Willis F. Overton

Models of Development and Theories of Development

ABSTRACT Models, which originate in metaphor, exist on several levels ranging from all inclusive metaphysical models to narrowly circumscribed models of specific features of theories. Models at the more general levels form the determining logical context for models at lower levels. This categorical determinism stretches from metaphysical levels through scientific theories, to the manner in which we analyze, interpret, and make inferences from empirical evidence. Two radically different models which have had a pervasive effect upon the nature of psychology generally and developmental psychology specifically are the organismic and mechanistic world views. The history and nature of those models are discussed and the manner in which they become transformed into corrolary issues which form the metatheoretical basis for theory construction is analyzed. Theories built upon different world views are logically independent and cannot be assimilated to each other. They reflect different ways of looking at the world and, as such, are incompatible in their implications.

Turn Left at the Church, Or Three Miles North A Study of Direction Giving and Sex Differences

This study examined how college students give directions from maps, either with maps perceptually available, or after maps had been memorized. Six aspects of direction giving were coded: use of landmarks, use of relational terms, use of cardinal directions, use of mileage estimates, and frequency of omission and commission errors. In accord with predictions, males used more mileage estimates and cardinal directions than did females and made fewer errors. Use of cardinal directions and mileage estimates were rarer, in relation to opportunities to use them, than use of landmarks and relational terms. Correlations among the dependent variables suggested that use of relational terms and use of cardinal directions may trade off, with speakers using one or the other but not both. Results are discussed in the context of the distinction between competence and stylistic preference.

Exemplifying the Integrations of the Relational Developmental System Synthesizing Theory, Research, and Application to Promote Positive Development and Social Justice

Over the past 35 years, developmental psychology has been transformed into developmental science (Lerner, 2006; cf., e.g., Bornstein & Lamb, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1999 with Bornstein & Lamb, 2005). Today, the cutting edge of the study of the human life span is framed by a developmental systems theoretical model, one that is informed by a postpositivist, relational metatheory that moves beyond classical Cartesian dichotomies, “avoids all splits,” and transforms fundamental antinomies into co-equal and indissociable complementarities (Overton, 2006). Throughout its history, the study of human development has been the captive of numerous fundamental antinomies (Overton, 1998, 2006). Whereas the original Cartesian splits were between mind and body or subject and object, the most prominent of contemporary split conceptions has been, of course, between nature and nurture or variants of this split, such as maturation versus experience or Journal of Adolescent Research Volume 23 Number 3 May 2008 245-255

A New Paradigm for Developmental Science: Relationism and Relational-Developmental Systems

The Cartesian-Split-Mechanistic scientific paradigm that until recently functioned as the standard conceptual framework for sub-fields of developmental science (including inheritance, evolution, and organismic—pre-natal, cognitive, emotional, motivational, socio-cultural—development) has been progressively failing as a scientific research program. An alternative scientific paradigm composed of nested meta-theories with Relationism at the broadest level and Relational-Developmental-Systems as a mid-range meta-theory is offered as a more progressive conceptual framework for developmental science. Termed broadly the Relational-Developmental-Systems paradigm, this framework accounts for the findings that are anomalies for the old paradigm, accounts for the emergence of new findings, and points the way to future scientific productivity—and a more optimistic approach to evaluate-evidence-based applications aimed at promoting positive human development and social justice.

Reasoning about Certainty and Uncertainty in Concrete, Causal, and Propositional Contexts.

The present study examined childrens comprehension of certainty and uncertainty within the context of concrete and propositional reasoning tasks. First, third, and fifth graders were given PierautLeBonniecs (1980) box task and a multisufficient causality task to assess reasoning about certainty and uncertainty in concrete contexts. Children were also given conditional syllogisms to assess this ability in a propositional context. Half of the children at each grade were given contramanded syllogism task statements intended to block erroneous conversational inferences made about these conditional statements. Results indicated no developmental differences in reasoning about concrete certainty, but significant improvement occurred in reasoning about concrete uncertainty. On syllogisms, only the fifth graders benefitted from contramanding so as to demonstrate an understanding of propositional uncertainty. Correlational and error analyses showed that the discrimination between certainty and uncertainty is mastered in concrete contexts prior to the time when this discrimination occurs in propositional contexts. These findings support the position that reasoning about concrete certainty and uncertainty requires a different competence than that required for reasoning about propositional certainty and uncertainty.

