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3 ways the environment interacts with the individual and vice versa through reciprocal determinism

User GlennG
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Final answer:

Reciprocal determinism describes how behavior, cognitive processes, and situational context interact. Examples include environmental changes due to human actions, the impact of context on behavior, and the bidirectional influence of genes and environment on individual potential.

Step-by-step explanation:

The concept of reciprocal determinism posits that behavior, cognitive processes, and situational context interact with each other in a dynamic cycle. First, individual behavior can directly impact the environment, such as when farming practices alter ecosystems through deforestation or when cities are expanded, impacting local climate and topography. Secondly, the situational context, including social and physical environments, influences individual cognition and behavior, exemplified by constructed dams that change watercourses and thus affect regional habitats. Thirdly, cognitive processes, beliefs, values, and learnt behaviors reciprocally influence both behavior and environment, as observed in the tendency to engage in certain behaviors based on past experiences and the reward structures present in a given context.

Additionally, the interaction between genes and the environment, such as in a genetic environmental correlation, is another dimension where a child of an NBA player might be exposed to basketball, thereby realizing their genetic potential because their environment supports it. This reflects not just an interaction but a bidirectional influence where genes affect the environment an individual is exposed to, and that environment, in turn, supports the expression of those genes. Lastly, the biopsychosocial model suggests interactions between biological, psychological, and social factors determine health outcomes. These examples illustrate the complexity of interactions between individuals and their environment through the lens of reciprocal determinism.

User LeonH
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