Who is described as an interactionist theorist who views personality as a combination of inheritance, situation, and environment?

• A. Bandura
• B. Eysenck
• C. Hollander
• D. Allport

Answer: (C)

Think about how personality can’t be explained by genes alone or by environment alone. An interactionist view says personality comes from the ongoing exchange between inherited tendencies, the immediate situation, and the broader environment. Hollander is associated with this approach, describing personality as a blend of what we’re born with, how the situation at hand shapes our behavior, and the surrounding environment that supports or challenges those tendencies. In sport, this means a player’s natural dispositions may be revealed or suppressed depending on factors like pressure, teammates, coaching style, and facilities. Bandura emphasizes cognitive processes and learning from social models, while Eysenck and Allport focus on stable traits rather than this dynamic mix of heredity, situation, and environment. Hollander’s formulation best matches the description.