Semantic familiarity, relevance, and the development of deductive reasoning.

This study examined the developmental progression of deductive reasoning between Grades 6 and 12 and the role of semantic content relevance in the solution oftbe Wason selection task. A rating procedure was used to establish the degree of relevance between antecedent and consequent clauses of conditional (if .... then .... ) propositions. Results were consistent with the general position that formal deductive reasoning becomes available in adolescence and that relevant propositional content is not a sufficient condition for adequate deductive reasoning performance. High-relevant content enhanced level of performance for those having deductive reasoning competence, and lowrelevant content failed to support adequate performance. Findings are interpreted within the distinction between the use of the inference rule competence and the facilitation of relevant semantic content.

World Views and Their Influence on Psychological Theory and Research: Kuhn-Lakatos-Laudan

Publisher Summary This chapter demonstrates the ways in which the understanding concerning the functioning of rival scientific research programs in psychology has evolved along lines that are consistent with the philosophical evolution from Kuhn to Lakatos and Laudan. An often asked question about the possibility of compromise is addressed with respect to the rival mechanistic and organismic programs. Today the mechanistic and organismic positions are best interpreted as scientific research programs or traditions including hard cores, positive heuristics, and families of theories. These programs bring metaphysical and methodological commitments into the essential body of science and in so doing they exert a determining influence on theories, basic terms, and research strategies. Of the currently available world views, only mechanism and organicism seem adequate to form constituent parts of scientific research programs. The Lakatos and Laudan analyses provide an adequate interpretation for the rival relationship between the mechanistic and organismic programs. These analyses also provide a more adequate rational explanation for comparing these programs in the context of scientific progress. Compromises between the two programs must be suspect because, in fact, they tend to destroy the integrity of one or the other program.

On the Assumptive Base of the Nature-Nurture Controversy: Additive versus Interactive Conceptions

This essay inquires into the major conceptual features of the nature nurture issue and explores theoretical, methodological, and empirical dimensions which derive from the conceptual. It is maintained

Relationism and Relational Developmental Systems: A Paradigm for Developmental Science in the Post-Cartesian Era

This chapter argues that the Cartesian-split-mechanistic scientific paradigm that until recently functioned as the standard conceptual framework for subfields of developmental science (including inheritance, evolution, and organismic--prenatal, cognitive, emotional, motivational, sociocultural--development) has been progressively failing as a scientific research program. An alternative scientific paradigm composed of nested metatheories with relationism at the broadest level and relational developmental systems as a midrange metatheory is offered as a more progressive conceptual framework for developmental science. Termed broadly the relational developmental systems paradigm, this framework accounts for the findings that are anomalies for the old paradigm; accounts for the emergence of new findings; and points the way to future scientific productivity.

Conceptual Prerequisites for an Understanding of Stability-Change and Continuity-Discontinuity

Divergent understandings of the nature of development result from incompatible philosophical assumptions or world views. One perspective maintains that reality is best represented as stable and fixed, and as a consequence development or change is understood as a function of antecedent causes. A second perspective maintains that reality is best represented as active and changing, and as a consequence the course of development does not permit antecedent causal explanation. Implications for the investigation and explanation of development are discussed. A major implication of the determining influence of the two world views involves the continuity-discontinuity issue, i.e., the issue of the appearance of novelty during the course of development and the explanation of novelty. The stability perspective asserts a strict continuity in that it allows for no gaps in antecedent-consequent causal sequences. The activity and change perspective permits discontinuity.