Whence Malleability? Gottlieb's Ducklings, Operant Contingency, and the Social Manifold

Abstract

Gottlieb’s (1991) target article represents a milestone in our understanding of the impact of social experience on developmental malleability. Interactions across the species-typical and operant behavior categories are increasingly understood to exist. The social contingencies present in the normal species-typical developmental manifold are likely powerful contributors to malleability, development, and evolution.