Chapter 3: Personality versus Situation by Connect-4.

Chapter 3: Personality versus Situation

by

Connect-4

Ideally … Personality Predicts Behavior

Behavior = Situation

• Walter Mischel (Columbia University)

1968 paper threw an academic bomb - Found only 0.30 correlation between personality and behavior - Statistically - only 15-20% of behavior is explained by personality - Situations are more than just noise in personality versus behavior plots - Personality testing itself can be thought of as a “situation”

Kenrick, D.T., & Funder, D.C. (1988). Profiting from controversy: Lessons from the person-situation debate. American Psychologist, 43, 23-34.

New York Times Article

• PERSONALITY: MAJOR TRAITS FOUND STABLE THROUGH LIFE By DANIEL GOLEMAN Published: June 09, 1987 New York Times

THE largest and longest studies to carefully analyze personality throughout life reveal a core of traits that remain remarkably stable over the years and a number of other traits that can change drastically from age to age.The new studies have shown that three basic aspects of personality change little throughout life: a person's anxiety level, friendliness and eagerness for novel experiences. But other traits, such as alienation, morale and feelings of satisfaction, can vary greatly as a person goes through life. These more changeable traits largely reflect such things as how a person sees himself and his life at a given point, rather than a basic underlying temperament.One of the recently completed studies followed 10,000 people 25 to 74 years old for nine years. Another involved 300 couples first tested in 1935. The studies are joined by a new analysis of more than two dozen earlier studies of lifetime personality and a study of twins that looks at the genetic contribution.

Behavior = Personality

• Prof. Seymour Epstein (U Mass)

- Personality is actually pretty stable across time and situations- Situations just introduce a little noise- Personality traits are best predictors- 0.4 correlations are actually pretty good- Predicts behaviors over long time period; but not as accurate at any given time

Kenrick, D.T., & Funder, D.C. (1988). Profiting from controversy: Lessons from the person-situation debate. American Psychologist, 43, 23-34.

http://www.psychcontroversies.com/person-situation-debate.html

Nature versus Nurture Stooges to Gentlemen?

Interactionist Consensus

• Behavior = f(personality, situation)• Personality traits predict behavior well in low

intensity-situations especially among low self-monitors

• Personality traits do not predict behavior well in high-intensity situations especially among high self monitors

Kenrick, D.T., & Funder, D.C. (1988). Profiting from controversy: Lessons from the person-situation debate. American Psychologist, 43, 23-34.

http://www.psychcontroversies.com/person-situation-debate.html

Military Behavior AnalysisSituational

• Drill Sergeant Yelling Orders– Forces a quiet, submissive behavior, “Yes Sir, No Sir”

• Life threatening warfare– Calls for quick decision making, confident behavior

• Disciplined & Structured Lifestyle– Routine focused, “Inside the lines” behavior

• Leading Military Unit/Platoon– Vocal aggressive behavior, demanding compliance and

obedience

Military Behavior AnalysisPersonality

• Extraversion & Openness– Military Routine– Conformity– Outspoken– Leadership

• Agreeableness & Conscientiousness– Military Environment– Organization– Dependability– Achievement Oriented

• Neuroticism– Predictability – Stress of Combat

Situational strength

According to Mischel’s framework: (1968) “Neither personality or situation can be offered as the major determiner

of behavior in all cases; rather, they interact with each other , exerting a different influence on behavior depending on the circumstances”.

Following this reasoning situations can be labeled as either powerful or weak.

Strong situation vs weak situation

Source: Mischel, W. The interaction of person and situation. In Personality at the crossroads: current issues in interactional psychology (Eds D. Magnusson and N. Endler), 1977, Ch. 25 (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, New Jersey).

Strong Situation

“Situations are strong to the extent that informational cues are unambiguous, behavioral expectations are clear, there are incentives to comply, and people are capable of meeting the behavioral demand of the situation .”Source: Asian Journal of Social Psychology (2008), 11, 253–263 Chuchai Smithikrai, Chiang Mai

University, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Weak Situation

The most appropriate course of action is not especially well defined and norms are inconsistent. Thus, individuals who are more daring are likely to speed through the intersection on a yellow light, whereas cautious individuals are likely to stop.

Application• Can most sales situations be considered as

weak or strong?

Source: Transformational leadership and organizational culture: the situational strength perspective S A Masood, S S Dani*, N D Burns, and C J Backhouse Wolfson School of Mechanical and manufacturing Engineering, Loughborough

University, Loughborough, UK - February 2006

In weak situations: Personality matters

Hiring & Interviewing Techniques

Behavioral Interviewing

• Developed in 1970s by industrial psychologists

• Asserts that most accurate predictor of future performance is past performance in similar situation

• But …?

Situational Interviewing

• Situational interviews are based on Dr. Gary Latham's Goal-Setting Theory, which assumes intent precedes actions

• Interviewer asks what the person would do in theoretical situations and assesses their response against the criteria and rating scale

• Situational interviews tend to reduce the chance of discrimination as they offer all candidates the same scenarios and evaluate them against the same criteria.

• Similar to Behavioral but can also be more immersive and applicable to the job/role

• Panel Interview - Candidate is given a topic and asked to make a presentation to the panel

• Potential telemarketers asked to submit “audio resume”

• Applicants for Management

“Weak Situation” Interviewing?

“Strong Situation” Interviewing?

• Case Interview – applicant is given a problem and asked to resolve the situation

• Watershed Asset Management – simulate real office experience by giving applicant an investment idea, the raw material, the annual report, some documents, and the prices

• Airplane Pilots and Flight Simulators

• IT Interviews – Solve problem X with Y parameters using a given language

Weak? Strong? Or Both?

• Grand Circle Travel - makes applicants work in teams to solve a wide range of issues as part of their interview– Raw-egg drop exercise