A personality researcher follows 200 employees for one year, sampling their honesty across multiple contexts (taxes, expense reports, returning a found wallet, anonymous online survey). Aggregate scores show stable individual differences, but cross-situational correlations between any two specific situations average only about r = .20.
These results best support which view in the trait-versus-state debate?
- A
Pure behaviorism rejecting any role for personality
- B
Freudian psychodynamic personality structure
- C
Strict trait theory predicting near-perfect cross-situational consistency
- Dcheck_circle
Mischel's interactionist position—broad traits exist but specific behavior is highly situation-dependent
Explanation
Aggregated stability with low single-situation correlations is the classic Mischel/interactionist pattern: traits are real but moderated by situations.