Person-Environment Intersections Everyday Settings and Common Trait Dimensions

• Published in: Journal of personality and social psychology Vol. 58; no. 4; pp. 685 - 698
• Main Authors: Kenrick, Douglas T, McCreath, Heather E, Govern, John, King, Robert, Bordin, Jeffrey
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Psychological Association 01-04-1990
• Subjects: Behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Environment; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human; Illness and personality; Personality; Personality Traits; Psychology; Psychology and medicine; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Recall (Learning); Context; Social environment; Human; Social behavior; Social interaction; Environment personality relation; Self control
• ISSN: 0022-3514; 1939-1315
• DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.58.4.685

Intersection of personality dimensions (adjustment, likeability, self-control, social inclination, intellectance, and dominance) and taxonomy of everyday settings were examined. In Studies 1 and 2, Ss recalled situations relevant to each personality dimension. Judges categorized into six nondomicile (academic, athletic, business, play, religious, and streets) and six domicile (bedroom, eating room, living room, dormitory room, fraternity or sorority house, and outside house) categories. Trait/setting profiles converged across two methods and two regions. In Study 3, Ss rated visibility of each trait dimension in each setting. Interactions show some settings seen to allow more expression of some traits. Main effects show some settings seen as more generally illuminative, and some traits as more generally visible. Similarities in trait/setting profiles across three studies are discussed; joint importance of situational constraint and public observability in a setting's relevance to display of traits is considered.