This volume brings together both senior and more junior researchers involved in the study of dynamical systems. Their chapters, revealing both mathematical rigor and scientific synthesis, will interest developmentalists and methodologists.

Karl M. Newell, Peter C.M. Molenaar

Contents: Preface. K.M. Newell, P.C.M. Molenaar, Introduction: Modeling Development as Dynamical Systems. Part I: Physical Growth and Motor Development.M. Lampl, M.L. Johnson, Normal Human Growth as Saltatory: Adaptation Through Irregularity. P. Fitzpatrick, Modeling Coordination Dynamics in Development. K.M. Newell, Degrees of Freedom and the Development of Postural Center of Pressure Profiles. Part II: Cognitive Development.R.W. Thatcher, A Predator-Prey Model of Human Cerebral Development. P. van Geert, Dynamic Modeling of Cognitive and Language Development: From Growth Processes to Sudden Jumps and Multimodality. H.L.J. van der Maas, The Dynamical and Statistical Properties of Cognitive Strategies: Relations Between Strategies, Attractors, and Latent Classes. Part III: Development of Communication.P.H. Been, Nonlinear Dynamics of Brain Regions and the Design of Neuronal Growth-Cycle-Based Cognitive Tasks. D. Newtson, Dynamical Systems and the Structure of Behavior. R.C. Schmidt, B. O'Brien, Modeling Interpersonal Coordination Dynamics: Implications for a Dynamical Theory of Developing Systems. Part IV: Methods in Dynamical Systems and Development.S.M. Pincus, Approximate Entropy (ApEn) as a Regularity Measure. P.C.M. Molenaar, M.E.J. Raymakers, Fitting Nonlinear Dynamical Models Directly to Observed Time Series.