Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 11, 2025

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children
Published on: March 1, 2019
Revisiting situational strength: Do strong situations restrict variance in behaviors?
Ranran Li1, Daniel Balliet1, Isabel Thielmann2
1Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
None:
The idea that strong situations restrict variance in behaviors has been treated as a maxim in psychology. Prior work has, however, offered inconclusive support for this proposition. We aimed to overcome the limitations of prior research to conclusively test the restricted variance hypothesis derived from the situational strength framework. Specifically, we conducted a preregistered meta-analysis (k = 301, N = 25,670) in the context of cooperative behavior observed within the standard social dilemma paradigm. We found that strong, compared with weak, situations (theorized and validated via perception ratings) indeed restricted variance in behaviors. Moreover, ratings on perceived situational strength of specific experimental conditions (k = 138, nstudies = 41) further supported the hypothesis that higher levels of perceived situational strength were associated with less variance in behavior. Our findings have important theoretical implications for understanding the situational forces shaping social behavior and for advancing research on person-situation interactions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).
Related Concept Videos
Attribution Theory
Social Facilitation
Fundamental Attribution Error
Statistical Significance
Timing and Consequences on Behavior
Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant...
Naturalistic Observations

