Fundamental attribution error

Social psychologists describe the fundmental attribution error as the tendency to attribute events to a person's character rather than to circumstances surrounding the events. Propagandists exploit tendencies toward the attribution error with a variety of techniques, including smears, ritual defamations and ad hominem attacks.

When offered in the passive voice with no direct attribution to person or to circumstance, inference can sometimes mask a fundamental attribution error.

External resources

 * Wikipedia Fundamental attribution error