Final answer:
In engaging a fitting response to actions, the 'responsible self' is shaped by reactivity to stimuli, self-regulation, self-efficacy, social influences, societal norms, and potentially innate brain functions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of the "responsible self" suggests that our behavior and responses to actions upon us are shaped by various personal experiences and cognitive processes. According to this view, our reaction to environmental stimuli, self-regulation, and self-efficacy play crucial roles in responding appropriately to different situations. Factors such as reactivity, which is how we respond to new or challenging stimuli, and self-regulation, which is our ability to control that response, are essential parts of our adult personality that impact our behavior.
Our level of self-efficacy, which is developed through our social experiences, also significantly influences our behavior. It affects how we approach challenges and set goals, as well as which behaviors we decide to imitate and how successful we are in performing those behaviors.
Add to this the influence of parental guidance, societal norms, education, and personal values that shape our sense of self and consequently our responses to events. External factors, such as socio-economic status and financial interests, also have their part in shaping our actions and reactions. Neuroscience research even suggests that our actions may be influenced by deep-rooted brain functions such as the operation of mirror neurons and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, which play a part in our automatic responses and moral decision-making.