Developmental Systems Theory

Research has typically focused on one aspect of development, such as risk factors or school performance, and has attributed those behaviors to one of two opposing developmental theories: organismic or environmental (Lerner & Castellino, 2002). Neither of these approaches takes the other into consideration, and those that have tried have seemingly failed. “Theories of this type often treat nature and nurture variables as separable entities and view their connection in manners analogous to the interaction term in an analysis of variance” (Lerner & Castellino, 2002). In response to this gap in knowledge, Developmental Systems Theory (DST) seeks to explain the multi-level, dynamic, and constantly fluctuating system of development that affects youth.

These two concepts can enact change within the multi-systems that influence child and adolescent development, and can potentially impact the quality of a democratically civil society (Lerner & Castellino, 2002). Until recently the gold standard for research was explanatory, experimental studies in which theories were either confirmed or denied and scant application of findings occurred. These were the types of studies that were receiving funding by major government-sponsored research institutions, and this was detracting from the original intent of the research, which should be the application of results to those populations in need. It is becoming clear that simple knowledge is not enough, and that applied science is also necessary to move from externally valid to ecologically valid findings. However, this shift was slow and the predominant, univariate theories are insufficient to explain the innumerable factors that influence the development of children and

Briefly they are the individual, social-relational, natural/designed physical, and historical/temporal levels (Lerner & Castellino, 2002). Each accounts for the micro, macro, and temporal relations of the child and the interaction between and within those levels. This approach is the only way to get a complete picture of all of the potential factors and their effects on the child, the environment of the child, and the time period in which these two are interacting (Lerner & Castellino, 2002). Furthermore, ADS serves as the mechanism through which researchers can explore these inter-related systems. Ideally through the engagement and cooperation of these four levels of society, and keeping in mind the effects of the fifth level (time), interventions can be designed to improve the quality of life, and to minimize the risks of children and adolescents (Lerner & Castellino, 2002). It is worth noting, however, that I did not say all children and adolescents. Although that is the ultimate goal, it is evident that Lerner, Fisher, and Weinberg (2000) believe that not all interventions are universally applicable. This is a very reasonable expectation when individual differences, and the reactions they provoke from their context, are accounted for (Lerner, Fisher, &