What term describes the idea that attitudes and behaviors are more likely to be congruent when the attitude is highly specific to the behavior?

The concept of attitude specificity refers to the idea that when an attitude is directly related to a specific behavior, individuals are more likely to act in accordance with that attitude. This is because specific attitudes are closely aligned with particular actions, allowing for a clear connection between what someone feels and how they act.

For instance, if a person has a strong, specific attitude towards recycling—believing it is essential for environmental protection—they are more likely to engage in recycling behaviors compared to someone who has a general attitude towards environmentalism without a specific focus on recycling. This relationship helps in predicting behavior based on attitudes, making specific attitudes more powerful in guiding actions.

The other terms do not capture the essence of this relationship as precisely. While attitude generality speaks to broader attitudes, and behavior consistency relates to stable actions across situations, they do not emphasize the direct link between specific attitudes and specific behaviors. Cognitive dissonance, on the other hand, describes the psychological discomfort that arises when one's beliefs and behaviors are inconsistent, rather than the congruity that exists when attitudes are specific.