Agency in Legal Institutions: Dispositionism and Situationism
Agency in Legal Institutions: Dispositionism and Situationism

Summary/Abstract: The following article attempts to utilize the conclusions emerging from the discussion between proponents of dispositionism and situationism in the examination of the decision-making process of a performer of a professional role. An example of this role would be that of a legal professional. By undertaking this adaptation, I defend the position which indicates the necessity of considering the variables that are given precedence by each school of thought. This objective I accomplish in three steps; firstly, I present the debate between dispositionism and situationism, referring primarily, to the work of Natasza Szutta. The next step is to introduce these findings to legal discourse. For this reason, I identify the dangers related to an individual’s functioning in the world of institutions by referring to classical psychological experiments. It is against the background of this body of research that, finally, I attempt to demonstrate that interactionism is a theoretical proposition which includes both dispositional and situational variables in its presentation of the decision-making process.

• Details
• Contents