__________ states that, situation and circumstance in which one is placed influence one’s behaviour.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Situationism
Option (1) Individual Differences — Incorrect. Individual differences are the distinctiveness and variations among people’s characteristics and behaviour patterns. The term names the fact that people differ; it does not say that the situation shapes behaviour.
Option (2) Situationism — Correct. Some psychologists hold that behaviour is influenced more by situational factors than by personal traits. This view is called situationism: situations and circumstances in which one is placed influence one’s behaviour. A person who is generally aggressive may behave in a submissive manner in the presence of her/his top boss.
Option (3) Intelligence — Incorrect. Intelligence is a person’s capacity to understand the world, think rationally and use resources effectively when faced with challenges. It is a quality of the person, the opposite of the situational view the question describes.
Option (4) Values — Incorrect. Values are enduring beliefs about an ideal mode of behaviour, which set the standards a person judges and acts by. They too belong to the person, not to the situation.
NCERT (2025-26): “Individual Differences in Human Functioning … For psychologists, individual differences refer to distinctiveness and variations among people’s characteristics and behaviour patterns. While many psychologists believe that our behaviours are influenced by our personal traits, some others hold the view that our behaviours are influenced more by situational factors. This latter view is known as situationism, which states that situations and circumstances in which one is placed influence one’s behaviour. A person, who is generally aggressive, may behave in a submissive manner in the presence of her/his top boss. Sometimes, the situational influences are so powerful that individuals with differing personality traits respond to them in almost the same ways. The situationist perspective views human behaviour relatively more as a result of influence of external factors.” |