Question

Brenda has never cheated on a psychology test, but she often does so on chemistry tests. She recently stole some merchandise from a local store, but she also returned a lost billfold along with $28 to its rightful owner. Walter Mischel would have suggested that this pattern of behavior should make psychologists more cautious about emphasizing the consistency of which of the following?

1) personality traits
2) personal control
3) defense mechanisms
4) reciprocal determinism
5) unconditional positive regard

Answer 1

Walter Mischel's research implies that Brenda's varying behaviors should prompt psychologists to be more cautious in emphasizing the consistency of personality traits across different situations.

Step-by-step explanation:

Walter Mischel would have suggested that this pattern of behavior should make psychologists more cautious about emphasizing the consistency of personality traits. Mischel's research indicated that personality traits may not be consistent across different situations, but rather more predictive within similar situations. Mischel's studies, including his well-known marshmallow test, explored self-regulation and suggested that individuals may display seemingly inconsistent behaviors depending on situational variables. Therefore, Brenda's varying actions from honesty in one context to theft in another could be understood within Mischel's framework as a reflection of situational rather than trait consistency.