Hi All, Can someone please explain the term 'dispositional' to me? For example, if someone is said to have dispositional optimism does this imply that optimism is a stable trait within them, i.e. it doesn't change? Thanks, Nicola
Dispositional Affect, similar to mood, is a personality trait or overall tendency to respond to situations in stable, predictable ways. This trait is expressed by the tendency to see things in positive or negative way. People with high positive affectivity tend to perceive things through “pink lens” while people with high negative affectivity tend to perceive things through “black lens” [1]. The level of dispositional affect effects the sensations and behavior immediately and most of the time in unconscious way, and its effect can be prolonged (between a few weeks to a few months). Many researches show that there is a correlation between dispositional affect (both positive and negative) and important aspects in psychology and social science, such as personality, culture, decision making, negotiation, psychological resilience and coping with stressful life events. That is why this topic is important both in social psychology research and organizational psychology research. WIKI
