ABSTRACT
Many theories of development rely implicitly on a backward extrapolation strategy, in which the theorist's knowledge of the mature end state directs his conception of the developmental process (as Flavell, 1963, points out in the case of Piaget). Unfortunately, most developmentalists fail to characterize the end state in a rigorous manner, relying instead on intuitions and introspections. This has serious consequences, for if one's notions about the end products of development are awry, they can misdirect one's conception of the developmental process as well.
