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Fact #1 – we use completely different lenses to judge others’ actions versus our own.
Fact #2 – the way we do this creates consistently biased expectations about others
Fact #3 – understanding this process can affect the way you see others and your ability to empathize with their struggles
The Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE) refers to our tendency to explain the actions of others by attributing their actions to their personality characteristics while attributing our own behavior to external and situational factors (for example finances, social pressure, trauma etc).
For example, when you get cut off by someone on the freeway they're an "a**hole" but when you cut someone off you're "in a hurry."
Sound familiar?
YES. And that’s because we all do it and it’s often without us even being aware of it. We ignore all situational factors when people do something that affects us negatively and then assume they are “bad people.” The FAE explains why we often judge others harshly while being more lenient on ourselves by rationalizing our own unethical behavior.
But when you become aware of your own biases and quick judgments (or FAE) then you can look beyond face-value and examine a person’s actions based on their personal characteristics and their circumstances. Treating people with compassion rather than contempt is far more beneficial to us as individuals and in the greater community.
FAE (also known as correspondence bias or overattribution bias) was coined by U.S. social psychologist Lee D. Ross (1977) who argued that the fundamental attribution error forms the conceptual foundation for the field of social psychology.
How does FAE apply to people with addiction?
As I mentioned earlier, FAE helps us categorize things quickly based on little information. We don’t know other's circumstances so we have to fill in explanations and therefore attribute it to "who they are."
So, when someone gets drunk and treats us badly or drives a car and gets in an accident, we attribute their personality to the drinking – we say it’s because they’re alcoholics. And as we adopt that belief and continue seeing them in that way, other biases like the confirmation bias, perceptual salience and The Pygmalion effect make certain that we keep seeing them as alcoholics.
But since they see their own behavior as being more of a balance between their past behavior and circumstance, they tell us the reasons for their drinking (as we see our own driving as being driven by the situation) and we tell them they’re in denial.
Now the well-known cycle of addiction and its impacts is set in place – we see “addicts” as damaged and we believe that people who get into trouble with substances are “addicts” and so we attribute the negative stereotypes of “addicts” to people in our life who have problems with drugs, alcohol, porn, food, gambling, video games… you get it.
But they don’t see it this way, so they tell us of the circumstances of their life, which is EXACTLY the sort of denial “addicts” engage in, so we chalk it up to their damaged brains instead of realizing that this FAE game is playing out perfectly.
I mean, when you think about it, did you cut off someone else in traffic because you were in a hurry or because you’re an a**hole?
Maybe it’s not so obvious of an answer after all…
What can help?
Awareness is the first key intervention. If you understand that you are more likely to attribute a static personality to people’s behavior then you can actively pay attention and stay curious regarding their circumstances.
When all we see is the outcome (a person with an addiction and a host of other problems) then it is hard to work our way back and look at them through a compassionate lens, as a person who at some time, did not have an addiction.
There are many things we can do better individually and as a society when it comes to FAE and addiction. Compassionate portrayals of those struggling with addiction in the media, harm reduction policies, more influencers and celebrities sharing their personal struggles, complete transparency and public education on addiction (and the underlying problems that lead to addiction in the first place).
Most importantly though, in my opinion, would be the sharing of stories of individuals who struggled mightily with what looked like addiction but ended up being normal. The more variability our stories include, the less likely are people to jump to conclusions.
The Fundamental Individuation Error (FIE) and Addiction
I believe those struggling with addiction use a FAE-like process in reverse to perpetuate and internalize their own stigma. I call this the "Fundamental Individuation Error" and I believe that this process occurs among many of those who have internalized a belief that they struggle with chronic and incurable mental health disorders of all sorts.
For example, if I believe that I am clinically depressed, or an addict, or have ADHD, I may attribute my own actions, especially those I feel badly about, to "who I am."
I see this in many of the people I work with. They believe that their own behaviors are indicators of their respective “diseases” and “disorders” while believing that others may act in similar ways because of potential reasons that are outside of themselves such as "they're having a bad day" or "their sister just passed" or "they suffered terribly when they were younger so I understand why this is hard for them.”
Why does this matter?
Because stigmatized people tend to internalize the stigma and find themselves unable to consider their circumstances as contributing to their actions, they are likely to feel hopeless, helpless and powerless.
And it's this difference that makes getting over the stigma so hard.
There are many factors that contribute to addiction, as discussed in my book and a number of previous articles, but one thing is sure, it's better to show compassion than condemnation because you never know what others are going through or have been through.
That rings true when someone cuts you off in traffic or you find out a family member is struggling with addiction or mental health issues.
If you are struggling with mental health issues or addiction, it's important not to internalize the stigma, your addiction has a cause and it's important to address the underlying issue (trauma/pain/insecurity/biological) and the environmental factors maintaining the addiction instead of simply treating the symptom. This approach is at the core of my IGNTD Recovery Program and it’s an area I explore in more detail in The Abstinence Myth. Find out more here…
