The draughtsman's contract

This commentary on Feldman and Fowler's The Nature(s) of developmental change addresses three issues. First, it discusses the concept of a “portfolio theory” and argues that the authors' nonuniversal developmental theory is such a theory and that it adds relevant insights to the existing conceptualizations of development. Second, it discusses a potential problem in such theories, namely oversimplification of the relationships implied by the available theoretical concepts (irrespective of the issue of whether those concepts are sufficiently clearly defined). The point is illustrated with an analysis of the structure of relationships based on a simple model of development and learning. Third, Feldman and Fowler's notion of equilibration as a mechanism is criticized and replaced by equilibration as a process based on various mechanisms. These mechanisms have an underlying abstract form which has been transformed into a computational dynamic systems model capable of explaining a host of distinct patterns of change, learning and development.     

Developmental stages,Piagetian stages in particular: A critical review

Developmental stages in general and Piaget's stages in particular have given rise to considerable controversy. Much of this controversy revolves around the responses that have been given to the following five central questions: (1) Do developmental stages exist? (2) If they exist, where are they? (3) What features define a developmental sequence as a sequence of developmental stages? (4) What psychological processes underlie developmental change? (5) Should we abandon the concept of developmental stages? The main goal of this paper is to present a critical review of such responses, while arguing for a strong conception of development and a “non-received” view of Piaget's theory. After an introduction section, we elaborate on each of the five questions. Finally, we present several reasons why this paper often appeals to Piaget's theory, and why his theory has been greatly misunderstood.     

From fancy to reason: Scaling deaf and hearing children's understanding of theory of mind and pretence

We examined deaf and hearing children's progression of steps in theory of mind (ToM) development including their understanding of social pretending. Ninety‐three children (33 deaf; 60 hearing) aged 3–13 years were tested on a set of six closely matched ToM tasks. Results showed that deaf children were delayed substantially behind hearing children in understanding pretending, false belief (FB) and other ToM concepts, in line with their delayed uptake of social pretend (SP) play. By using a scaling methodology, we confirmed previous evidence of a consistent five‐step developmental progression for both groups. Moreover, by including social pretence understanding, both deaf and hearing children's ToM sequences were shown to extend reliably to six sequential developmental steps. Finally and focally, even though both groups' sequences were six steps long, the placement of pretence relative to other ToM milestones varied with hearing status. Deaf children understood social pretending at an earlier step in the ToM sequence than hearing children, albeit at a later chronological age. Theoretically, the findings are relevant to questions about how universal developmental progressions come together along with culturally distinctive inputs and biological factors (such as hearing loss) to set the pace for ToM development.     

The resolution of adolescence in college

This article discusses five prominent developmental tasks encountered by the college student during late adolescence and early adulthood. The manner used to resolve these tasks is crucial not only to the student's adaptation at college but to his eventual life style. The five tasks are: (a) the shift in the nature of one's relationship with one's parents, i.e., from a child-parent to an adult-adult relationship; (b) the resolution of a personal sexual identity; (c) the creation of a value system which fits the student as a truly unique individual; (d) the development of the capacity for true human intimacy; and (e) the choice of a life's work.     

Developmental Personality Styles: An Attachment Theory Conceptualization of Personality Disorders

Attachment theory, as a developmentally based theory of personality formation, provides a viable framework for understanding the development and maintenance of personality disorders, or what A. E. Ivey and M. B. Ivey (1998) have referred to as “developmental personality styles.” Using K. Bartholomew's (1990) 4‐dimensional model of adult attachment as an organizational framework, 10 developmental personality styles are differentiated regarding their unique attachment experiences, working models of self and other, and feedforward beliefs. Implications of an attachment theory framework for counseling clients with problematic developmental personality styles are discussed.     

Development of theory of mind and executive control

Several recent studies have demonstrated a developmental link, in the age range of 3–5 years, between the acquisition of a ‘theory of mind’ and self control. In this review, we consider the existence of such a link in assessing five competing theoretical hypotheses that might help us to understand the nature of this developmental advance: (1) executive control depends on theory of mind; (2) theory of mind development depends on executive control; (3) the relevant theory of mind tasks require executive control; (4) both kinds of task require the same kind of embedded conditional reasoning; (5) theory of mind and executive control involve the same brain region. We briefly describe these theoretical accounts and evaluate them in the light of existing empirical evidence. At present, only account (3) can be ruled out with some confidence.     

