Final answer:
Marquis is making a situational attribution based on the assumption that the person yelling and acting hostile is doing so because they have had a tough day.
Step-by-step explanation:
Marquis is making an attribution based on the assumption that the person yelling and acting hostile is doing so because they have had a really tough day. This type of attribution is known as a situational attribution. Situational attributions focus on external factors that are influencing someone's behavior, such as the circumstances or events that they may be experiencing. In this case, Marquis is considering the possibility that the person's behavior is a result of the difficult day they have had.
Marquis is making a situational attribution when he assumes that someone is acting hostile due to having had a tough day. This contrasts with dispositional attribution, wherein one would attribute the behavior to the person's character or personality. Marquis's assumption reflects an understanding that external factors, not just internal dispositions, can influence behavior.
The tendency for observers to attribute others' actions to their dispositions rather than situational factors is referred to as the fundamental attribution error. However, when explaining our own behavior, we often have more information about the situational influences, leading to more situational attributions for ourselves. This discrepancy is known as the actor-observer bias.