How many environmental systems are identified in the Ecological Systems Model?

• A. Five
• B. Three
• C. Six
• D. Four

Answer: (A)

The Ecological Systems Model maps development within nested environmental layers, with five distinct levels. The microsystem covers immediate relationships and settings like family, peers, and school. The mesosystem looks at how those microsystems interact—for example, how family experiences influence schooling. The exosystem includes contexts the person doesn’t directly enter but that affect them, such as a parent’s workplace or community services. The macrosystem encompasses broad cultural values, laws, and resources. The chronosystem adds the dimension of time, capturing life transitions and historical changes over the life course. Because of this temporal component, there are five environmental systems identified in the model.