View source for Disposition

{{Use American English|date=July 2023}}
{{short description|Tendency of a person to act in a specified way}}
{{Other uses}}
A '''disposition''' is a quality of character, a [[habit]], a preparation, a state of readiness, or a tendency to act in a specified way.

The terms [[dispositional belief]] and [[occurrent belief]] refer, in the former case, to a [[belief]] that is held in the [[mind]] but not currently being considered, and in the latter case, to a belief that is currently being considered by the mind.

In [[Field theory (sociology)#Bourdieu's formulation of fields|Bourdieu's theory of fields]], dispositions are the natural tendencies of each individual to take on a specific position in any field. There is no strict determinism through one's dispositions. The [[Habitus (sociology)|habitus]] is the choice of positions according to one's dispositions. However, in retrospect, a space of possibilities can always be observed.

A disposition is not a process or event in some duration in time, but rather the state, preparation, or tendency of a structure "in waiting".  In the field of possibilities, its actual triggering has a statistical value.

== Metaphysics ==
The debate about dispositions in [[metaphysics]] attempts to understand the fundamental nature of properties, including how they relate to [[Law of nature (science)|laws of nature]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Dispositions and causal powers|editor=Max Kistler|editor2=Bruno Gnassounou|date=2016|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781315577616|oclc=952728282}}</ref> The initial question asks if dispositions are real.

[[Realism, Nominalism, Conceptualism|Realism]] about dispositions or dispositionalism, argues that dispositions are causally efficacious properties inherent to objects that are sufficient to produce change. Consider fragility. If a glass is suitably struck, it will break. Fragility is a property of the glass that accounts for this breaking. Paradigmatic examples of dispositional properties include fragility, solubility, and flammability. Dispositionalism maintains that even paradigmatic examples of what appears to be qualitative such as squareness has causal powers (for instance - when combined with the property of hardness - to make a square impression in soft wax).<ref>Shoemaker, S., 1980, ‘Causality and Properties’, in P. van Inwagen (ed.), Time and Cause: Essays Presented to Richard Taylor, Dordrecht: Reidel, 109–135.</ref> This view is historically argued for by [[Aristotle]] and [[Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz|Leibniz]]. Contemporary proponents include [[Sydney Shoemaker]], [[Ullin Place|U.T. Place]], [[Stephen Mumford]], [[Alexander Bird]], [[George Molnar (philosopher)|George Molnar]], and [[Brian David Ellis]].<ref name="Stanford Encyclopedia">{{Cite book|url=https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2018/entries/dispositions/|title=Dispositions|first1=Sungho|last1=Choi|first2=Michael|last2=Fara|editor-first=Edward N.|editor-last=Zalta|date=January 27, 2018|publisher=Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University|via=Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Archive|access-date=January 27, 2021|archive-date=July 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725130220/https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2018/entries/dispositions/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Others answer that dispositions are not real properties. [[Anti-realism]] about dispositions, or categorical, argues that dispositions are ontologically derivative of the interaction of categorical (or qualitative) properties and laws. Accordingly calling a glass fragile, is a useful shorthand for describing the potential interactions of its microstructure (a categorical property) and the laws of nature; dispositions are not additional elements of being.<ref name="Stanford Encyclopedia"/><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Franklin |first1=James |authorlink= |date=1986 |title=Are dispositions reducible to categorical properties? |url=https://web.maths.unsw.edu.au/~jim/dispositions.pdf |journal=Philosophical Quarterly |volume=36 |issue=142 |pages=62–64 |doi=10.2307/2219311 |jstor=2219311 |access-date=30 June 2021}}</ref> Since the microstructure and laws are enough to explain fragility, there is no causal role for a dispositional property, here fragility, to play. This view is historically argued for by [[René Descartes|Descartes]], [[Robert Boyle|Boyle]], [[David Hume|Hume]] and the [[Logical positivism|logical positivists]]. Contemporary proponents, including [[David Lewis (philosopher)|David Lewis]], [[David Malet Armstrong]], and [[Jonathan Schaffer]], continue in a neo-Human, empiricist tradition that argues for categorical on the assumption that there are no necessary connections between distinct existences.<ref>Hume, D. (1748), An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1975, ed. L.A. Selby-Bigge and P.H. Nidditch</ref>

Middle ground views are possible. The most notable is the Limit (or Identity) View defended by [[Charles B. Martin]] and [[John Heil]]. According to this view, dispositional and categorical - or as Martin prefers "qualitative", because categorical seems to be misleading - predicates are different ways of identifying one and the same property.{{cn|date=March 2023|reason=Reference was indicated as [6] but what did this refer to?}} Additionally, the properties lie on a spectrum in which it could approach either limit; however, it can never reach either end because those concepts are unrealizable. Ontologically, however, there is no real difference between the two. Fragility, for example, is both a real disposition of glass to break upon being struck and abstraction from the underlying molecular structure. Squareness, to take another example, is both a quality of having four sides of equal length that meet at equal angles and an abstraction from the fact this property interacts with its environment to leave square impressions on soft wax (when combined with the property ‘hardness’).<ref>{{Cite book|title=Dispositions : a debate|author=Armstrong, D. M.|date=1996|publisher=Routledge|isbn=0415144329|oclc=33898477|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/dispositionsdeba0000arms}}</ref>

== Law ==
In law, a [[Disposition (law)|disposition]] is a civil or criminal hearing where a case can be resolved.

