Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026
26:41
Perspectives on Neuroscience
Published on: July 31, 2007
Introduction: embodiment and epigenesis: a view of the issues
Richard M Lerner1, Janette B Benson
1Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development,Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA. richard.lerner@tufts.edu
Advances in Child Development and Behavior
|July 20, 2013
Summary
Relational developmental systems theories highlight how individual traits and environmental factors are interconnected across time. This embodied perspective is crucial for understanding developmental science and optimizing human growth.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Systems Theory
- Human Development
Background:
- Relational developmental systems theories posit that individual attributes are inseparable from their ecological contexts.
- Embodiment integrates biological, psychological, and behavioral aspects with developmental contexts over time.
- This perspective offers a foundation for understanding intergenerational epigenetics and developmental change.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present theory and research on evolutionary and ontogenetic processes in development.
- To explore cognitive, emotional, and behavioral development across the lifespan.
- To advocate for relational developmental theory-predicated research.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of theory and research from a two-volume set.
- Focus on relational, developmental, and systems perspectives.
- Examination of individual and ecological interactions.
Main Results:
- Embodiment provides a framework for understanding developmental change and epigenetics.
- Development is a dynamic interplay between individual and environmental factors.
- Rigorous relational research is essential for advancing developmental science.
Conclusions:
- Relational developmental science can better describe, explain, and optimize human development.
- Understanding the plastic, mutually influential relations is key.
- The embodied, contextualized approach advances developmental science.
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