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| The Next Life-Sciences Frontier: The Developmental Systems Perspective and Behavior |
| Monday, May 31, 2004 |
| 9:00 AM–10:20 AM |
| Hampton |
| Area: DEV; Domain: Applied Research |
| Chair: Susan M. Schneider (Florida International University) |
| Discussant: Lewis P. Lipsitt (Brown University) |
| Abstract: . |
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| Transactionalism: A Developmental Systems View |
| DAVID B. MILLER (University of Connecticut) |
| Abstract: Historical conceptions of development have generated thought-provoking, albeit polarized, discussion throughout the centuries. All variants of the nature-nurture dichotomy, the debates have assumed many forms: vitalism vs. mechanism, preformationism vs. epigenesis, predetermined vs. probabilistic epigenesis, genetic vs. environmental determinism, and so on. Even well-intentioned, so-called “interactionists” sometimes have oversimplified the complexity of ontogenetic processes by characterizing development as an exchange of energy between two interactants --genes and environment. An alternative view, sometimes called transactionalism, more explicitly recognizes an extended exchange of energy both within and among different levels of organization rendering the developing organism an active participant of an emergent, sometimes self-organizing, developmental system. Inherent in this transactional conception of development is an explicit recognition of the role of nonlinear (as well as linear) experiential factors and contextual effects on developmental trajectories, as well as how multiple pathways of developing systems can converge toward similar outcomes. This presentation will briefly outline some of these issues, thereby providing a framework for a discussion of empirical work that addresses these concepts. |
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| The Experimental Analysis of Developmental Nonlinearities |
| DAVID B. MILLER (University of Connecticut) |
| Abstract: The developmental analysis of species-typical behaviors poses an intriguing challenge because of the regularities inherent in these acts and the apparent lack of linear experiential factors affecting their performance. Developmental scientists find linearities easier to identify and manipulate than nonlinearities. Nevertheless, experientialnonlinearities have sometimes been identified, even though they often remain unexplained beyond initial description. Beginning in 1973, I embarked on a series of field and laboratory studies on alarm call responsivity of mallard ducklings. In this presentation, I focus on how experiential nonlinearities affect the development of alarm call responsivity and how some unexpected findings led to a reexamination of our own views, resulting in a better understanding of multiple pathways in development. |
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| Behavior Principles and the Developmental Systems View: Context and More |
| SUSAN M. SCHNEIDER (Florida International University) |
| Abstract: Many behavior analysts and learning researchers would suggest that all behaviors seen throughout the development of any organism appear to reflect operant learning, classical conditioning, species-typical patterns, or some combination of these three basic sets of behavior principles. For any behavior in any developmental analysis, then, these behavior principles must apply--and developmental systems researchers in a variety of fields recognize this. David B. Miller's presentations will show just how interactional and nonlinear early development can be, even for what used to be thought of as genetically-determined, "instinctive" species-typical behaviors. Other developmental systems researchers concentrate more on the evolutionary context, or human nature-nurture relations. The human genome project is just one sample of the exciting recent progress in the life sciences, progress that both impacts us and cries out for our involvement. I will summarize what behavior analysts can contribute to the developmental systems perspective, and what we can learn. |
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