Simon laughed long and hard when he saw his mother slip and fall. Neither his sister nor his father laughed when they saw her fall. Simon has seen both his mother and other people fall before but didn't laugh then. According to Kelley's covariation model, observers privy to this information are likely to assume that __________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Kelley's covariation model suggests that people make attributions based on three types of information: consensus (how do others react to the same stimulus?), distinctiveness (is the behavior specific to this situation or general?), and consistency (does the behavior happen all the time or just in this instance?). In this case, Simon's behavior is not consistent with how he has acted in the past (seeing people fall before without laughing), nor is it in line with how others react (his sister and father did not laugh). Therefore, observers are likely to assume that there was something peculiar about this particular incident that made Simon laugh (distinctiveness).

Simon Laughed Long and Hard When He Saw His Mother