Situational Factors

Definition

Environmental or contextual conditions that influence behavior but may be overlooked when explaining someone's actions solely based on their personality traits.

Related terms

Attribution Theory:

The process by which individuals explain the causes behind others' behaviors (e.g., attributing it to internal dispositional factors or external situational factors).

Cognitive Dissonance:

The discomfort experienced when our attitudes and behaviors are inconsistent, leading us to change our attitudes to align with our actions.

Milgram Experiment:

A famous study that demonstrated the power of situational factors in influencing obedience to authority figures.