Personality Psychology and Behavior Variability

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Questions and Answers

What was a key criticism of the Stanford Prison Experiment regarding its scientific validity?

The guards were not properly briefed on their roles.

The emotional impact on participants was not assessed.

Guards received precise instructions regarding their treatment of prisoners. (correct)

The sample size was significantly small.

Situationism primarily suggests that behavior is influenced more by _____ rather than due to personality traits.

cultural norms

biological factors

cognitive processes

situational contexts (correct)

What does the Fundamental Attribution Error suggest about how we perceive behavior?

We accurately assess situational influences on behavior.

We overestimate the influence of personality traits on behavior. (correct)

We underestimate the influence of environmental factors.

We ignore the role of biological influences.

What was a significant finding regarding rank-order stability of personality traits over time?

Rank-order stability is moderate to high, showing personality is somewhat stable. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main idea proposed by Mischel’s concept of 'situational strength'?

Strong situations minimize the influence of individual traits. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the transition from situationism to interactionism in psychology?

Behavior is influenced by the combination of traits and situations. Signup and view all the answers

What does the principle of aggregation refer to regarding personality consistency?

Reliable measures enhance the predictability of personality across situations. Signup and view all the answers

What does the concept of behavior variability across situations imply about individual's actions?

Behavior can fluctuate significantly depending on situational factors. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following refers to the idea that people might misinterpret others' behavior as being purely the result of their personality rather than the situation they are in?

Fundamental Attribution Error Signup and view all the answers

How does situationism in personality psychology view the expression of personality traits?

Personality traits are influenced significantly by situational contexts. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a strong correlation in psychology?

Connection between agreeableness and opportunities to cooperate. Signup and view all the answers

In the context of personality psychology, which statement best represents behavior variability across situations?

Similar individuals can behave very differently depending on their circumstances. Signup and view all the answers

What relationship was found between personality traits and perceived situations in daily life behaviors?

Both personality traits and perceived situations equally influenced behaviors. Signup and view all the answers

Which trait is most likely associated with perceptions of negativity and challenges in a situation according to the DIAMONDS model?

Neuroticism Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of the DIAMONDS model in personality psychology?

Examining situational influences on personality expression. Signup and view all the answers

During the experience sampling studies, what two aspects of participants were assessed to understand behavior?

B5 traits and situational experiences. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best summarizes the claim made about behavior variability in different situations?

Behavior varies depending on the situational context and is influenced by personality traits. Signup and view all the answers

According to Allport's perspective, how do personality traits function across different situations?

Traits may not exhibit consistency but can manifest differently depending on the context. Signup and view all the answers

How does the principle of aggregation relate to the reliability of personality traits?

It highlights the importance of composite measures over individual instances for reliability. Signup and view all the answers

What kind of behavior is least likely to exhibit cross-situational variability?

Behavior reflecting deep-seated personal values. Signup and view all the answers

What critique does situationism face according to personality psychology?

It simplifies complex human behaviors into situational factors. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement effectively captures the concept of weak vs strong correlation in psychology?

A strong correlation implies a predictable pattern in behavior linked to traits. Signup and view all the answers

In context to situational behavior, what does Widiger's example about church services suggest?

Situational context influences behavior critically. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of assessing single instances of behavior in personality psychology?

To provide insight into the variability of behavioral measurement. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Situationism

The claim that behaviour varies considerably over situations is not disputed by personality psychology.
Personality psychology does not assume that behavior remains unchanged across different situations.
Allport recognized that traits may not apply to all situations.

Cross-Situational Variability

Behavioral variations can be accounted for by considering the additive effects of traits and situations.
Traits and situations may both influence behavior.

Measuring Consistency

Mischel's critique focused on single instance measures of behavior, which are susceptible to measurement error.
Aggregation principle: consistency in behavior across multiple situations can be measured more reliably, and it relates to our personality.

Consistency Over Time

Consistency over time is more relevant to the concept of a trait than consistency across situations.
Personality traits demonstrate moderate-high rank-order stability over time, even over decades.
Longitudinal studies demonstrate predictive validity of personality, for example, delay of gratification studies.

Debunking Situationism

Trait-behavior correlations are comparable to the effects of situations.
Consistency across situations is more robust when reliable measures are used.
Meta-analysis of 173 studies disconfirms the "Fundamental Attribution Error".
The Stanford Prison Experiment has been found to have questionable scientific validity due to research design and experimenter influence.

Interactionism

Situationists revised their position from 'situationism' to 'interactionism', recognising the interplay of traits and situations influencing behavior.
The “situational strength” hypothesis emphasizes that both traits and situations influence behavior, but “strong situations” can reduce the influence of traits.

Situation Perception

The "DIAMONDS" model offers a comprehensive taxonomy for describing the structure of perceived situations.
The model proposes five dimensions for understanding how people perceive situations: duty, intellect, adversity, mating, and deception.
Individual differences in traits can predict perception of situations.

Situation Selection

Individuals' traits can influence the situations they choose to be in.
Studies have shown that individual perceptions of situations are stronger predictors of behavior than the average perception of the situation.
Personality traits predict the places people visit, which can then influence their behavior in those situations.

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Description

Explore the concepts of situationism and cross-situational variability in personality psychology. Understand how traits interact with situations, and learn about measuring behavioral consistency over time. This quiz examines key theories and critiques from prominent psychologists like Allport and Mischel.