Development of meaning making: A dynamic systems approach

The development of meaning making can be seen as a central aspect of the development of self and identity in adolescence and adulthood. Current theories in this area offer descriptions of different developmental stages, but little is known about the factors and mechanisms involved in the developmental process. In this article a conceptual model is presented of these factors and mechanisms, Because descriptive models are too general to permit detailed descriptions of the process or the formulation of specific hypotheses for the validation of the model, the model has been translated into a quantitative dynamic systems model which allows the developmental process to be simulated. The developmental trajectories generated by the model can be compared with the theoretical ideas and empirical data concerning the development of meaning making. The simulated trajectories of the development of meaning making show a good fit with both the theory and the available data. This means that the assumptions about the factors and mechanisms in the developmental process on which the model has been based have at least some validity. In addition, the simulations generate new hypotheses about the process. It is concluded that quantitative dynamic systems models offer a useful way of exploring the validity of theoretical notions about developmental processes. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved