Novak & Pelaez

Developmental Developmental TheoryTheory

Developmental Developmental TheoryTheory

Chapter 2Chapter 2

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The Importance of Theories

• Organize & bring Coherence to views• Worldviews – overarching viewpoints

that bias our observations– Pepper’s Worldviews

• Mechanistic• Organismic• Contextualistic (Behavioral Systems Theory)

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Dimensions on Which Theories Differ

• Structure vs. function• Description vs. explanation• Nature vs. nurture• Continuity vs. discontinuity

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Dimensions on Which Theories Differ

• Description versus Explanation– Explanation

• Prediction• Control• Circular Explanations• Reification

Putting the cause inside the childBehaviors become explanations

e.g., dyslexia; autism• Real Explanations

– “Under what conditions?” not Why?

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Nature versus Nurture

• False Dichotomy• “How” do nature and nurture interact• Not “How Much?”• Nature & nurture are both a function of

selection by consequences (Skinner)• Nature & nurture are not causes but

processes and products (Oyama).

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Judging Developmental Theories - Nine Criteria

• 1) Accuracy• 2) Clarity• 3) Predictability• 4) Practicality• 5) Internal Consistency• 6) Parsimony• 7) Testable• 8) Productivity• 9) Self-Satisfying

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Group Research Designs in Studying Behavioral

Development• Cross-sectional

– Problems- Cohort Effects

• Longitudinal– Problems-

• Practice Effects• Selective Attrition

• Sequential – Combination of Cross-Sectional & Longitudinal

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The problem with using age as a variable

• Age is an empty variable• Focus should be on the process

variables that produce behavior and are correlated with age.

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Behavioral research methods – Single Subject

Designs• Functional Analysis- manipulate

variables to see cause-effect relations.

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Behavioral Research Designs

• ABAB reversal design• Multiple-treatments (alternating

treatments) design• Multiple treatments designs• Changing Criterion designs• Combined within & between

subjects designs

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ABehavioral Systems ABehavioral Systems Approach Approach

ABehavioral Systems ABehavioral Systems Approach Approach

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Transaction of 5 Factors

• Genetic-Constitutional Make-up• History of Interactions• Current Physiological Conditions• Current Environmental Conditions• Behavioral Dynamics

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Principles of Dynamical Systems

• Multiple Determination• Multiple Determination means Equifinality• Models of Development• Nonlinearity• Phase Shifts = Developmental Stages• Coalescent Organization• Selectionism• Behavioral Attractor States• Developmental Trajectories

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Multiple Determinism

• Transaction of 5 Factors• Sensitivity to Initial Conditions -

Butterfly Effect• Leading Parts - Disproportionate

Influence• “Impossible” to predict outcomes• Equifinality is the norm

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Equifinality

`Point of Equifinality for Three Individuals

With Different Trajectories

Smiles/

hr.

0

5

10

15

20

Time A Time B Time C

Moe

Larry

Curly

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Models of Models of DevelopmentDevelopment

Models of Models of DevelopmentDevelopment

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Linear Model

A

B

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Transactional Model

A

B

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Nonlinear Model

A

B

A

B

1

1

2

2

X

3

1

A

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Emergent Properties & Phase Shifts

• Sudden, nonlinear changes (e.g., A to X)

• Qualitative Difference• Result of Coalescent Organization• Result is “Organized”• When Universal, called “Stage”

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Coalescent Organization

• Multiple Determinants• Coming together of all conditions

leads to reorganization of organism/behavior

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Selectionism: Organization by Consequences

• Phylogenic Selection – Changes in species

• Ontogenic Selection – Changes in individuals (learning)

• Cultural Selection – Changes in cultures

• Any selection requires variability

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Selectionism - 3 Requirements

• Variability (Response Classes)• Selection

– Ontogenic - Natural Selection– Phylogenic - contingencies of

learning

• Retention (Physiology)

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Behavioral Attractors

• Organized patterns of behavior• “Soft” (loose) assemblies• Assembled by Consequences• Form (Structure) follows Function

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Developmental Trajectories

• Behavioral Momentum• Stability vs. Phase Shifts

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“Behavioral Cusps” not “Stages”

• Cusps are important new behaviors that emerge that enable the development of many other behaviors. (e.g., walking; reading).

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An Organism-Environment Model

(Horowitz, 1987)• Organismic Dimension

– Impaired to unimpaired– Vulnerable to nonvulnerable

• Environment Dimension– Non-facilitative to facilitative

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The transaction of organismic &

environmental variables produces

• Developmental Outcome– Minimal to Optimal