A Dynamic Systems Approach to the Development of Cognition and Action (Cognitive Psychology) [Paperback]

Esther Thelen (Author), Linda B. Smith (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 026270059X | ISBN-13: 978-0262700597 | Publication Date: January 31, 1996

A Dynamic Systems Approach to the Development of Cognition and Action presents a comprehensive and detailed theory of early human development based on the principles of dynamic systems theory. Beginning with their own research in motor, perceptual, and cognitive development, Thelen and Smith raise fundamental questions about prevailing assumptions in the field. They propose a new theory of the development of cognition and action, unifying recent advances in dynamic systems theory with current research in neuroscience and neural development. In particular, they show how by processes of exploration and selection, multimodal experiences form the bases for self-organizing perception-action categories.Thelen and Smith offer a radical alternative to current cognitive theory, both in their emphasis on dynamic representation and in their focus on processes of change. Among the first attempt to apply complexity theory to psychology, they suggest reinterpretations of several classic issues in early cognitive development.The book is divided into three sections. The first discusses the nature of developmental processes in general terms, the second covers dynamic principles in process and mechanism, and the third looks at how a dynamic theory can be applied to enduring puzzles of development.Cognitive Psychology series

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A radical departure from most of current cognitive developmenttheory.... Nativists, structuralists, empiricists and socialconstructivists will disagree with different parts of this book.Yet this landmark volume is essential reading for all of them." Annette Karmiloff-Smith and Mark H. Johnson, Nature

About the Author

Esther Thelen was Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science at Indiana University before her death in 2004.

Linda B. Smith is a Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science at Indiana University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: A Bradford Book (January 31, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 026270059X
• ISBN-13: 978-0262700597
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #671,923 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Complexity Theory and Psychology, May 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Dynamic Systems Approach to the Development of Cognition and Action (Cognitive Psychology) (Paperback)

This book is among the first to apply complexity theory to developmental psychology, and is definitely a must read for anyone interested in either topic. When read in conjunction with Port and Van Gelder's Mind as Motion, Walter Freeman's How Brains Make Up Their Minds, and Alicia Juarrero's Dynamics in Action, one begins to see aborning the outline of a new framework for a naturalized philosophy of mind.