Which system describes the overarching cultural and societal influences on development?

The macrosystem is the correct answer because it encompasses the larger cultural and societal factors that influence development. This includes the overarching ideologies, values, customs, and laws that shape a community or society. The macrosystem accounts for how societal influences, such as socioeconomic status, cultural norms, and governmental policies, affect individuals and their development through various contexts.

In developmental psychology, particularly in Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, the macrosystem serves as the broadest layer, impacting all the other systems, such as the microsystem (immediate environment), mesosystem (interconnections between microsystems), and exosystem (larger social structures that indirectly affect the individual). Each of these systems plays a crucial role in shaping experiences, but the macrosystem provides a framework for understanding how external cultural and societal influences to which individuals are exposed can broadly affect their growth and development over time.