Question

Laura used to go to a restaurant near her home. During her past few visits to the restaurant, the staff were rude and the food was served cold, even though she would always include a generous tip with the bill. This scenario exemplifies _____, according to which Laura did not perceive fairness in the exchange. Select one: a. attribution theory b. equity theory c. schematic theory d. cognitive dissonance e. cause-and-effect modeling

Answer 1

Answer:

The correct answer is b. equity theory

Explanation:

In psychology, equity theory refers to the perception of a state of things where the parties involved evaluate whether the distribution of resources is fair or unfair. According to this view, people understand such situations as an exchange, where it is expected that the involved parties will receive a fair reward according to the costs involved. Any situation where a party feels that the costs are much higher than the rewards will be perceived as unfair. In our case, from the point of view of Laura, this is clearly an unfair situation. She incurred in some costs in the form of generous tips, but she felt she wasn't properly rewarded, as the staff were rude and the food was served cold.