Trait activation in daily life: Comparing two perspectives on person-situation interactions

• We distinguish between two perspectives of trait activation: an affordance-gradient perspective and an affordance-configured perspective. • We examine both perspectives using a retrospective diary study with self- and independent ratings of situational affordances and behaviors. • Relevant affordances reliably activated corresponding traits; yet trait × affordance interaction effects were limited. • We discuss methodological challenges in detecting interaction effects in naturalistic diary design, and outline future research directions. Trait activation theory posits that personality traits are expressed when trait-relevant situational cues—affordances—are present. While prior work has primarily examined how situational affordances moderate trait–behavior associations (an affordance-gradient perspective), comparatively less attention has been given to how multiple traits are differentially activated within affordance-relevant situations (an affordance-configured perspective), especially in ecologically valid settings. We addressed this gap using a retrospective diary design with 224 respondents ( N diary = 448), combining self- and independently rated assessments of situational affordances and behavioral expressions. Consistent with the affordance-configured perspective, traits showed stronger associations with behavior in affordance-relevant situations relative to other traits. In contrast, interaction effects for the affordance-gradient perspective were mostly absent. These findings extend trait activation theory to everyday life and underscore the value of situational affordances for understanding personality expression.