Question

Julia notices that her neighbour parked the car badly, and that he usually parks the car badly. According to the covariation theory, how will Julia explain this behaviour?

A). Due to the distinctiveness of this behaviour, Julia will reason that her neighbour is a bad driver.

B). Due to the consistency of this behaviour, Julia will reason that her neighbour parks the car badly because he is stressed from work.

C). Due to the consistency of this behaviour, Julia will reason that her neighbour is a bad driver.

D). Due to the distinctiveness of this behaviour, Julia will reason that her neighbour parks the car badly because he is stressed from work.

Answer 1

According to covariation theory, Julia will likely attribute the consistently poor parking to the neighbor being a bad driver, as the behavior is consistent over time.

Step-by-step explanation:

Julia notices that her neighbour frequently parks the car badly. According to the covariation theory, the way Julia explains this behavior would be influenced by the consistency, distinctiveness, and consensus of the behavior. In this case, consistency is key because her neighbor regularly parks the car poorly. If the behavior is consistent across time and circumstances, Julia is likely to attribute it to a dispositional factor, like skill or personality. Therefore, Julia may conclude that the neighbor is a bad driver due to the consistent nature of the parking behavior.