Final answer:
Albert Bandura's social-cognitive theory proposes that personality is influenced by reciprocal determinism, where cognitive processes, behaviors, and context interact. Personality development involves both our learning and cognition, with concepts like observational learning and self-efficacy being pivotal in how we choose to behave and adapt to our environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Albert Bandura, our behaviors are shaped by a process called reciprocal determinism, which indicates interactions between our cognitive processes, behaviors, and the situational context. Bandura's social-cognitive theory explains that alongside the environment, our thinking and reasoning abilities play important roles in our personality development. This concept is an integral part of learning and includes observational learning, where the behaviors we choose to imitate are influenced by seeing the consequences of those behaviors in others, and self-efficacy, which is our confidence in our own abilities, shaped through social experiences.
Bandura's insights lead us to appreciate the complex interaction between in-born characteristics and environmental influences in shaping our personality. Unlike Skinner, who placed more emphasis on environmental consequences, Bandura incorporated cognition, providing a more holistic view of personality development. Therefore, we can conclude that we act due to a combination of our personality and our environment, each influencing the other in a dynamic and reciprocal manner.