Situations over character

The central claim.

The finding

Behaviour is shaped by circumstances far more than observers assume. We explain other people by their character and ourselves by our situation, which is the fundamental attribution error.

It is one of the most replicated results in the field.
It weakens across cultures, being stronger in individualist societies.

Why it matters

Designing systems around situations, rather than exhorting people to be better, is what actually changes behaviour at scale.