consensus
Summary
In attribution theory (Kelley's covariation model), consensus is the extent to which other people respond the same way as the actor in the same situation. High consensus points toward a situational attribution; low consensus points toward a dispositional one.
Detail
Meaning: Consensus is one of three cues in Kelley's covariation model, which describes how observers decide whether behavior stems from the person (dispositional attribution) or the circumstances (situational attribution). Consensus asks whether other people act the same way toward the same stimulus. The other cues are consistency (does this person act this way in this situation across time?) and distinctiveness (does this person act this way only toward this stimulus, or toward many?). In sociology, consensus also means broad agreement on norms and values, a theme of functionalism.
On the MCAT: A passage describes one person's behavior, such as a coworker praising a film, then says how many others did the same. You predict the attribution. High consensus, high distinctiveness and high consistency favor a situational attribution (the film is good). Low consensus, low distinctiveness and high consistency favor a dispositional one (the coworker praises everything).
Common confusion: Students mix up the three cues. Consensus compares the actor with other people. Consistency and distinctiveness both concern the same actor, across time and across stimuli respectively. Also, high consensus does not suggest a trait of the actor. Because the behavior is common to most people, it points to the situation.
Sources
- Social Psychology (Aronson, Wilson, Akert)
- Psychology (Myers)
Written for the MCAT and checked before it was published. For study reference only. Spotted an error? Let us know.