Wize University Psychology Textbook > Social Psychology
The Person-Social Situation
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The Person-Social Situation
Like many aspects of psychology, our social behaviour is also shaped by the interactions between our personality and our environment
Personal factors (personality traits, past experiences, expectations) interact with the social setting (influence of others, social norms, social support). Social psychologists are often interested in how social factors play a more important role in shaping behaviour than personal factors.
Example: when determining a person's sentence during a criminal trial, a judge will often consider factors that have strong social ties such as:
- History of trauma
- Prior medical conditions
- Cultural background
- Demographic factors