It is now familiar from many lines of research that social situations have a great impact on all aspects of behaviour, but little is known about how to describe or analyse situations. In social-skills training, for example, it is common to find clients who have difficulties with particular situations, but it is not always clear how they should be instructed to cope with these situations.

This book reports a new approach to the analysis of social situations, a related programme of research which was financed by the SSRC, and it reviews other research on situations. Our own main studies are described in the form of research reports at the ends of chapters.

As well as contributing to the understanding of social behaviour, situational analysis is important for the analysis of personality. In addition it has widespread practical applications, to social-skills training, mental health and deviance, intergroup behaviour, personnel selection and consumer research.

We are most grateful to Michael Brenner, Anne Campbell, Peter Collett, David Clarke, Jerry Ginsburg, Peter Hancock, Rom Harré, Miles Hewstone, Jos Jaspars, Marga Kreckel, Peter Marsh, David Pendleton and Greg Young for their ideas, collaboration with research and comments on the manuscript. Our thanks also go to Ann McKendry for making sense of and typing innumerable redrafts of assorted scraps of paper.