The Contributions of Paul B. Baltes to the Transformation of the Field of Child Development: From Developmental Psychology to Developmental Science

Abstract

The scientific contributions and professional leadership of Paul B. Baltes were key bases for the emergence of “developmental science,” an integrative, multidisciplinary approach to human development that uses dynamic, developmental systems models to describe, explain, and optimize the course of human life. This article explains how, from the late 1960s through the 1980s, Baltes promoted this transformation by influencing changes in the theories, concepts, and methods central in the field of child development. The enduring influence of the work of Baltes on child development theory and method is documented by reference to the publication of the sixth edition of the Handbook of Child Psychology. This handbook serves as a sample case of the cutting edge of contemporary developmental science and of the continued impact of Baltes' scholarship on research and applications aimed at understanding and promoting positive human development across the life span.

The preparation of this article was supported in part by grants from the National 4-H Council and the John Templeton Foundation. I thank Alexandra Freund, Nicole Zarrett, Erin Phelps, Jacqueline V. Lerner, and two anonymous reviewers for their comments.

Notes

¹Another focus for this history could be the role that Paul Baltes played in moving all of American developmental science in the direction of a life-span perspective to research and application. One significant facet in this history is Baltes' key role in the creation and sustainability of the Society for the Study of Human Development, an organization that reflects and advances his vision of developmental science.

²It would be interesting to use the Baltes model of selection, optimization, and compensation (SOC; Baltes, 1997; Baltes & Baltes, 1990; Freund & Baltes, 2002) to frame an analysis of the history of actions taken by Paul Baltes and colleagues to envision and enact this strategy.

³Indeed, the positive contributions he made to the lives and careers of the literally hundreds of people he mentored is another way to recount the history of the enduring influence of Paul Baltes to developmental science.