One of the contemporary theories in the developmental psychology is the relational- development theory. This theory was brought about by Gorlitz. The theory primarily focuses on the description and explanation of change. The forms of changes that the theory covers are transformational and variation change, expressive and instrumental change, universal and individual change, to name but a few (Gorilitz, 1998). In other word, the theory defines development as a result of the changes in the form and function of expressive features of behavior. However, as we focus on these changes, the theory suggests that the information offered is as a result of other changes like therapeutic and ontogenesis changes. The embodiment theory suggests that perception, feeling, thinking and desires, which cover the way people, behave, live and experience the world, are contextualized by our being with this particular body.
This means that that the bodies that people have is a precondition for them having the kind of behaviors, meanings and experiences that they have. Since human beings are creatures made of flesh, what we experience, and how we can make sense of what we experience will depend on the kind of bodies that we have, and how we interact with the various environments where we live.
In relational- development theory, paradox is celebrated as a necessary feature of understanding. This type of understanding is in line with a second type of understanding, known as analytic mode. Therefore, any positions that try to separate the two modes of thinking are often disavowed. Since the embodiment theory proposes that the human body determines the experiences and the actions that people take, the relational- development theory suggests that the functioning of the self-organized activity of the human organism is characterized as action cycles of systems that differentiate, integrate and develop through the resistance that the action undergoes. This resistance usually comes from the biological and social perspectives of the surrounding environment. The resistance can also be from the partial failure of complete expression of an underlying competence.
Any action that humans undertake usually meets resistance; may it be motoric, sensory or even representational. As a result of this, the action cycles back to redefine and, thus, transforming the organization of the action. When the action has succeeded, it’s usually conservative and ensures continuity of the action. Resistance of the action is usually progressive and ensures differentiation of the action hence, transformational change.
These two processes, affirmation and resistance are usually complementary actions and not radically separate actions (Gorilitz, 1998).
Relational- developmental theory further suggests that the cyclic actions that make up the mechanism of developmental is dialectic in character. Due to this, it is therefore directional and non-reversible. From the above information, we can thus conclude that the embodied actions are as a result of the human body and how it relates to the environment that surrounds it. On the other hand, relational- development theory is an embodiment theory proposing that the psychological change that occurs in a human being is through the partial success or partial failures of any organized actions. The reason for this is because the actions occur in both socio-cultural and biological context.
References
Görlitz, D. (1998). Children, cities, and psychological theories: developing relationships. Berlin:
Walter de Gruyter.
