United Airlines and the Fundamental Attribution Error
Read Time:4 Minute, 57 Second
by Dr Mark Bear
It appears that conservatives arguing over the United Airlines incident do not wish to hear the explanation of what is taking place. The phenomenon, unfortunately, afflicts ALL humans, regardless of one’s political persuasion!
When the story broke, it was clear and apparent that United is to blame. Since that time, however – as is wont in media – explanations for someone’s horrible behavior always begin to surface, usually with the recipient of the awful behavior being the victim. As social psychologists, we refer to this phenomena as “blaming the victim.”
For example, the story is circulating that the doctor – with many conservatives even questioning whether the victim on that United flight was even a doctor – was involved in a crime several years ago. The largest circulated story – alleges that the “doctor” sold drugs for sex. However, what most people do not even realize is that corporations and politicians who find themselves in trouble hire public relations officials to spin the story in an attempt to blame the victim. The corporations or politicians will pay any amount of money to ensure they appear blameless, so we need to take whatever it is we hear in the media with a grain of salt.
Another myth circulating at this time is that the “doctor” needed to comply with United’s demand that he deplane. Nothing could be further from the truth. Confirmed passengers (paying customers) do not have any reason to deplane once they are seated. Federal law does not allow for a carrier to kick someone who has paid for their flight off, just so they can fly their own employees to their next destination. The airline industry refers to these employees flying at no cost as deadheads. In any event, no; there is NO federal law allowing the carrier to kick the paying and confirmed person off of a flight, save the fact that he or she is making a disruption, causing a danger to him or herself or others, or poses a threat to the successful flight.
Related: United’s Nasty Video Mess Gets Worse and Worse
So why do people fall victim (no pun intended) for these alternative explanations provided by the media? Glad you asked!
In social psychology we refer to the phenomenon as the fundamental attribution error. In our world, we have much to explain, and as humans we try to do so, even if it means we are cognitive misers (a fact backed up by years of research just like the fundamental attribution error is). In essence, what this actually means is that when a negative situation occurs, when we are NOT involved, we tend to blame the individual for the negative occurrence. However, if WE are involved, specifically as the recipient of negative behavior (as the man obviously was on that flight) we tend to blame the situation, not ourselves. These findings have been backed up with statistical significance for years now in the social psychological literature.
Why do we do this? Because as humans we tend to need to believe the world is just and so therefore anyone in a negative situation justly received what they had coming to themselves, so everything works out. But does it? No! What happens is we deceive ourselves into believing the world is “just so,” when evidence to the contrary is provided. So, when we see Trayvon Martin get the bloody life snuffed out of him, we see the offense as so egregious that we seek information which can explain how this occurred, EVEN IF that information comes at the expense of the victim. Sandra Bland? Same thing! She must have been too aggressive and non-compliant right?
This however is precisely WHY we see so much incivility today. Here is my final example: A good friend of mine (conservative) has a discussion going on his Wall about this issue, and I saw the behavior (blaming the victim, the just so world hypothesis, and fundamental attribution error) taking place as a response. I made a civil attempt to tell the person why this was taking place, just as I have with each of you. The response? “I don’t know who you are! I wasn’t speaking to you; but to my uncle. I don’t have the time to debate with you and everyone is entitled to their own opinion.”
It was the latter statement that makes me chuckle: Everyone may, in fact be entitled to their own opinion, but it most certainly does not mean that everyone is correct. I provided people with factual material predicated on years of research and statistical significance. I assure each of you that this evidence far outweighs an opinion.
Related: Watch As Jimmy Kimmel Takes On United Airlines
Lest you miss the irony: the person responding this way to me on a public discussion thread, is engaging in the exact same phenomenon; the fundamental attribution error. It matters little to this person that the discussion appeared in my News Feed, and that the Uncle just so happens to be a very close friend of mine, regardless of whether he and I see eye to eye on politics. In short, I would give the guy the shirt off of my back, and I am fairly certain he would do the same for me. But the point cannot be lost: the person making the comment engages in the error again, yet with me. If it were the individual (the person making the comment) responding, he or she would give him or herself the necessary leeway and not be so aggressive in the response.
In the end, there was NO JUSTIFICATION for the manner in which United’s customer was treated. If you still doubt me, ask yourselves this: IF YOU were that person, would you feel that United was still correct? If you said no, then, “Congratulations! You just experienced the fundamental attribution error.”
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Since poor Dr. Dao is receiving loads of unwanted publicity, it would seem only fair to name the aviation security officer and the United employees (who took the seats of the four passengers made to disembark unwillingly) so that they could get their fair share of public scrutiny and opprobrium.
I read in different places that law enforcement was called in. So were any LEOs present or responsible for the man’s removal? if it was only private security that removed the passenger, why are there stories saying that it was LEOs that removed him?
Cops are a favorite target, and the assumption was made by some that it had to be the cops because everyone knows they are evil. It was an aviation security officer.
Here’s the exact quote from the Chicago-Sun Times:
“The incident on United flight 3411 was not in accordance with our standard operating procedure and the actions of the aviation security officer are obviously not condoned,” Aviation Department spokeswoman Karen Pride said. “That officer has been placed on leave effective today pending a thorough review of the situation.”
People need to take responsibility. UA needs to take responsibility. And FOX News needs to take responsibility for the nastiness of Bill O’Reilly for laughing at this poor man’s plight. And don’t blame the cops. They didn’t do this. It was security.
Fundamental attribution error. Now I can put words to what I’ve seen in almost every instance during my long career in law enforcement. Like Lyndon says, everyone wants to shift the blame but no one wants to take responsibility. Speaking of that career I can wholeheartedly agree that there was NO JUSTIFICATION for the actions of the security company. I’m just glad they weren’t real police. Well done.
Factually you are incorrect with your assertion that passengers are not required to give up their seats when asked. They are; you are. You agree to it when you buy your ticket. Now, with that behind us, I agree with you most ardently Dr Bear, and, as a fellow healer I am most familiar with the FAE, and like you point out, is something we see every single day. Shifting the blame from one to another to avoid responsibility. It is most common in Trump’s house.