Behavioral Influences

My development was influenced by the contexts that Bronfenbrenner developed. The first context that influenced my development is the religious value in which I was raised. I was brought up in a very strong faith based home, fully trusting in my Savior, Jesus Christ. My mother made it her goal to show Christ’s love to her children in her everyday life. Although I am nowhere near perfect, I try to apply my Christ-like values, learned from my mother, in every aspect of my life.

The second “ring” that has influenced my development is the school system in which I grew up in. My parents sent me to a private Christian school from first grade through 12th grade. I also feel that this is where the Ecological theory, which proposes that human development is best explained in terms of the interaction between individuals and the environments in which they live or have lived(Witt, G.A., & Mossler, R.A. 2010), comes to play in nature versus nurture. I believe this environment that I was placed in played a major role in my becoming the person I am today. Although at times I felt sheltered, in hind’s sight, I was also kept from tempting and distracting things. When I compare the teen life I lived compared to that of my little brother who went to public school, the outcome is very different. He was caught up with the wrong crowd, getting into trouble and not graduating. I kept good company, stayed out of trouble and graduated. That is why I think that nurture has a stronger influence on adult development. My brother and I grew up in the same house with the same parents, but one small variable resulted in two very different adults.

References

Witt, G.A.,& Mossler,R.A. (2010) Adult Development and Adult Assessment. Retrieved from

https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUPSY202.10.2/sections/sec2.8?search=Bronfenbrenner