We almost had a great future behind us: The contribution of non‐linear dynamics to developmental‐science‐in‐the‐making

Classical developmental theories, like those of Piaget, Werner and Vygotsky, were on the verge of developmental science, the study of phenomena from the point of view of development. Methodological and theoretical shifts in the 1960s changed the original goals and questions and turned developmental psychology into a discipline that is, on the whole, more like a subservient than a leading branch of psychology. Dynamic systems theory, which has its roots in mathematics and physics, can help developmental theory out of its current blind alley by providing the general theoretical frameworks and methods for bringing the dynamic aspects of change back to the fore. By doing so, it will help turn the scientific course back in the direction of developmental science.