ABSTRACT
In this section, the author tackles the processes of development as they are represented in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems model of development. Bronfenbrenner distinguishes between proximal processes and distal processes that shape development. Distal processes include events the person does not directly participate in, those that involve other people and occur in other places, but that shape or influence the ecosystem the person does experience. Proximal processes are the experiences the person actively participates in, including the activities, roles, and relations that make up the microsystem in each setting. Proximal processes also include the psychological processes a person engages in to construct understanding of experience, such as learning, thinking and reading, and to develop skills for engaging with the environment, such as practice and experimentation. The author reviews the importance of proximal processes in understanding how development occurs, and provides illustrations.
