Identify a true statement about Walter Mischel’s view on personality.He asserted that behavior is discriminative.He stated that the experiences of a common past have made a deep, permanent impression on the human mind.He proposed that perfection is the key motivator for individuals.He believed that the human sexual drive was the main determinant of personality development.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Correct Answer: He asserted that behavior is discriminative.
Explanation
Walter Mischel, a prominent personality psychologist, challenged traditional trait theories of personality that assumed stable and consistent behavioral patterns across situations. Instead, Mischel emphasized that behavior is discriminative, meaning it is highly dependent on specific situations or contexts rather than being a result of fixed personality traits.
In his influential book “Personality and Assessment” (1968), Mischel argued that the correlation between personality traits and behavior across different situations was surprisingly low. This led him to propose a more nuanced view of personality, where situational variables and individual cognitive-affective processes (such as beliefs, goals, and expectations) interact to produce behavior. He believed that individuals do not act the same way in every situation, but rather discriminate between situations, adjusting their behavior accordingly.
For example, a person might be shy at a large social gathering but outgoing with close friends. This behavioral variability is not random, according to Mischel, but systematic and predictable when the individual’s interpretations of the situation and past experiences are considered. He introduced the concept of the “if-then” behavior pattern—if a certain situation occurs, then a specific behavior is likely to follow. This approach emphasized behavioral consistency within similar contexts, rather than across all contexts.
The other answer choices are associated with different theorists:
- The idea that “the experiences of a common past have made a deep, permanent impression on the human mind” is related to Carl Jung and his concept of the collective unconscious.
- The belief that “perfection is the key motivator for individuals” aligns with Alfred Adler’s theory of striving for superiority.
- The notion that “the human sexual drive was the main determinant of personality development” is central to Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory.
Therefore, the true statement about Mischel is that he asserted that behavior is discriminative, emphasizing the dynamic interaction between person and situation.
