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Shared intentionality and attachment theories in WILD and WEIRD contexts.
1Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FLUSA dbjorklu@fau.edu https://www.fau.edu/science/directory/dbjorklu/.
The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|July 3, 2026
Summary
The WILD approach highlights sampling issues in social-cognitive theories. These theories, however, remain crucial for understanding human development across diverse environments.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Evolutionary Psychology
- Social Cognition
Background:
- Shared Intentionality and Attachment Theories offer frameworks for social-cognitive development.
- Barr et al. identify sampling limitations within these established theories.
- The WILD (Weisner, 1999) approach provides an alternative perspective on developmental processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the WILD approach in the context of social-cognitive development.
- To address the identified sampling shortcomings in Shared Intentionality and Attachment Theories.
- To propose an integration of WILD data for enhanced theoretical explanatory power.
Main Methods:
- Critically analyzing the methodologies and sampling strategies of Shared Intentionality and Attachment Theories.
- Examining the conceptual underpinnings of evolved social-cognitive mechanisms.
- Considering the influence of diverse rearing environments on developmental expression.
Main Results:
- Barr et al.'s WILD approach effectively identifies sampling limitations in existing theories.
- Evolved social-cognitive mechanisms are proposed to manifest differently across varied rearing contexts.
- The foundational concepts of Shared Intentionality and Attachment Theories retain significant explanatory value.
Conclusions:
- Shared Intentionality and Attachment Theories, despite sampling issues, are vital conceptual anchors.
- Incorporating data from the WILD approach can substantially increase the explanatory power of these theories.
- Understanding social-cognitive development requires acknowledging both evolved mechanisms and environmental influences.
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