Distinguishing Four Types of Person × Situation Interactions: An Integrative Framework and Empirical Examination.

Kuper, N.; von Garrel, A. S.; Wiernik, B. M.; Phan, L. V.; Modersitzki, N. & Rauthmann, J. F.

Abstract

People differ in their reaction to situations, resulting in person × situation interactions. These interactions have been emphasized by many theoretical accounts of personality. Nevertheless, empirical progress on person × situation interactions has been slow. This is in part attributable to an insufficient distinction of person and situation variables and of different types of interaction effects. We propose a framework distinguishing four nested types of interaction effects varying in specificity: (1) P × S: broad person × situation interaction variance, (2) P × Sspec: between-person differences in situation variable–outcome associations, (3) Pspec × S: between-situation differences in person variable–outcome associations, and (4) Pspec × Sspec: specific person variable × situation variable interactions. We conducted two large online studies (N = 622 and N = 818) with standardized situation stimuli (N = 62 pictures and N = 62 first-person perspective videos) and assessed Big Five traits, DIAMONDS situation characteristics, and Big Five states. Using pre-registered multi-level models, we systematically quantified the different interaction types. We found (1) large person × situation interaction variance in personality states, (2) sizable individual differences in situation characteristic–state contingencies, (3) consistent but smaller between-situation differences in trait–state associations, and (4) some significant but (very) small personality trait × situation characteristic interactions. Our findings highlight person × situation interactions as potentially important predictors of psychological states, although the explanation of these interactions through specific person variables remains difficult. Individual differences in the reaction to situations should be incorporated into our models of personality.