The evolution of mandler's conceptual primitives (image-schemas) as neural mechanisms for space-time simulation structures

The purpose of this article is to describe parallels between Mandler's theory of conceptual development in infancy, and my theory of the maximum-power principle evolution of the neuro-algorithmic organization of the brain and cultural-level mental models. A maximum power principle prey-predator scenario depicts the dynamic selective origins of neuro-algorithms underlying Mandler's various image-schemas (conceptual primitives). It is proposed that (a) image-schemas are inherited space-time simulation structures that originate in cerebellar state estimating functions which spread to the mapping systems of the cerebrum; (b) image-schemas do not come about as the result of perceptual analytic abstractive processes as Mandler has proposed, but undergo refinement in ontogeny through experience-expectant development involving perceptual analysis; (c) Mandler's image-schemas are “state-primitives” fed forward from the cerebellum to provide tracking routines for perceptual analysis, and rapid simulations constituting representation, prediction, and control; and (d) vicarious trial and error (VTE) can be interpreted as pragmatic vector simulation using image-schematic simulation structures. A scenario connecting image-schemas with Pleistocene era auditory-vocal system evolution which supports Mandler's developmental connection between image-schemas and language is proposed. It is concluded that Mandler's theory of conceptual development is essentially correct. However, it is suggested that the further articulation of Mandler's theory would benefit from parallel statement of the evolution of underlying brain mechanisms.     

The Relevance of Gerald Edelman's Theory of Neuronal Group Selection and Nonlinear Dynamic Systems for Psychoanalysis

Gerald Edelman's theory of neuronal group selection (1987, 1989, 1992) describes how we appraise, organize, and reorganize our subjective experience of the world. Edelman's theory and the intrinsic principles of selection and self-organization are explicated. A clinical case illustrates the psychoanalytic implications of both Edelman's theory and a dynamic systems approach to development and change (Thelen and Smith, 1994) in which deeply ingrained traumatic experience is transformed through positive, new experiences that impact and become integrated within primary consciousness. The relevance of recognition, adaptive matching, mapping, and remapping of trajectories of experience, primary emotions, and brain asymmetry to developmental change is discussed.     

Wellness,Prevention, Development: The Cornerstone of the Profession

The American Counseling Association's (ACA), formerly the American Association for Counseling and Development (AACD), unique contribution to a wellness philosophy lies in the profession's concern for development over the life span. In this article, ACA's commitment to and proactive stance toward wellness are described, the relationship between wellness, developmental approaches, and prevention is addressed, and the debate surrounding prevention as a non-third-party-reimbursable mental health service is discussed.     

A season-long examination of the intervention tone of coach–athlete interactions and athlete development in youth sport

ObjectivesCoaches are a primary influence on athletes' development in youth sport (Horn, 2008). However, the intervention tone of coaches' behaviour has not been directly observed. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between the intervention tone exhibited by youth sport coaches and athletes' individual developmental trajectories over the course of a season.DesignShort-term longitudinal study with behavioural observation.MethodFifty-five athletes and their coaches from five youth volleyball teams were observed at three time points, and the intervention tone of interactive behaviour was systematically coded and organized by coach–athlete dyad. Athletes completed measures of the 4C's of athlete development (competence, confidence, connection, character) at each time point, which were used to create individualized developmental trajectories. Person-centred analyses were used to examine associations between athletes' developmental trajectories and their unique interactive experiences with their coach.ResultsCluster analysis revealed the presence of three distinct clusters based on athletes' developmental trajectories: 1) high and increasing, 2) low and decreasing, and 3) moderate and maintaining, with athletes from each team distributed across clusters. Analysis of dyadic interaction profiles revealed significant differences in interactive behaviour between clusters.ConclusionsResults suggest that differences in coach–athlete interactive experiences are associated with different developmental trajectories over the course of a season, even for athletes working with the same coach, highlighting the individualized nature of coaches' influence on young athletes. Practical implications for coaches include a critical awareness of their unique interactive relationship with each athlete independently, as well as the importance of fostering these relationships with regard to young people as more than just athletes.     

The development of generosity and moral cognition across five cultures

Morality is an evolved aspect of human nature, yet is heavily influenced by cultural environment. This developmental study adopted an integrative approach by combining measures of socioeconomic status (SES), executive function, affective sharing, empathic concern, theory of mind, and moral judgment in predicting sharing behavior in children (N = 999) from the age of 5 to 12 in five large‐scale societies: Canada, China, Turkey, South Africa, and the USA. Results demonstrate that age, gender, SES, culture, and social cognitive mechanisms explain over 20% of the variance worldwide in children's resource allocation. These findings are discussed in reference to standard cultural comparisons (individualist/collectivist), as well as the degree of market integration, and highlight continuities and discontinuities in children's generosity across urban contexts.     

The relationship between multidimensional economic well‐being and children’s mental health,physical health,and executive function development in South Africa

Conceptualizing both economic well‐being (EWB) and children's development as multidimensional constructs, the present study examines their association using bioecological developmental theory and structural equation modeling with Zulu children (ages 7–10) in KwaZulu‐Natal, a highly impoverished region of South Africa (N = 1,958). Relative EWB within impoverished communities consists of three dimensions: material assets (durable goods and living environment), fiscal appraisal (subjective experiences of access to/allocation of resources), and fiscal capacity (monetary inflow/outflow). Children's development also is measured across multiple dimensions: physical health, mental health, and executive functioning. In addition to an overall association between EWB and children's development across outcomes, the sub‐dimensions of EWB are differentially related to aspects of children's development. The dimension of material assets exhibits the greatest association with child outcomes, while fiscal capacity exhibits the least. Implications of these findings are discussed, including the use of multidimensional approaches to measuring EWB to understand, more clearly, its relationship to multiple dimensions of children's development. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcawZ6oOt-Q     

