DETECTING AND MODELING DEVELOPMENTAL TRANSITIONS

Catastrophe theory can be very useful in research concerning developme ntal transitions. It provides a number of canonical transition models as well as criteria which can be used for the detection of transitions in experimental research. In this contribution the relevance of using catastrophe theory in cognitive developmental research is discussed. In particular, emphasis is placed on the detection criteria and their operationalizations in conservation research, as well as to fitting te chniques for canonical transition models with respect to their applica bility and robustness.