EditorialOpen Access
Why Developmental Science? The Case for an Integrative Science of Human Becoming
Fredah Mainah, PhD[0009-0009-7949-523X]
SPIRAL With Fredah LLC
Journal
Journal of Developmental Science
Volume/Issue
Vol. 1, No. 1 (2026)
Pages
pp. 6–8
Abstract
This editorial introduces the Journal of Developmental Science and makes the case for Developmental Science as a distinct, integrative discipline. The author argues that the fragmentation of human development research across psychology, neuroscience, education, and organizational science has created a gap — a gap that Developmental Science is uniquely positioned to fill. Drawing on the SPIRAL framework and the author's lived experience as a transformation leader, this editorial articulates the intellectual foundations, disciplinary boundaries, and scholarly ambitions of the new journal.
Further Reading
Works for further study on the themes of this article.
- Baltes, P. B. (1987). Theoretical propositions of life-span developmental psychology: On the dynamics between growth and decline. Developmental Psychology, 23(5), 611-626. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.23.5.611
- Bronfenbrenner, U. (1977). Toward an experimental ecology of human development. American Psychologist, 32(7), 513-531. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.32.7.513
- Bronfenbrenner, U., & Morris, P. A. (2007). The bioecological model of human development. In Handbook of Child Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470147658.chpsy0114
- Cairns, R. B. (1992). The making of a developmental science: The contributions and intellectual heritage of James Mark Baldwin. Developmental Psychology, 28(1), 17-24. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.28.1.17
- Gottlieb, G. (2005). Probabilistic epigenesis of development. In Handbook of Developmental Psychology (pp. 3-17). https://doi.org/10.4135/9781848608306.n1
- Magnusson, D., & Cairns, R. B. (1996). Developmental science: Toward a unified framework. In Developmental Science (pp. 7-30). https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511571114.003
- Overton, W. F. (2013). A new paradigm for developmental science: Relationism and relational-developmental systems. Applied Developmental Science, 17(2), 94-107. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2013.778717
- Sameroff, A. (2010). A unified theory of development: A dialectic integration of nature and nurture. Child Development, 81(1), 6-22. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01378.x
Books by Our Authors
Titles by the authors of this issue and by the press's founder.
- Fredah Mainah, PhD. The Outlier: What the Exception Knows About the Rule. SPIRAL Academic Press. ISBN 9798997881993.
- Fredah Mainah, PhD. Every Day Philosophy For The Common Citizen. Independently published. ISBN 9798696131054.
Keywords
developmental sciencehuman developmentintegrative disciplineSPIRAL frameworklifespan development