The concept that "our genes set the boundaries within which we can operate, and our environment interacts with our genes to determine where within those boundaries we will fall" is known as the range of reaction theory. This idea asserts that genes provide a framework or limits on potential traits and abilities, while environmental factors influence how much of that genetic potential is realized in an individual. For example, a person genetically predisposed to high intellectual potential will likely achieve more of that potential if raised in a stimulating environment compared to a deprived one. Thus, genes set definite limits, and environment determines the extent of expression within those limits

. This perspective highlights the complex interplay between genetics and environment, emphasizing that neither alone fully determines outcomes. It is a nuanced view against strict genetic determinism, recognizing that gene expression and resulting phenotypes depend on environmental contexts interacting with genetic predispositions