Question

which statement best describes the viewpoint of modern social psychology?

a.) dispositionism is no longer a credible way of understanding human behavior.

b.) internal factors are the best way of understanding human behavior.

c.) human behavior is determined by both situational and internal factors.

d.) situationism does a better job of explaining human behavior than dispositionism.

Explanation:

Define the core perspectives in social psychology

Modern social psychology examines how human behavior is shaped. Historically, two competing views existed: dispositionism, which attributes behavior to internal factors like personality traits, and situationism, which attributes behavior to immediate environmental contexts.

Analyze the modern integrated viewpoint

Modern social psychologists recognize that neither extreme fully explains human behavior. Instead, they adopt an interactionist perspective, which posits that behavior is a dynamic product of both internal personal characteristics and external situational influences.

Evaluate the given options

• Option (a) is incorrect because dispositional factors remain a highly credible and researched area of psychology.
• Option (b) represents pure dispositionism, ignoring the profound impact of social situations.
• Option (c) accurately reflects the modern consensus that behavior is determined by an interaction of both situational and internal factors.
• Option (d) sets up an unnecessary hierarchy rather than the integrated approach favored by modern researchers.

Answer:

• a.) Dispositionism is no longer a credible way of understanding human behavior.
• b.) Internal factors are the best way of understanding human behavior.
• c.) Human behavior is determined by both situational and internal factors. (Correct answer)
• d.) Situationism does a better job of explaining human behavior than dispositionism.