Adolph Karen E
New York University.
Hum Dev. 2020 Jan;63(Suppl 3-4):180-201. doi: 10.1159/000503823. Epub 2019 Nov 12.
The ecological approach is a framework for studying the behavior of animals in their environments. My version of an ecological approach focuses on learning in the context of development. I argue that the most important thing animals learn is behavioral flexibility. They must acquire the ability to flexibly guide their behavior from moment to moment in the midst of developmental changes in their bodies, brains, skills, and environments. They must select, modify, and create behaviors appropriate to the current situation. In essence, animals must learn how to learn. I describe the central concepts and empirical strategies for studying learning in development and use examples of infants coping with novel tasks to give a flavor of what researchers know and still must discover about the functions and processes of learning (to learn) in (not and) development.
生态方法是一种研究动物在其环境中行为的框架。我所采用的生态方法侧重于在发展背景下的学习。我认为动物学习的最重要的事情是行为灵活性。它们必须获得在身体、大脑、技能和环境发生发育变化的过程中，时刻灵活引导自身行为的能力。它们必须选择、修改并创造适合当前情况的行为。本质上，动物必须学会如何学习。我描述了研究发展过程中学习的核心概念和实证策略，并通过婴儿应对新任务的例子，来展现研究人员对于发展过程中学习（学习）的功能和过程已经了解的以及仍有待发现的内容。
