The DOI matches its Crossref record; 41 of the 42 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Urie Bronfenbrenner's Theory of Human Development: Its Evolution From Ecology to Bioecology
Open accessAbstract
We describe the evolution, over three phases, of Bronfenbrenner's theory from an ecological to a bioecological theory. Phase 1 (1973–1979) culminated in the publication of The Ecology of Human Development (1979). Phase 2 (1980–1993) saw almost immediate modifications to the theory, with more attention paid to the role of the individual and greater concern with developmental processes. In Phase 3 (1993–2006), proximal processes were defined and placed at the heart of bioecological theory, and from 1998, the Process‐Person‐Context‐Time ( PPCT ) model was described as the theory's appropriate research design. Given the extent of these changes, and to avoid theoretical incoherence, scholars should be cautious about stating that their research is based on Bronfenbrenner's theory without specifying which version they are using .
Overview
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“These iterations were developed across three distinct phases: (a) 1973-1979, (b) 1983-1993, and (c) 1993-2006 (Rosa & Tudge, 2013).”
From Technologizing Bronfenbrenner: Neo-ecological Theory. (2023) · cites this paper as Rosa & Tudge, 2013
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Bronfenbrenner’s theory, being fully developed by the turn of the century (Rosa & Tudge, 2013), did not consider the impact of developing in the digital age.”
From Technologizing Bronfenbrenner: Neo-ecological Theory. (2023) · cites this paper as Rosa & Tudge, 2013
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Citations
Cites
The Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by Nature and Design
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979) · Harvard University Press eBooks · doi:10.4159/9780674028845 · Cited by 26,084
The ecology of human development : experiments by nature and design
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979) · Cited by 12,580
Toward an experimental ecology of human development.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1977) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.32.7.513 · Cited by 10,853
Ecology of the family as a context for human development: Research perspectives.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1986) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037/0012-1649.22.6.723 · Cited by 7,684
The Bioecological Model of Human Development
Bronfenbrenner, U., & Morris, P. A. (2007) · Handbook of Child Psychology · doi:10.1002/9780470147658.chpsy0114 · Cited by 5,760 · cited 21×
“…process indicated that he considered them as almost always acting in a positive way on developmental outcomes, whether by promoting outcomes of competence or by diminishing the possibility of dysfunctional outcomes (1994; Bronfenbrenner & Ceci, 1993, 1994; Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 1998, 2006).”
BackgroundMethodResultInfluential(1994) · Cited by 3,556
Bronfenbrenner, U. (2000) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1037/10518-046 · Cited by 3,197
Nature-nurture reconceptualized in developmental perspective: A bioecological model.
Bronfenbrenner, U., & Ceci, S. J. (1994) · Psychological Review · doi:10.1037/0033-295x.101.4.568 · Cited by 2,973
Contexts of child rearing: Problems and prospects.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.34.10.844 · Cited by 1,885
The international encyclopedia of education
Watson, K. (1994) · International Journal of Educational Development · doi:10.1016/0738-0593(94)90060-4 · Cited by 1,487
Developmental ecology through space and time: A future perspective.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (2004) · American Psychological Association eBooks · doi:10.1037/10176-018 · Cited by 1,447
Theoretical models of human development
Lerner, R. M., & Damon, W. (1998) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 1,319
Bronfenbrenner, U., & Evans, G. W. (2000) · Social Development · doi:10.1111/1467-9507.00114 · Cited by 1,302
International Encyclopedia of Education
(1986) · Oxford Review of Education · doi:10.1080/0305498860120107 · Cited by 1,261
Environments in developmental perspective: Theoretical and operational models.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1999) · American Psychological Association eBooks · doi:10.1037/10317-001 · Cited by 1,243
Children of the Great Depression
Elder, G. H. (2018) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780429501739-14 · Cited by 1,016
Examining lives in context: Perspectives on the ecology of human development.
(1995) · American Psychological Association eBooks · doi:10.1037/10176-000 · Cited by 970
Uses and Misuses of Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Theory of Human Development
Tudge, J. R. H., Mokrova, I., Hatfield, B. E., & Karnik, R. B. (2009) · Journal of Family Theory & Review · doi:10.1111/j.1756-2589.2009.00026.x · Cited by 879
Self-citationDevelopmental Research, Public Policy, and the Ecology of Childhood
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1974) · Child Development · doi:10.2307/1127743 · Cited by 848
The Ecology of Cognitive Development: Research Models and Fugitive Findings
Bronfenbrenner, U. (2014) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9781315051888-17 · Cited by 576
Ecological factors in human development
McGurk, H. (1977) · Elsevier eBooks · Cited by 451
Midwest and its children: The psychological ecology of an American town.
Barker, R. G., & Wright, H. F. (1954) · doi:10.1037/10027-000 · Cited by 345
Recent Advances in Research on the Ecology of Human Development
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1986) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-662-02475-1_15 · Cited by 322
Interacting systems in human development: Research paradigms: Present and future.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1988) · Cited by 310
Human Development, Bioecological Theory of
Bronfenbrenner, U. (2001) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b0-08-043076-7/00359-4 · Cited by 303
Bioecological Theory of Human Development
Waugh, M., & Guhn, M. (2014) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_3438 · Cited by 289
The bioecological model from a life course perspective: Reflections of a participant observer.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (2004) · American Psychological Association eBooks · doi:10.1037/10176-017 · Cited by 238
Authoritative parenting and adolescent adjustment: An ecological journey.
