The Structure and Development of Adaptive Behaviors

Keith F. Widaman, Sharon A. Borthwick-Duffy, Todd D. Little

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the adaptive behavior domain. It discusses the implications of extant research for theory development. The chapter emphasizes three main topics; (1) determining the structure of adaptive behaviors, (2) estimating lifespan developmental trends for the growth, maintenance, and aging of adaptive behaviors, and (3) investigating factors that may modify or moderate the development and aging of adaptive behaviors. A multidimensional representation of the adaptive behavior domain, including several adaptive behavior factors and the factors of maladaptive behavior, is adequate to study the structure of adaptive behaviors; the finding that different types of adaptive behaviors exhibit different life-span developmental trends strengthens this multifactorial structure. Considering all of these issues will lead in the direction of a fuller understanding of the life-span development of adaptive and maladaptive behaviors.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-54
Number of pages54
JournalInternational Review of Research in Mental Retardation
Volume17
Issue numberC
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 1991

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