Situational and Dispositional

Factors

4.3 Describe the role of situational and

dispositional factors in explaining
behavior

Dispositional Factors
Attributes behavior to a persons internal
characteristics
Refers to a persons
Beliefs
Attitudes
Personality

Situational Factors
Attribute behavior to external factors
Examples
Immediate rewards or punishments
Social pressure
Social setting

Which one attributes more to our

behavior?
Personality researchers
Dispositional factors

Social psychologists
Situational factors

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Attribution Theory

Heider, 1958
Assumption: people are nave scientists
1. Look for causes and reasons behind other
peoples behavior

Why? Because there are reasons behind our own

behavior

2. We are intuitive psychologists

3. Construct causal theories

Understand, predict and control the environment

Why do people do it?

Need causal explanations
Makes the world predictable

Cultures have constructed causal explanations

Myths, religions

Tendency to see motives and dispositions may

be automatic
Apply it where it doesnt apply
Example
Computer games, electronics, witchcraft, fate

What is the cause

of the behavior

Internal factors:
Caused by something
Within the person
(Personality)

Dispositional Attribution:
Intelligence,
personality, attitude

External factors:
Caused by something
Outside the person
(Situation)

Situational Attribution:
Group pressure,
Social norms, weather,
luck

Empirical Research
Simmel, 1944
Experiment
Participants viewed moving,
geometric shapes
Asked to describe them

Results: described figures as if the

figures had intentions to act in the
way they did
Implications: dispositional attribution
Attributing behavior to an object

Empirical Research

Evans-Pritchard, 1976
Case study: cultural
Participants: Azande people (central Africa)
Procedure
Natural event: granary doorway collapsed
Participants explained why

Results:
People said it was witchcraft and fate
Even when shown evidence of termites

Implications: the use of situational attribution is

culturally created

Additional theories/research that

support attribution theory
Epstein, 1983
Asch, 1951/1956
Milgram, 1974
Take notes Milgram (106-107)

Banduras Social Learning Theory and

Bobo Doll research

Activity
Connect Milgrams research to attribution
theory
Notes 106-107

Personality and Behavior

Personality is defined in terms of traits
(Trait Theorists)
i.e. Five Factor Model

Neuroticism
Extraversion
Openness to experience
Agreeableness
Conscientiousness

Personality traits are

Cross-situational
Stable

**Dispositional Factors**

Is behavior really consistent

and stable?

Mischel disagrees
Less evidence of consistency
Only a moderate correlation between
conscientiousness in different situations

Causes of behavior should look at the

situation

Hartsshorne and May, 1928

Dishonest students in one school were not
always dishonest in another school

Trait Theorists Reponses

We never said that it was specific
behaviors at specific times
Classes of behavior
Range of different situations

General tendency
Dont compare days, compare weeks

Research to support tendencies

Roberts and Del Vecchio, 2000
Correlational & Longitudinal Study: Surveys
Conclusion
High correlation between personality measures taken
7 years apart

Evidence supports that significant

personality change beyond early adulthood
is rare.

Your Test Results

Go through all factors and highlight your results
Low or high?
Write whether you or agree or disagree with each
factor

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