As we human beings go through our day-to-day lives, we inevitably exhibit a range of behaviors. We decide to be nice to this person or mean to that person. We eat this food instead of eating that food. We walk our dogs; take the trash out; tie our shoes; and read articles online. Have you ever wondered what exactly causes you to make the choices that you make? Why do we humans behave in one way instead of in another?
On one side of the argument, you have theories of environmental determinism, which claim that free will is entirely an illusion and that we human beings are products of our environments and nothing more. Essentially, the idea of choice in any decision is completely illusory because that choice has already been made for you by the environment around you. Environmental factors have influenced you and determined whether you will exhibit one behavior or another. The theory of environmental determinism was largely forwarded by the work of 20th-century psychologist B. F. Skinner.
On the other side of the argument, you have psychologists like Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers who would argue that true free will is not only possible for human beings, but that it’s a necessity for self-actualization, or the fulfillment of one’s potential. These philosophies see human beings as agents in charge of their own destinies, not simply passive recipients of external environmental factors.
As our understanding of our relationships with the world around us continues to develop, thinkers are starting to realize that both the ideas of environmental determinism and pure free will are a bit oversimplified. Thus, more intermediate approaches have been adopted that draw elements from both philosophies. One such theory is the idea of reciprocal determinism, a theory set forth by psychologist Albert Bandura in his 1977 book Social Learning Theory.
This article will examine the core concepts of reciprocal determinism and hopefully explain the relationship between behavior and environment better than one-sided theories like environmental determinism or pure free will.
Reciprocal Determinism Overview
The essence of reciprocal determinism, also known as triadic reciprocality, is that the environment influences a person’s thinking and behavior, but those subsequent behaviors also serve to affect the environment around that person. In that way, a person and their environment are in a sort of never-ending feedback loop in which they are both influencing each other.
In the words of Bandura himself, “Individuals are neither powerless objects controlled by environmental forces nor entirely free agents who can do whatever they choose.” Contrary to the theories of B. F. Skinner and environmental determinists, human beings do have some element of choice in the behaviors they exhibit. However, those choices will always inevitably be influenced by the individual’s environment as well.
Simply put, human beings don’t determine the world around them, nor does the environment determine the human being. It’s a two-way street of influence in which humans are constantly affecting their environments and environments are constantly affecting the human being. To explain this concept, Bandura put forth a concept known as triadic reciprocal causation.
Triadic Reciprocal Causation
The idea of triadic reciprocal causation is meant to explain the relationships between the environment, the individual, and the behavior itself. The model consists of a triad of the three factors, all of which are able to influence the other two factors.
Personal factors include a person’s tendencies, past experiences, opinions, desires, and knowledge. These are the factors that one might consider as the “free will” portion of the decision-making process.
Environmental factors are pretty much any external factors that might influence a person’s behavior. Some examples might be societal norms, the presence of other people, social hierarchies, or even the weather.
Behavioral factors are the actual actions taken by human beings. Behaviors are the manifestation of the personal and environmental factors at play, but they also serve to influence the environment and the individual as well. In this way, behaviors both influence and are influenced by the environment and the individual.
Personal Factors
The personal factors at play basically consist of the characteristics that an individual has developed as a result of past events. These could be the result of genetic factors or learning from past experiences, or some combination of both.
For example, let’s say that someone is very shy. The fact that they are shy is probably a result of past experiences. Perhaps every time they’ve tried to be outgoing, the result has been negative, and so they’ve developed a shy personality by learning from these experiences. That person’s shyness is now a part of their personality, and is one of the personal factors that affects their behavior.
If that shy person walks into a crowded dining room, their personality will probably influence their behavior such that they’ll seek a table away from all of the other diners rather than trying to sit down next to someone else. However, since the behavior is also inevitably influenced by the environment as well (and also affects the environment itself), that’s not the whole story.
Environmental Factors
The environmental factors at play basically consist of the external forces that affect a person’s behavior and thus their personality. The environment includes both animate and inanimate forces. Other people, the layout of a room, and the overall societal or cultural context could all be considered environmental factors.
To continue the past example, let’s say that the shy person walks into a crowded dining room. They’re making their way toward an empty table to sit alone when some outgoing person calls them over and asks to sit with them. That outgoing person, who is part of their environment, has influenced the shy person’s behavior.
Additionally, if the shy person has a nice time sitting with the outgoing person, they might be more likely to be more outgoing in a similar situation in the future. In that way, the environment and the behavior of sitting down with the outgoing person have influenced the person’s personality as well.
Behavioral Factors
The behavioral factors at play consist of the actions taken by the individual as a result of their environmental and personal factors. Behavioral factors include any words spoken, movements made, or even internal decisions.
In the context of the shy person, the behavioral factors would be the courses of action the person ends up taking in the crowded dining room. The actions that this person takes are going to inevitably have an effect on their personality as well as the environment of the room.
If the shy person goes and sits by themself, it may reinforce their shy personality traits. And thus, they may be more likely to go and sit by themself in the future. Additionally, their decision to sit by themself has also affected the environment, since there is now one less empty table.
If the shy person is beckoned over by the outgoing person and goes to sit with them, it may influence their personality and make them more likely to be outgoing in the future if their behavior was positively reinforced. Their behavior of sitting with the outgoing person will also affect the environment, as the overall ambience might become more welcoming and friendly.
It’s Complicated
The complex subject of human behavior and personality is not one that can be explained by simply one factor like environmental determinism or pure free will. Albert Bandura’s theory of reciprocal determinism, while not entirely perfect, gives us a place to start for understanding the relationship between the environment and the individual and how they are constantly influencing and changing one another.
In your own life, maybe try to reflect on how your own personality has been affected by your environment and your past behaviors. Then, think about how your personality and behaviors have affected the world around you. Understanding this relationship is a great tool when trying to make positive changes to one’s self or to one’s world.