Steinberg, L. D., Darling, N. E., & Fletcher, A. C. (2004) · American Psychological Association eBooks · doi:10.1037/10176-012 · Cited by 227
The Experimental Ecology of Education
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1976) · Educational Researcher · doi:10.2307/1174755 · Cited by 170
Parental Attitudes and Child Behavior.
Work, H. H. (1962) · Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine · doi:10.1001/archpedi.1962.02080020113032 · Cited by 148
Lewinian Space and Ecological Substance
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1977) · Journal of Social Issues · doi:10.1111/j.1540-4560.1977.tb02533.x · Cited by 139
The Experimental Ecology of Education
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1976) · Teachers College Record The Voice of Scholarship in Education · doi:10.1177/016146817607800201 · Cited by 134
Heredity, environment, and the question "How?": A first approximation.
Bronfenbrenner, U., & Ceci, S. J. (1993) · American Psychological Association eBooks · doi:10.1037/10131-015 · Cited by 130
Macro-structural influences on child development and the need for childhood social indicators.
Brim, O. G. (1975) · American Journal of Orthopsychiatry · doi:10.1111/j.1939-0025.1975.tb01182.x · Cited by 118
Developmental Psychology: Historical and Philosophical Perspectives
D., C. P., & Lerner, R. M. (1984) · The American Journal of Psychology · doi:10.2307/1422611 · Cited by 115
Maggino, F. (2023) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-17299-1_301172 · Cited by 108
Shukla, K. C., & Chand, T. (2009) · Commonwealth eBooks · Cited by 60
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1978) · Zeitschrift für Soziologie · doi:10.1515/zfsoz-1978-0101 · Cited by 39
The Ecology of Human Development in Retrospect and Prospect.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1975) · Cited by 35
Brain and intelligence : the ecology of child development
Richardson, F. L. W. (1973) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 23
Tudge, J. R. H. (2013) · doi:10.1093/obo/9780199791231-0112 · Cited by 8
Self-citation
Flagged first, then by citations
1 of the 42 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Research works printed but not linked: 6
- Bronfenbrenner U., 1975, Reality and research in the ecology of human development, Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 119, 439
- Bronfenbrenner U, 1988, Persons in contexts: Developmental processes (pp. 25–49)
- Bronfenbrenner U., 1993, Development in context: Acting and thinking in specific environments, 3
- 10.1037/10176-017 · DOI
- Bronfenbrenner U., 1983, The evolution of environmental models in developmental research. In P. H. Mussen (Series Ed.) & W. Kessen (Vol. Ed.), Handbook of child psychology, Vol. 1:History, theory and methods (4th ed., pp. 357–414)
- S. J. Ceci 1990 Prentice Hall Englewood Cliffs NJ
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Eriksson, M., Ghazinour, M., & Hammarström, A. (2018) · Social Theory & Health · doi:10.1057/s41285-018-0065-6 · Cited by 529
“During the 1970s, Bronfenbrenner named his emerging theory an ‘‘ecological model of human development’’ (Rosa and Tudge 2013). Ecology was defined as a fit between the individual and his/her environment. In order to develop, and not only survive, the fit between the individual and its environment must be even closer (…”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialTechnologizing Bronfenbrenner: Neo-ecological Theory.
Navarro, J. L., & Tudge, J. R. H. (2023) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-022-02738-3 · Cited by 325
Self-citationTong, P., & An, I. S. (2024) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1233925 · Cited by 426
“First, consistent with other scholars’ previous reminders (e.g., Tudge et al., 2009; Rosa and Tudge, 2013; Navarro et al., 2022), we also emphasize on the importance for studies to clearly specify which version of the theory they are adopting and to provide a rationale for their choices.”
BackgroundResultTudge, J. R. H., Payir, A., Merçon‐Vargas, E. A., Cao, H., Liang, Y., Li, J., & O’Brien, L. (2016) · Journal of Family Theory & Review · doi:10.1111/jftr.12165 · Cited by 311
“…theory stemming from Bronfenbrenner’s writings from the 1990s onwards; however, we do not provide detail about the ways in which his theory changed from an ecological to a bioecological theory, as that was briefly discussed in Tudge et al. (2009) and covered in some depth by Rosa and Tudge (2013).”
BackgroundInfluentialSelf-citationThe Process of Eco-Anxiety and Ecological Grief: A Narrative Review and a New Proposal
Pihkala, P. (2022) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su142416628 · Cited by 256
Metadata
- Authors
- Rosa, E. M., & Tudge, J.
- Affiliations
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro (US)
- ORCID
- Tudge, Jonathan
- Venue
- Journal of Family Theory & Review
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2013-12
- Volume
- 5
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 243-258
- ISSN
- 1756-2570 (ISSN-L)
- 1756-2589
- OpenAlex
- W1675192189
- Semantic Scholar
- 5ad78d042a25ab1c40f7ad12f034e7f019951c62
- Cited by
- 775
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 127 · 2025: 99 · 2024: 82 · 2023: 65 · 2022: 76 · 2021: 86 · 2020: 67 · 2019: 48 · 2018: 39 · 2017: 28 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 39.97
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- libres.uncg.edu
- Locations
- Journal of Family Theory & Review (publishedVersion)
- NC Digital Online Collection of Knowledge and Scholarship (The University of North Carolina at Greensboro) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Psychology of Development and Education
- Social Sciences › Education › Early Childhood Education and Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Keywords
- Bronfenbrenner, bioecological model, ecological systems theory, human development theory, proximal processes, Process-Person-Context-Time model, developmental processes
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
