Ecological Systems Theory

A developmental psychology framework created by Urie Bronfenbrenner that describes how individuals are influenced by multiple nested environmental systems: the microsystem (immediate settings like home and work), mesosystem (connections between microsystems), exosystem (indirect environments like community services), and macrosystem (cultural and societal values). In assistive technology research, ecological systems theory provides a lens for understanding how AT impacts extend beyond the individual user to affect families, communities, and broader social structures.