those surrounding us

Personality traits

An internal state or disposition that produces consistent behavior in different situations and is stable over time.

Extraversion

One of the personality traits that people use to view each other, referring to being outgoing and sociable.

Agreeableness

One of the personality traits that people use to view each other, referring to being kind, cooperative, and considerate.

Conscientiousness

One of the personality traits that people use to view each other, referring to being organized, responsible, and reliable.

Emotional stability (neuroticism)

One of the personality traits that people use to view each other, referring to being emotionally stable and calm.

Openness

One of the personality traits that people use to view each other, referring to being open-minded, creative, and curious.

Traits do not predict behavior as much as we think

Research suggests that personality traits are not strong predictors of behavior.

Mischel (1968) - Honesty

Study by Mischel in 1968 that examined the correlation between personality trait of honesty and behavior, showing a correlation of 0.30.

Hartstone & May (1928) - Helpfulness

Study by Hartstone and May in 1928 that examined the correlation between personality trait of helpfulness and behavior, showing an average correlation of 0.23.

Attribution Theory

The theory that explains how we attribute or explain other people's behavior, distinguishing between internal and external attributions.

Internal Attribution

An attribution that suggests the behavior is due to something about the person themselves.

External Attribution

An attribution that suggests the behavior is due to something outside of the person.

Kelly's Covariation Model

A model that suggests making attributions by comparing the characteristics of a behavior with previous related examples and considering consensus, distinctiveness, and consistency.

Consensus

Refers to how the actor's behavior toward a stimulus compares to other people's behavior toward the same stimulus.

Distinctiveness

Refers to how the actor's behavior toward a stimulus compares to their behavior toward other stimuli.

Consistency

Refers to whether the actor's behavior toward a stimulus is always the same.

Low Consistency

Refers to a unique occurrence that is difficult to classify, leading to situational attributions.

Situational Attribution

An external attribution made to the particular circumstance.