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Employee A noticed that Employee B was late for work, and A's perception of why B was late will determine what action A takes in this situation.
Considering attribution theory, which factors will determine A's perception regarding whether B's behavior was internally or externally caused?
Select one.
According to attribution theory, three factors determine whether an observer attributes behavior to internal or external causes: distinctiveness, consensus, and consistency.
Distinctiveness: Whether the individual behaves differently in different situations.
Consensus: Whether others in the same situation behave similarly.
Consistency: Whether the individual behaves the same way over time.
Employee A's perception of why Employee B was late would depend on these three factors. For example, if Employee B is rarely late (high distinctiveness), if many other employees were also late (high consensus), and if Employee B is usually punctual (high consistency), Employee A might attribute the lateness to an external cause such as traffic or weather conditions.