Overview

Since the second edition, developmental systems theories have taken center stage in contemporary developmental science and have provided compelling alternatives to reductionistic theoretical accounts having either a nature or nurture emphasis. Moreover, developmental systems models serve as productive bases for innovation in developmental methodology and for important applications aimed at promoting positive individual development across the life span, as well as at strengthening family and community contexts. As a consequence, a developmental systems orientation frames the presentations in this edition. This book provides the most current presentation available on the current status of developmental theory and on the characteristics and implications for research and application of developmental systems theories. This new edition has been expanded substantially in comparison to the second edition. Special features include: * A separate chapter on the historical roots of concepts and theories of human development, on philosophical models of development, and on developmental contextualism, * Two new chapters surround the discussion of developmental contextualism - one on developmental systems theories wherein several exemplars of such models are discussed and a corresponding chapter wherein key instances of such theories - life span, life course, bioecological, and action theoretical ones - are presented, * A new chapter on cognition and development contrasts systems' approaches to cognitive development with neo-nativist perspectives, * A more differentiated treatment of nature-oriented theories of development is provided. There are separate chapters on behavior genetics, the controversy surrounding the study of the heritability of intelligence, work on the instinctual theory of Konrad Lorenz, and a new chapter on sociobiology, and * A new chapter on applied developmental science.

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