Developmental Systems Science: Exploring the Application of Systems Science Methods to Developmental Science Questions

Developmental science theorists fully acknowledge the wide array of complex interactions among biology, behavior, and environment that together give rise to development. However, despite this conceptual understanding of development as a system, developmental science has not fully applied analytic methods commensurate with this systems perspective. This article provides a brief introduction to systems science, an approach to problem solving that involves the use of methods especially equipped to handle complex relationships and their evolution over time. In addition, a rationale is provided for why and how these methods can serve the needs of the developmental science research community.