Unlocking Coherence: The Lock-and-Key Metaphor in the Psychology of Place

Reuben Baron significantly contributed to both the fields of personality and social psychology. In this paper, we discuss Baron's 'lock and key' metaphor, which emphasizes the mutualism and realism of individual differences, suggesting that personal traits and environmental affordances are interdependent with one another. Building on Baron's theoretical foundations, we introduce the concepts of personal coherence (the perception that our life is meaningful and comprehensible) and place coherence (the perception that an environment has congruent features and characteristics and that it affords behaviors congruent with our true selves). We then propose a hypothesis for how place and personal coherence affect one other, which we call the place resonance hypothesis. If the affordances of a place resonate with meaningful behaviors a person wants to partake in, the place itself has increased coherence based on the synergy with the person's individual needs. Thus, both place and personal coherence are both amplified. This integration not only bridges personality and social psychology but also provides new insights into the mechanisms that foster psychological well-being.