Reciprocal Influences

Bandura (1986, 2006) views the person-environment interaction as reciprocal determinism. “Behavior, internal personal factors, and environmental influences,” he said, “all operate as interlocking determinants of each other” (Figure 58.1). We can see this interaction in people’s relationships. For example, Rosa’s past romantic experience (her behaviors) influence her romantic attitudes (internal factor), which affect how she now responds to Ryan (environmental factor).

reciprocal determinism

the interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition, and environment.

Figure 58.1 Reciprocal determinism

The social-cognitive perspective proposes that our personalities are shaped by the interaction of our personal traits (including our thoughts and feelings), our environment, and our behaviors.

Flip It Video: Reciprocal Determinism

There are three boxes creating a triangle formation. There are bi-directional arrows between each. The top box is internal personal factors (thoughts and feelings about risky activities). The bottom right box is environmental factors (rock-climbing friends). The bottom left box is behavior (learning to rock climb).

Consider three specific ways in which individuals and environments interact:

1. Different people choose different environments. The reading you do, the shows you watch, the music you listen to, the friends you associate with—all are part of an environment you participated in choosing, based partly on your disposition (Funder, 2009; Ickes et al., 1997). People with inflated self-esteem choose to post frequent selfies in online environments, where they can receive the public attention and praise they crave. This leads to even greater self-love (Halpern et al., 2016). We choose our environment and it then shapes us.
2. Our personalities shape how we interpret and react to events. Anxious people tend to attend and react strongly to relationship threats (Campbell & Marshall, 2011). If we perceive the world as threatening, we will watch for threats and be prepared to defend ourselves.
3. Our personalities help create situations to which we react. How we view and treat people influences how they then treat us. If we expect that others will not like us, our bragging and other efforts to seek their approval might cause them to reject us (Scopelliti et al., 2015).

In addition to the interaction of internal personal factors, the environment, and our behaviors, we also experience gene-environment interaction (Module 14). Our genetically influenced traits evoke certain responses from others, which may nudge us in one direction or another. In one classic study, those with the interacting factors of (1) having a specific gene associated with aggression, plus (2) being raised in a difficult environment were most likely to demonstrate adult antisocial behavior (Caspi et al., 2002).

In such ways, we are both the products and the architects of our environments: Behavior emerges from the interplay of external and internal influences. Boiling water turns an egg hard and a potato soft. A threatening environment turns one person into a hero, another into a scoundrel. Extraverts enjoy greater well-being in an extraverted culture than in an introverted one (Fulmer et al., 2010). At every moment, our behavior is influenced by our biology, our social and cultural experiences, and our cognition and dispositions (Figure 58.2).

Figure 58.2 The biopsychosocial approach to the study of personality

As with other psychological phenomena, personality is fruitfully studied at multiple levels.

Personality is in the center box. The top left box is biological influences: genetically determined temperament; autonomic nervous system reactivity; and brain activity. The top right box is psychological influences: learned responses; unconscious thought processes; and expectations and interpretations. The bottom box is social-cultural influences: childhood experiences; influence of the situation; cultural expectations; and social support.