Developmental Science provides an account of the basic principles of the new developmental synthesis. A group of eminent scientists from sociology, psychiatry, psychology, public health, social ecology, and psychobiology believe that a fresh, interdisciplinary orientation is required to achieve progress on critical issues of behavioral theory, method, and application.

Toward this end, they formed the Carolina Consortium on Human Development in 1987 as part of an advanced institute for the study of development, the Center for Developmental Science.

This book grew from that long-term collaboration. In addition to the collaborative statement, individual chapters outline implications of the orientation for method and theory in traditional disciplines. The chapters address specific developmental issues, varying across time frames, methodologies, disciplines, cultures, and even species. They provide an inside look at the basic issues that confront modern social and behavioral study, including its strengths and problems.