Reciprocal Determinism

Reciprocal determinism theory describes the mutual influences between:

• children and their parents

• introversion and extraversion

• personality and environmental factors

• trait theory and psychodynamic theory

Overestimating how much others notice you and how much they evaluate your personal appearance, performance, and blunders

• learned helplessness

• self-efficacy

• spotlight effect

• locus of control

Our sense of how much we control our environment is called...

• personal control

• reciprocal determinism

• positive psychology

• attributional style

the hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or human learns when unable to avoid repeated horrible events

• internal locus of control

• external locus of control

• learned helplessness

• personal control

An example of the spotlight effect:

• Martin is sure that no matter what he tries, he cannot succeed.

• Judith thinks everyone is looking at her when she walks into class late.

• Andrea is sure that she is an excellent ice-skater.

• Tyler knows that he will get into UW- Madison.

An example of PERSONAL FACTORS (not behaviors) in the theory of reciprocal determinism:

• being stubborn, being kind, and / or being friendly

• the school and church you choose to attend

• how hard you work at your new job

• getting a raise because you worked hard

Examples of environmental factors:

• the school and church you choose to attend

• your kindness, your stubbornness, and your friendlyness

• how hard you work at a job

• getting a raise at work

Examples of behavioral factors

• working hard at your job

• getting a raise at your part-time job

• the school and church you choose to attend

• how kind, empathetic, and friendly you are