Behavioral appropriateness and situational constraint as dimensions of social behavior.

Abstract

In the first of two studies, 52 subjects were required to judge the appropriateness of IS behaviors in each of IS situations in a behavior-situation matrix. Differences among behaviors, situations, and their interaction contributed substantial proportions of the total variance in judgments. The concepts of behavioral appropriateness and situational constraint were offered to account for the differences obtained among behaviors and situations, respectively. A second study using a new sample of 42 subjects and different methods of measurement provided initial construct validity evidence for the concepts. Implications of these results for the construction of situational response hierarchies, the development of behavior and situation taxonomies, and causal attribution were discussed.