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Behavior is a product of both the situation (e.g., cultural influences, social roles, and the presence of bystanders) and of the person (e.g., personality characteristics). Subfields of psychology tend to focus on one influence or behavior over others. Situationism is the view that our behavior and actions are determined by our immediate environment and surroundings. In contrast, dispositionism holds that our behavior is determined by internal factors (Heider, 1958). An internal factor is an...

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Related Experiment Video

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Modeling Verbal Behavior Deficits with the Stimulus Control Ratio Equation, SCoRE

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Situation-based contingencies underlying trait-content manifestation in behavior.

William Fleeson¹

¹Department of Psychology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27109, USA. FleesonW@wfu.edu

Journal of Personality

|June 20, 2007

Summary

Situations significantly influence behavior linked to the Big Five personality traits. Individual differences in how people respond to situations explain variations in behavior, highlighting the meaningfulness of within-person variability.

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Area of Science:

Psychology
Personality Psychology
Social Psychology

Background:

Understanding the link between personality traits and behavior is crucial.
Previous research has not fully elucidated how situational factors influence the expression of personality states.
Variability in behavior within individuals requires explanation through trait-state-situation interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the association between situational characteristics and the manifestation of Big Five personality states in behavior.
To determine if individuals differ in their behavioral contingencies on specific situations.
To explore the role of situation characteristics in explaining within-person behavioral variability.

Main Methods:

Two studies employed experience sampling over 2-5 weeks.
Participants reported on their current Big Five personality states (Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability) and concurrent situational characteristics multiple times daily.
Multilevel models were used to analyze the contingency of personality states on situation characteristics and individual differences therein.

Main Results:

Psychologically active situation characteristics were identified, influencing trait-manifesting behavior.
These situational contingencies partially explain significant within-person variability in behavior.
Reliable individual differences in these contingencies were found, potentially explaining individual differences in behavioral variability.
The specific situation characteristics that are psychologically active vary across different personality traits.

Conclusions:

Within-person variability in personality states is meaningful and dynamically related to situational contexts.
Personality psychology should incorporate the characterization of situations based on their relevance to personality states.
Integrating process and individual-difference approaches offers a more comprehensive understanding of personality.