Human behavior remains a mystery even forthe most experienced psychologists. None of them can predict it quite accurately: the reaction in any given situation will be determined by many factors. We can be sure of only one thing - human behavior is very complex, that is, structurally uneasy, and it is explained by many factors. To understand it even after what has already happened, psychologists use the concept of "determinants". This means - the determining factors.
Fathers and Sons
The most violent Western debate abouthuman behavior is briefly called "nature or education." Proponents of the natural theory believe that all problematic aspects or achievements are written in DNA.
Supporters of the educational approach also seethe repetition of the environment from generation to generation - and thus the recurrence of behavior in relatives. None of these approaches can be considered completely correct or incorrect.
Brain chemistry
In modern psychology, there are three typesfactors: hereditary, cultural and social. Hereditary factors associated with the characteristics of the brain, are also called "physiological determinants." These are unique features for each individual person, which determine how high the threshold of anxiety is, how concentrated and conservative a person is, or, conversely, dispersed and impulsive.
Who will you lead ...
Cultural determinants of behavior are suchfactors like rites, traditions and norms. A French feminist and a woman brought up according to the canons of Muslim morality will behave differently in the same situation (for example, cheating on her husband).
Psychological determinants related tocultural categories may change under the influence of a changed situation, for example, when changing their place of residence, traditional peoples begin to imitate in the Western way of life.
Soft influences
Социальные детерминанты – это воздействие microenvironment per person. Their difference from cultural ones is in the greater momentary and everyday effects. Academician Pavlov called the result of such effects conditional reflexes. It is these determinants of behavior that are easiest to change. However, even social adaptations are sometimes difficult. The more complex the psyche of a person, the harder it is to change his or her determinants. This is an axiom from systems theory.
So what is more important - nature or environment?Even the use of the method of research of separated twins does not always allow us to shed light on this problem, as, fortunately, there are few examples of such families. It must be remembered that human behavior cannot be completely reduced to three types of determinants.
It is much more difficult due to the fact thatflexible and changeable. It cannot be predicted by the model “given” - “result”, at least - complex forms, such as teaching, love, religious practices. “Dano” is constantly changing: a person receives new information or previously forgotten information “pops up” from his memory. But it is impossible to predict what exactly this or that person will come to mind. Therefore, it is so difficult to deal with forecasts in behaviorism.
