Dispositional vs. Situational Factors

Dispositional factors refer to a person's inherent traits or personality characteristics, such as being kind, aggressive, or shy. These are consistent aspects of who they are. Situational factors, on the other hand, relate to external circumstances or environment that influence behavior, like weather, social pressure, or specific events. When explaining why someone behaves a certain way, dispositional factors focus on their internal qualities, while situational factors consider external influences. Both play important roles in understanding human actions, as behavior can result from a combination of who a person is and the context they are in.