Directionality of Person–Situation Transactions

Abstract

To elucidate temporal sequences among and between person and situation variables, this work examines cross-measurement spillovers between situation experiences S (on the Situational Eight DIAMONDS characteristics [Duty, Intellect, Adversity, Mating, pOsitivity, Negativity, Deception, Sociality]) and personality states P (on the Big Six HEXACO dimensions [Honesty/Humility, Emotionality, eXtraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Openness to Experience]) in experience sampling data. Multi-level modeling of lagged data at tn -1 and non-lagged data at tn grants the opportunity to examine (a) the stability (P → P, S → S), (b) cross-sectional associations (S ↔ P), and (c) cross-lagged associations among and between situation experiences and personality states (S → P, P → S). Findings indicated that there were (a) moderate stability paths, (b) small to moderate cross-sectional paths, and (c) only very small cross-lagged paths (though the different situation characteristics and personality states showed differential tendencies toward no directionality, S → P or P → S unidirectionality, or bidirectionality). Findings are discussed in light of refining studies on dynamic person-situation transactions.

Unveiling an exclusive link: Predicting behavior with personality, situation perception, and affect in a preregistered experience sampling study.

“…The authors concluded that "[u]ltimately, both personality traits and experienced situation characteristics 3 The data from Study 1 were initially published in Sherman et al (2015). Since then, they were also used in Rauthmann et al (2016), Jones et al, (2017), and Rauthmann et al (2019). None of these articles has addressed the same questions that are addressed in the current study.…”

“…Situation characteristics that were assessed with standardized and validated measures allowed theoretically meaningful predictions of behavior in several instances (Brown et al, 2015;Gerpott et al, 2017;Parrigon et al, 2017;Rauthmann et al, 2014;Ziegler et al, 2019). Further, several situation dimensions have been explicitly linked to behavioral manifestations of personality traits (de Vries, Tybur, Pollet, & van Vugt, 2016;Parrigon et al, 2017;Rauthmann, Jones, & Sherman, 2016;Sherman et al, 2015).…”

“…More specifically, the DIAMONDS dimensions were argued to have exclusive links to the HEXACO dimensions of personality and their manifestations (Rauthmann et al, 2016;Rauthmann & Sherman, 2018a;Sherman et al, 2015). For example, perceiving Duty in a situation should predict conscientious behavior, but not honest behavior.…”

Toward understanding the relationship between personality and well‐being states and traits

“…While experimental studies have the advantage of controlling the independent variable, thus enabling the researcher to draw stronger conclusions about causation (see West & Thoemmes, 2010, for a review), cross-lagged analyses in experience sampling studies provide a more ecologically valid examination of how personality and well-being states may influence one another within individuals in daily life and provide insight into directions of influence (Rauthmann, Jones, & Sherman, 2016).…”

“…Cross‐lagged analyses allow for the examination of the extent to which (a) personality states in one moment predict change in well‐being at the next measurement occasion (Figure , path c ) and whether (b) well‐being in one moment predicts change in personality states at the next measurement occasion (Figure , path d ). While experimental studies have the advantage of controlling the independent variable, thus enabling the researcher to draw stronger conclusions about causation 9see West & Thoemmes, , for a review), cross‐lagged analyses in experience sampling studies provide a more ecologically valid examination of how personality and well‐being states may influence one another within individuals in daily life and provide insight into directions of influence (Rauthmann, Jones, & Sherman, ).…”