Situated selves: A cyclical model of personality expression in context

A century after the onset of the person–situation debate, personality science increasingly emphasizes that traits are expressed through individuals’ dynamic interactions with their environments. This review synthesizes recent advances across four key phases of personality expression: situation selection, situation experience, behavioral state expression and outcome activation. Drawing on structured situational taxonomies, affordance frameworks, the situational strength theory, we highlight that individuals not only respond to situations but also actively shape and construe them. We discuss emerging questions on how traits influence situation selection and construal, how situational cues regulate behavioral expression, and how new technologies enable real-time, behaviorally grounded assessment. Together, these developments lay the groundwork for a more comprehensive and context-sensitive science of personality. • Personality traits influence not only behavior but also which situations individuals select and how they perceive and respond to situational features. • Personality expression unfolds across four interconnected phases: situation selection, situation experience, behavioral state expression, and outcome activation. • Emerging tools—such as virtual reality and mobile sensing—enable real-time, behavior-based assessment of personality as it unfolds across contexts, advancing beyond self-reports.