Which Is It? (Scenario)
Marwan has been Lina's boss now for about six months. Recently, Lina had recommended firing Samir, one of her own staff, for his repeated "inability to get along with others." Marwan checked with Samir's coworkers, and none of them supported Lina's contention. In addition, several of Lina's peers had met with Marwan. Word of Samir's fate was getting out, and they wanted to let Marwan know that in the past, Lina had singled out other employees for persecution. When asked for specific problems with Samir, Lina mentioned that in addition to his attitude, he had been late several times recently. Marwan knew that Samir lived several miles away and that others had been late due to poor weather. Marwan did not know whether he should support Lina, his manager, or hold off and not fire Samir.
-What factor of attribution theory was Marwan concerned about when he found out that Samir had been late to work because of the weather?
A) distinctiveness
B) consistency
C) repeatedness
D) consensus

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Marwan was concerned about consensus, which refers to whether other people are experiencing the same issue under similar circumstances. In this case, Marwan noted that others had also been late due to poor weather, indicating that Samir's lateness was not unique to him but was a common issue among employees due to external factors.