Defense Mechanisms Development in Children,Adolescents, and Late Adolescents

To replicate and extend Cramer's (1987) original cross-sectional study concerning the development of defense mechanisms, the Thematic Apperception Test responses of 148 students in Grades 2, 5, 8, 11, and college freshmen were collected and scored for denial, projection, and identification using Cramer's Defense Mechanisms Manual (1991). Our results supported the notion that the relative use of denial and projection decreases and identification increases as a function of grade level. The findings provide additional support for the psychoanalytic view (Freud, 1966) of an ontogenetic developmental line of defense.     

童年中晚期孤独感的发展轨迹：一项潜变量增长模型分析

使用问卷法和同伴提名法对884名小学二年级学生进行历时三年的四次追踪测试, 采用潜变量增长模型建模, 检验小学2~5年级学生孤独感的变化趋势, 并考察不同性别儿童孤独感变化的差异性以及同伴接纳对孤独感变化的影响。结果发现：(1) 2~5年级小学生孤独感呈曲线递减趋势, 递减速度逐渐减缓, 起始水平及发展速度均存在显著的个体差异; (2)女孩起始的孤独感水平显著低于男孩, 而发展速度、加速度则不存在显著的性别差异; (3)较高的同伴接纳对当时儿童孤独感的降低具有显著的促进作用。研究采用孤独感发展的情境观, 并结合儿童认知、自我发展的特点对结果进行了分析。     

BEHAVIORAL CUSPS: A DEVELOPMENTAL AND PRAGMATIC CONCEPT FOR BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS

Most concepts of development explain certain behavior changes as products or markers of the invariable succession of emerging periods, stages, refinements, or achievements that define and order much of an individual's life. A different but comparable concept can be derived from the most basic mechanisms of behavior analysis, which are its environmental contingencies, and from its most basic strategy, which is to study behavior as its subject matter. From a behavior-analytic perspective, the most fundamental developmental questions are (a) whether these contingencies vary in any systematic way across the life span, and thus make behavior change in a correspondingly systematic way; and (b) whether some of these contingencies and their changes have more far-reaching consequences than others, in terms of the importance to the organism and others, of the behavior classes they change. Certain behavior changes open the door to especially broad or especially important further behavior change, leading to the concept of the behavioral cusp. A behavioral cusp, then, is any behavior change that brings the organism's behavior into contact with new contingencies that have even more far-reaching consequences. Of all the environmental contingencies that change or maintain behavior, those that accomplish cusps are developmental. Behavior change remains the fundamental phenomenon of development for a behavior-analytic view; a cusp is a special instance of behavior change, a change crucial to what can come next.     

Process as a world structure

Described is a space model of developmental process and its projection on a plane—the Diagram of development. The latter is used to interpret the process of human history both on universal scale and that of the twentieth century with Soviet history as an instance. Hence unexpected conclusions are received about the impending social change in the world. Summarized are results of the previous mathematical analysis of the Diagram, the content of qualitative changes in the developmental processes is exposed. Also described are probable effects of the world view change in science when the world is seen as a developmental process. Examined are also the perspectives of the distant future for the humankind as a most rapidly developing part of nature. The questions of the human destiny and the role of man's activities in the Universe are also dwelt upon.     

The Creativity Matrix: Spotlights and Blind Spots in Our Understanding of the Phenomenon

In this paper, we organize past and present theories and models of creativity by using a new conceptual framework—the creativity matrix—with the aim of highlighting the dimensions of creativity we know a lot about and those we tend to either ignore or find difficult to study. This matrix is formed by bringing together a developmental model of creativity (the 4 C's) and a structural one (the 5 A's). We start by briefly describing these two conceptual frameworks, and then, we proceed to exploring the matrix itself by describing how the 5 A's are dynamically organized at each “level” of the 4 C's. Importantly, our overview of the matrix is informed by existing models and concepts that address one of more of the C's and the A's. This gives us a unique opportunity to take stock of what has been studied so far and, toward the end, consider new avenues for the development of theory and research agendas within creativity studies.     

Influence of adolescent social crowds on the development of vocational identity

A major gap in Holland's theory of vocational identity has been specification of the developmental antecedents of the six personality types. The present paper extends Geoffrey Kelso's work on the developmental antecedents of Holland's types by examining the relationship between membership in adolescent social crowds and vocational identity in early adulthood. In four samples (total N = 274), membership in five junior high school crowds—Motorheads, Brains, Freaks, Politicos, and Conformists—was found to be associated with higher scores on the Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Enterprising, and Conventional scales, respectively, of Holland's Self-Directed Search and Vocational Preference Inventory in early adulthood. The relative impact of temperament, family, and peer variables on the development of vocational identity is discussed.