Megan graduated from college three years ago and has been working at Sterba Inc. ever since. A conscientious employee, she has consistently received good performance evaluations. She recently found out that a younger colleague, who was just recruited to her team, is drawing a higher salary than she is for doing the same type of work.
-Which of the following, if true, would strengthen the argument that Megan is trying to gain a sense of equity by distorting her perception of herself?
A) She thinks that her colleague is paid more because she is an Ivy League graduate.
B) She believes that she is less-capable than her colleague.
C) She assumes that her colleague received a higher package due to changes in industry standards.
D) She believes that her salary is not commensurate with her skills and experience.
E) She believes that she is doing a lot better career-wise compared to the people with whom she graduated.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If Megan is distorting her perception of herself in order to gain a sense of equity, then she may be convincing herself that her colleague deserves a higher salary because they are more capable than she is. Believing that she is less-capable would strengthen this argument. Choices A, C, D, and E offer alternative explanations for the pay difference that do not necessarily involve Megan distorting her perception of herself.

Megan Graduated from College Three Years Ago and Has Been