Essay Sample on The Influence of Environment on Individual Behaviour

Introduction

An individual's environment can influence how one behaves as well as their motivation to act. Psychologists believe that an individual's environment can help shape behavior. For instance, psychologists argue that a room that is well lit with both artificial and natural lights can help to improve the health behaviors and outcomes of an individual.

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The environment of an individual can cause or reduce stress and therefore has an effect on how a person behaves (Dale et al. 2013). For instance, people who work long hours with no breaks are likely to develop stress and, as a result, lead to certain behaviors such as being quick to anger.

Human behavior is usually a response to an environment in which one is subjected to. For instance, people brought up in slums as well as from uneducated backgrounds may develop certain behaviors such as theft and criminal behavior. Peer pressure is a reality in the modern world, and there are people who act on the basis of what other people within their environs do. For instance, an individual may make a decision based on what people around them behave (Dale et al. 2013).

Physical abilities and certain traits are related to an individual's environment. For instance, people who live in upcountry are more likely to have more physical capabilities since they engage in more handy work such as plowing than those who live in cities.

The intellectual ability of an individual is determined by the environment. For instance, analytical reasoning abilities, verbal comprehension, and a person's intelligence are influenced by their surroundings. An individual who is surrounded in an environment that supports comprehensive analytical skills is likely to become intelligent. Children who are taken to the state of the art schools that promote analytical thinking become wiser. Individuals who live and are mentored by career people such as footballers or accountants have a high possibility of pursuing a similar career path.

In addition, children who are brought up in family backgrounds and environments that are violent may also become violent when they grow up. For instance, according to Hueter et al. 2013, seven out of every ten violent families had an experience of violence when they were young. Also, children who grow up in environments where they are exposed to domestic violence are also likely to do so when they get their own families.

According to researchers, the environment contributes to approximately 70 percent of an individual's personality and behavior (Downs, & Stea, 2017). Therefore, environmental factors such as parenting are responsible for the behavior of an individual. Though biological factors and genetics contribute to the personality of an individual, the environment too contributes to how a person behaves, and psychologists attribute it to approximately seventy percent.

Children who are brought up in poor families are likely to drop out of school at any particular stage of their studies. Therefore, it means that poverty can be a risk factor for the number of high school dropouts within the United States. Therefore, environmental influences can affect the expression of an individual's genes.

Responsive and safe, as well as nurturing environments, are usually significant in embracing the learning and development of young infants and preschoolers. In addition, children who are brought up in environments that facilitate appropriate social interactions among children enable them to become social people when they grow up. Besides, such type of environments prepares children for careers such as politics as well as to become well-able leaders. Speaking skills are also acquired from the environment.

The way an individual speaks is a reflection of the environment one associate and relates to (Gifford, 2014). For instance, people who engage themselves in reading a lot are likely to become more eloquent than individuals who do not read. Besides, If a person closely associates with people who talk in using vulgar languages, they are also likely to adopt such kind of vulgar language while speaking.

In addition, an individual's religion is more about the environment. People who spend most of their time with individuals who believe in a particular religion are more likely to develop a strong belief towards such religion. Also, race, tribes as well as the various communities and societies also impact on how a person behaves. For instance, people brought up in traditions and customs such as dowry payment will continue to observe such traditions because that is what the environment has taught them to do.

Conclusion

From the above-discussed points, it is clear and evident that an individual's environment plays a significant role in determining behavior. Human behavior is usually a response to an environment in which one is subjected to. For instance, people brought up in slums as well as from uneducated backgrounds may develop certain behaviors such as theft and criminal behavior. Peer pressure is a reality in the modern world, and there are people who act on the basis of what other people within their environs do. Therefore, it is essential that an individual is mindful about their environment since it determines how they behave.

References

Dale, O., Smith, R., Norlin, J. M., & Chess, W. A. (2013). Human behavior and the social environment: Social systems theory. Pearson. Retrieved from

http://weardots.rnib.org.uk/hiyg/19-dr-sven-raynor/human-behavior-and-the-social-environment-social-G88cx2NkPT.pdfDowns, R. M., & Stea, D. (Eds.). (2017). Image and environment: Cognitive mapping and spatial behavior. Transaction Publishers. Retrieved from

Gifford, R. (2014). Environmental psychology matters. Annual review of psychology, 65, 541-579.

https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-psych-010213-115048Hunter, G. J., Quandt, S. C., & Hueter, N. H. (2013). U.S. Patent No. 8,566,256. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Retrieved from

https://patents.google.com/patent/US8566256B2/en