ABSTRACT
Interactionist psychology refers generically to a research paradigm that seeks to simultaneously model the behavioral consequences of individual characteristics (e.g., traits) and situational characteristics. Lewin’s (1936) proposition, Behavior = f(Person, Environment), is classic shorthand for this type of research. Many applied psychologists today assume behavior is a function of individuals (P) and their environments (E), or more specifically, their immediate situation (S). For example, research on the attraction–selection–attrition model, person–environment fit, leader–member relationships, organizational identification, and climate strength are all based on a premise that behavior is affected by the joint relationship between the person and the situation.
