What role does the current working directory play in PHP file inclusions, and how can developers ensure that the correct paths are used when including files?

The current working directory in PHP plays a crucial role in file inclusions because relative paths are resolved based on this directory. To ensure that the correct paths are used when including files, developers can use the `__DIR__` magic constant to get the absolute path of the current file and then construct the path to the included file relative to this absolute path.

// Get the absolute path of the current file
$currentDirectory = __DIR__;

// Include a file using the correct path relative to the current file
include $currentDirectory . '/path/to/included/file.php';