ABSTRACT
The recently renewed interest by psychologists in conceptualizing the environment cannot but be salutary in its consequences. For too long now the current cohort of personality psychologists has been controlled by methods and measures ignoring of the fine grain and fine influence of environmental context upon the perception and behavior of individuals. Although the accomplishments of personality psychology in assessment applications have been important and useful in their own right (c.f., Block, 1977; Gough, 1976; Hogan, DeSoto, & Solano, 1977; Stagner, 1977), these accomplishments have employed approaches to analysis and evaluation predicated upon or, in effect, expressing a view of personality as no more than a bundle of unconnected dispositions, a set of differing probabilities to respond in different ways without regard for the specific environmental context operative for the perceiving and responding individual. The typically calculated correlation coefficients relating personality characteristics over time or connecting assessment behaviors to criterion behaviors have reflected only an average in vacuo of relationships that exist for persons in situ. Given these constraints on possibility, it may well be surprising that personality psychology has progressed as far and as well as it has. But recent years have shown personality psychology to be on a plateau. Where once there was enthusiasm and a sense of prospect, the field now may be characterized as confused and downhearted, awaiting a sufficiently new paradigm.
