Gibsonian ecological theory of development

The Gibsonian ecological theory of development is a theory of development that was created by American psychologist Eleanor J. Gibson during the 1960s and 1970s. Gibson emphasized the importance of environment and context in learning and, together with husband and fellow psychologist James J. Gibson, argued that perception was crucial as it allowed humans to adapt to their environments. Gibson stated that "children learn to detect information that specifies objects, events, and layouts in the world that they can use for their daily activities".[1] Thus, humans learn out of necessity. Children are information "hunter–gatherers",[2] gathering information in order to survive and navigate in the world.

  1. ^ Miller, P. (2002). Theories of Developmental Psychology (4th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.
  2. ^ Miller, 2002