Kurt Lewin’s equation, B=f(P,E), states that a person’s behavior is a function of who they are as a person and the contextual factors of their environment.
Kurt Lewin’s Equation is commonly misunderstood as saying B=P+E. This is lazy behavioral science.
The combination of the two factors is not a summation. Behavior is a function of the interplay between person-side factors and the contextual factors of their environment.
- Who the person is impacts how they respond to environmental factors and what environments they place themselves within.
- Environmental factors over time can shape who the person is, and the pressures of the situation can cause people to act in a way that is counter to who they normally are.