Evolving explanations of development

the long version

This volume brings together three different ecological approaches to the study of behavioral development - ecological realism (Gibsonian), dynamic systems, and epigenetic systems - in a single source so that commonalities and differences may emerge. Eschewing the mechanistic model of development characteristic of behavioralist, psychodynamic, and cognitive theories, researchers from within these three approaches are forging and testing new theories on how behavior develops. Chapter authors present their respective empirical programs of research and comment more broadly on the advantages and disadvantages of their approaches. The research programs presented include such traditional areas as speech perception and locomotion but also include new topics of investigation such as verbal meaning, remembering, infant-caregiver interactions, tool use, and language emergence. Each chapter is followed by a commentary that fosters the dialogue across these varying perspectives.