WHAT IS THE NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL CONTEXT? - PSYCHOLOGY - 2025

The natural and artificial context refers to a set of diverse circumstances that occur around an individual based on an established fact or event. The context is used by evolutionary psychology as a methodological and theoretical proposal for the explanation of human development.

For this reason, the cognitive abilities of children began to be related based on the natural context. The study that arises within this evolutionary position places the child in classical situations within an artificial context, which will be found based on a natural context for further analysis.

The implications of natural and artificial contexts not only go back to a theoretical stream, but are also part of behavioral psychology.

That is, before we can understand the impact of the context in which a child or an adult finds himself, we must observe his behavior or response based on those contexts.

Behavioral position of the natural and artificial context

The natural and artificial contexts respond to a previous observation context in order to examine the child's behavior.

It should be noted that within the institutional context there are several types of observations that collect facts, data, behaviors and situations. Observer intervention is used to point out weak points and improve the student's cognitive processes.

Within the context of observation there are a large number of variables that help to systematize natural and artificial contexts.

Natural context

In the natural context, observation and self-observation of the individual is possible, due to its representation in a natural and known environment.

Some of those environments are:

- Family context

It is the one that allows to analyze the maternal and paternal interaction and behavior on the child. In turn, it evaluates the relationship in the teaching of customs and the appropriateness of behaviors by the children.

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It is used to observe the interaction with other equal individuals and with the teacher, observing the performance and achievement of the child within a school environment.

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It is used to observe and examine behaviors within a more generic social environment.

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It allows to see what kind of behaviors are generated in the residence.

Artificial context

In the artificial context, areas that are objects of study can be replicated and whose observations refer to the interaction of the subject in a new context.

Some ways to artificially replicate natural contexts are:

Situational tests

They are standard tests designed to stimulate the generation of responses by the individual. They also present complex situations to observe the development of their behavior before these.

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They are activities that help the individual to simulate situations presented in real life. In addition, it allows you to analyze behavior and responses in certain situations.

Projective techniques

It is based on a psychodiagnostic method that uses different kinds of materials, such as photographs, drawings, videos, among others, to analyze the reaction of children. They often help the child to project hidden attitudes or unconscious feelings.

References

1. Bateson, G. (1972). Steps to an ecology of mind. Ballantine, NY.
2. Bode, H. (1940). Relations between attenuation and phase in feedbac k amplifier design. Bell System Technical Journal.
3. Burrell, G. Morgan, G. (1979). Sociological Paradigms and Organizational Analysis. London, Heinemann.
4. Hernández, Reynes. (2009). The natural and the artificial in Aristotle and Francis Bacon. Ontology Studies.
5. Tabera Galván, Victoria and Rodríguez de Lorza, Marta. (2010). Intervention with families and care for minors. Editorial Editex, Madrid.