Final answer:
Kelley's model indicates that behavior is attributed to external causes when there is high consensus, high distinctiveness, and low consistency among observed behaviors, which is answer option A.
Step-by-step explanation:
H. H. Kelley's model of attribution in social psychology helps us understand how people explain the behavior of others, particularly in terms of whether the causes of that behavior are internal (dispositional) or external (situational). The model uses three dimensions to decipher this: consensus, distinctiveness, and consistency. When someone attributes behavior to an external cause, consensus (whether others behave the same way in similar situations) is usually high, distinctiveness (whether the person behaves differently in different situations) is high, and consistency (whether the person behaves the same way over time in the same situation) is low. Therefore, the correct answer to the student's question is A. Consensus is high, Distinctiveness is high, Consistency is low. This pattern suggests that the observed behavior is specific to the particular situation, and not necessarily a trait or characteristic inherent in the person.