Life-Span Developmental Psychology: Dialectical Perspectives on Experimental Research is a compilation of papers that deals with the dialectical perspective focusing on the developmental process of the individual's interaction with the environment. Part 1 discusses the theoretical issues of psychological theorists such as Piaget and Kaplan. The text includes topics such as the dialectics of time and post-Newtonian metatheory for psychologists. One paper discusses the dialectic method and theory in the work of psychology as social proof structures, particularly when systems of action cause conflict with systems of thought. The text analyzes research versus theory through the Wundt-Titchener Laboratory example. Another paper addresses the status of dialectics in developmental psychology using the approach of theoretical orientation versus the scientific method. Part 2 presents research applications covering topics such as the phenomenological and a behavioral approach to remembering, as well as ""remembering"" in empiricism. Another paper addresses the dialectical perspectives of discriminative learning and transfer that includes both theory and research done on discriminative performance. This book will prove valuable for psychologists, behavioral therapists and researchers, and students in behavioral psychology.

List of ContributorsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsDedicationTheoretical Issues 1. The Dialectics of Time I. On the History of the Concepts of Space and Time II. The Multiple Bases of Time: Time as Energy III. The Interactive Determination of Time: Time as Transformation IV. The Analyses of Event Sequences: Time as Construction V. The Structure of Event Sequences References 2. After the Apple: Post-Newtonian Metatheory for Jaded Psychologists I. Quantum Mechanics: The Temptation and the Fall II. The Seasons of Man: Toward an Organic Model of Time III. Epigenesis Reconsidered: Biological Imperatives and Cultural Alternatives IV. Dialectical Psychology: A Problem in the Sociology of Knowledge V. Conclusion: The Fruits of Antithesis References 3. Social Proof Structures: The Dialectic of Method and Theory in the Work of Psychology I. Introduction II. Research versus Theory in the Wundt-Titchener Laboratory III. Some Control Cases IV. The Pluralization of Psychology V. The Principle of Proof versus the Principle of Consistency VI. The Dialectic between Paradigms VII. The Movements of Psychology References 4. Behaviorism, Cognitive Psychology, and the Active Organism I. Introduction II. Methodological Behaviorism III. Conditioning Theories IV. Cognitive Psychology V. Active and Reactive Organisms VI. The Rejection of Theories VII. Summary References 5. Cohort, Age, and Time of Measurement: Biomorphic Considerations I. Introduction II. A Biomorphic Approach to Human Behavior III. Age, Cohort, and Time IV. Experimental and Analytic Approaches References 6. The Status of Dialectics in Developmental Psychology: Theoretical Orientation versus Scientific Method I. Introduction and Objective II. The Research Issues in Developmental Psychology III. Dialectics and Scientific Inquiry IV. Dialectics and Developmental Psychology References 7. Stability, Change, and Chance in Understanding Human Development I. Toward Theoretical Evaluation II. Theoretical Forms for Understanding Human Development III. Constitutional and Cultural Contributions to an Aleatory Orientation References 8. Another Look at the Issue of Continuity versus Change in Models of Human Development Text ReferencesResearch Applications 9. Dialectics and Research on Remembering I. Dialectics II. A Phenomenological and a Behavioral Approach to Remembering III. The Reification of Memory IV. Research Applications of a Dialectical Perspective V. Conclusion References 10. "Remembering" Is Alive and Well (and Even Thriving) in Empiricism I. Introduction II. Dialectics and World Hypotheses III. On the Necessity for Structure IV. The Historical-Social Context of the "Empirical Tradition" V. The Figure/Ground Reversal in Contemporary Memory Research VI. New Directions References 11. Discriminative Learning and Transfer: Dialectical Perspectives I. Introduction II. Developmental Models of Discriminative Performance III. Theory and Research on Discriminative Performance IV. Conclusions References 12. Behavioristic Perspectives on a Dialectical Model of Discriminative Learning and Transfer I. Basic Premises II. Current Stimulus-Response Theories III. The Proposed Dialectical Model IV. Is a New Theoretical Approach Needed? V. Concluding Comments References 13. A Transactional Model of Remembering I. Development of Remembering Abilities II. Interactional and Transactional Models III. Remembering and Motor Actions IV. Remembering and Cognition V. Remembering and Personality VI. Conclusion References 14. Some Thoughts on Memory or Some Revised Memories of Some Old Thoughts Text References 15. Dialectics and Operant Conditioning I. Introduction II. Methodological and Radical Behaviorism III. Experimental, Applied, and Conceptual Analysis of Behavior IV. Dialectical Characteristics of Behavioral Analysis References 16. Behaviorism and the Social System Text References 17. Psychology, Thomian Topologies, Deviant Logics, and Human Development I. Overview II. Sensory Thresholds and the Fold Curve III. Mother-Infant Vocalization Interaction Modeled by Pairs of Fold Curves IV. The Cusp Model of Moral Development V. The Cusp Model of the Threshold VI. The Butterfly Cuspoid as a Model for Some Psychological Phenomena VII. Deviant Algebraic Logic and Its Import for Developmental Theory VIII. Development as a Sequence of Topological Surfaces References 18. Early Experience as the Basis for Unity and Cooperation of "Differences" I. The Preamble Ramble II. Introduction III. Pepper's Schema IV. Criticism of Pepper's Schema V. The Relation of World Hypotheses to Ontogenetic Development VI. The Relationship of Developmental Psychology to the Proposed Scheme VII. Conclusions ReferencesSubject Index