DYNAMICS OF DAILY-LIFE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT

The present paper summarizes a first attempt to capture dynamics of da ily life in its natural context and to explore new methods for assessm ent of life-styles. There exists a rapidly growing interest in interdi sciplinary research on complex system's dynamics, based upon tools der ived from chaos theory and synergetics. However, given the poor qualit y of psychological data, simpler methodologies, being able to reflect complex systems dynamics, have to be developed. Data from diaries of 1 0 subjects collected by means of pocket computers over 3 months, 4 tim es a day, in natural environments were analyzed. Boolean descriptions of configurations of multiple variables proved to be an interesting al ternative to correlational analyses. Dynamics were explored through pl ots of phase spaces, attractors, basins of attraction and indexes of c omplexity. Consistent differences between typical and stable versus at ypical and vulnerable life-styles were identified. Similar macroscopic rules were found to contribute to self-organization of life-styles th rough reciprocal processes of emergence and slaving.