differences in the fundamental attribution error, with middle-aged adults showing reduced bias.
    • Variations in cognitive complexity and cognitive resources are suggested as key factors contributing to the observed age effects in attributional tendencies.
    • Understanding these age differences is crucial for comprehending social cognition across the lifespan.