== Education ==
In the realm of education, dispositions refer to the tendencies of individuals to respond to, interpret, and construct learning opportunities in particular ways. These dispositions are not static but are dynamically affected by educational experiences, which can either strengthen or weaken them. Claxton and Carr (2004) argue for a deliberate approach to fostering learning dispositions, suggesting that classrooms and early childhood settings play a crucial role in enhancing these dispositions. They emphasize that education should aim to increase the frequency, robustness, and complexity of valued learning responses, thereby deepening students' competencies and expanding their methods of learning.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Carr |first=Margaret |last2=Claxton |first2=Guy |date=March 2002 |title=Tracking the Development of Learning Dispositions |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09695940220119148 |journal=Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice |language=en |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=9–37 |doi=10.1080/09695940220119148 |issn=0969-594X|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

The development of learning dispositions within educational settings is seen as essential, as these environments can exemplify and encourage the growth of such dispositions. Documenting the development of these dispositions is considered an important feedback mechanism for the involved community, including teachers, children, and families. This documentation calls for further research on methods to trace the development of learning dispositions beyond a single educational setting.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Claxton |first=Guy |last2=Carr |first2=Margaret |date=March 2004 |title=A framework for teaching learning: the dynamics of disposition |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09575140320001790898 |journal=Early Years |language=en |volume=24 |issue=1 |pages=87–97 |doi=10.1080/09575140320001790898 |issn=0957-5146|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

In the context of higher education, studies have shown variations in students' inclinations towards research and information gathering. For instance, in a study conducted by Hardy, Kordonowy, and Liss (2024), students in different course sections demonstrated varying degrees of problem-exploring and answer-getting dispositions in their end-of-term reflections. This variation underscores the influence of instructional design and the educational environment on shaping students' learning dispositions.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=CF 48: Answer-Getting and Problem-Exploring in First-Year Writing by Sarah Madsen Hardy, Gwen Kordonowy, and Ken Liss |url=https://compositionforum.com/issue/48/answer-getting.php |access-date=2024-03-02 |website=compositionforum.com |language=en}}</ref>

The concept of dispositions in early childhood education has been a subject of interest for researchers like Katz (1985), who explore how these dispositions develop in young learners. The Effective Lifelong Learning Inventory (ELLI) has been a tool to measure various learning dispositions, such as critical curiosity, creativity, and meaning-making. These dispositions are essential for continuous improvement and adaptation in the learning process.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Crick |first=Ruth Deakin |last2=Yu |first2=Guoxing |date=December 2008 |title=Assessing learning dispositions: is the Effective lifelong learning inventory valid and reliable as a measurement tool? |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00131880802499886 |journal=Educational Research |language=en |volume=50 |issue=4 |pages=387–402 |doi=10.1080/00131880802499886 |issn=0013-1881|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

In addition to formal educational settings, the understanding and application of learning dispositions have significance in informal learning and personal development contexts. As highlighted in Dispositions Toward Learning by Well, the journey of learning is continuous and evolving, with each individual carrying their unique set of dispositions throughout this process. This perspective emphasizes the importance of recognizing and nurturing one's dispositions not only in academic or structured settings but also in self-guided learning endeavors and everyday life experiences. Such an approach encourages a lifelong learning mindset, where individuals continuously adapt and apply their learning dispositions in various contexts, including emerging platforms like digital media and online communities.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dispositions Towards Learning – Writing Spaces |url=https://writingspaces.org/dispositions-towards-learning/ |access-date=2024-03-02 |language=en-US}}</ref>

Summary: Dispositions in education encompass the tendencies and inclinations that shape how individuals engage with learning opportunities. These dispositions are influenced and developed through formal educational settings, as well as personal and informal learning environments. Education plays a crucial role in strengthening and diversifying these dispositions, enhancing learners' competencies and approaches to learning. The documentation and assessment of learning dispositions, as discussed in various studies, are vital for providing feedback to the educational community, including students, teachers, and families. This comprehensive view recognizes the dynamic nature of dispositions in both academic and personal development contexts, highlighting the importance of continuous adaptation and application of learning dispositions throughout an individual's life.

== Religion ==
{{Main|State (theology)}}
{{Expand section|This is an important topic in Christian theology|date=May 2016|small=no}}

In [[Christianity|Christian]] thought, "disposition" has two meanings. Firstly, it may refer to a deliberately practiced [[habit]] of behaving in a certain way, for example, "a virtue is an habitual and firm disposition to do the good."<ref name=":0">''Catechism of the Catholic Church'', [https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s1c1a7.htm par. 1803] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200410072810/http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s1c1a7.htm |date=2020-04-10 }}</ref> Secondly, it may refer to a state of a person that is required for reception of a [[sacrament]], for example, a disposition of genuine repentance is required for the forgiveness of sins in [[Sacrament of Penance|confession]].<ref>''Catholic Dictionary'', [https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/dictionary/index.cfm?id=36182 Sacramental dispositions] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180111110312/https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/dictionary/index.cfm?id=36182 |date=2018-01-11 }}.</ref>

==See also==
* [[Ability]]
* [[Adaptive expertise]]
* [[Counterfactualism]]
* [[Dispositional attribution]]
* [[Habitus (sociology)]]
* [[Nature versus nurture]]
* [[Truth]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==  External links ==
{{wikiquote}}
{{wiktionary}}
* {{PhilPapers|category|dispositions-and-powers}}
* {{InPho|idea|1527}}
* {{cite SEP |url-id=dispositions |title=Dispositions}}

[[Category:Belief]]
[[Category:Metaphysical properties]]

[[sv:Disposition]]