Traits, Situations, and their Interaction as Alternative “Causes” of Behavior

Summary The present study was designed to investigate whether people are trait theorists or prefer some alternative explanation of behavior. Male and female undergraduates (N = 42) were given seven statements each defining a different “cause” of behavior, including a trait statement, a situation statement, an interaction statement, and a statement of Bem and Allen's theory. Subjects were asked to indicate the likelihood that each statement is a valid explanation of human behavior. Ss were also asked to indicate the single most valid statement. Results for both measures indicated that Ss strongly favored the interaction statement over the others.