Chaos or nonlinear dynamics: Implications for reading research

Abstract

Chaos theory, or the study of nonlinear systems, is a rapidly growing area. The theory of chaos can be defined as being the study of complex, disorderly phenomena with the view that such systems exhibit an underlying deterministic behavior. While traditionally most of this work has been related to research in the physical sciences, particularly in the field of physics, recently there have developed new ideas involving chaos and the social sciences. This paper discusses chaos theory for reading and literacy research.