Finding order in chaos: influences of environmental complexity and predictability on development

Environments are dynamic and complex. Some children experience more predictable early life environments than others. Here, we consider how moment-by-moment complexity and predictability in our early environments influence development. New studies using wearable sensors are quantifying this environmental variability at a fine temporal resolution across hierarchically structured physical and social features. We identify three types of predictability: periodicities ('at X time intervals, Y happens'), stability ('given state_x, state_x+1 is known'), and contingency ('when I do X, Y happens'). We discuss how the temporal dynamics of environments may differ between individuals and the diverse developmental neural pathways through which this may influence outcomes, such as central nervous system (CNS) arousal and executive control. Finally, we discuss practical consequences and directions for future research.