Contexts vary in how much they let personality shape behavior.

Evidence

The relative effect of environment and personality on political behavior varies. Ambiguous environments—for example, new situations and political roles that are only sketchily defined by formal rules (Budner, 1962; Greenstein, 1969, pp. 50–57)—provide great latitude for actors’ personalities to shape their behavior. Structured environments— for example, bureaucratized settings and contexts in which there are well-developed and widely known and accepted norms—tend to constrain behavior. The environment also is likely to account for much of the variance in political behavior when strong sanctions are attached to certain possible courses of action. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 1141 (#expands, via linked claim)

Let me catch myself before I go off the deep end. I do believe that in many situations it matters a great deal who the people are. Different patterns of genes make a difference. So do different patterns of socialization. After all, Milgram’s subjects were in a strange environment (to put it mildly), interacting with strangers trained to say their lines whatever the subject did. Whereas we usually act in familiar settings with familiar people whose behavior we can affect. But the great lesson of social psychology has been how easily situations trump individual differences. Milgram’s experiment shows us that, and a great deal else very frightening. — Bob Altemeyer, The Authoritarian Specter, 116 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Emotion work demands vary by group and setting rather than being uniform. — Nina Eliasoph, “Close to home”: The work of avoiding…, 88; Ambiguous environments let personality shape behavior while structured ones constrain it. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 1141; Situations usually override individual personality differences in behavior. — Bob Altemeyer, The Authoritarian Specter, 116 (+7 more)

Broader Connections

• Ambiguous environments let personality shape behavior while structured ones constrain it. #expands (0.97) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 1141
• Ambiguous roles give personalities more sway than structured ones do. #expands (0.95)
• Situations usually override individual personality differences in behavior. #complicates (0.82) — Bob Altemeyer, The Authoritarian Specter, 116