In Kelley's model, what does "distinctiveness" refer to?

In Kelley's model, "distinctiveness" refers to how unique an individual's behavior is in a specific situation. This aspect of Kelley's covariation model is crucial for understanding how people make attributions about the causes of behavior. When distinctiveness is high, it indicates that the individual's behavior is not typical for them in various situations; they behave in a manner that is different from their usual behavior in that specific context. This suggests that the environment or contextual factors may significantly influence their actions.

For example, if a normally reserved person acts very enthusiastically at a party, this behavior stands out as distinctive to that context, leading observers to consider situational factors as a possible explanation for this change in behavior. Understanding distinctiveness helps clarify whether the behavior is a result of personal traits or the influence of unique situational variables. This is foundational in social psychology, particularly when analyzing how people determine the reasons behind others' behaviors.