Quantum Character

摘要

Lerner and Schmid Callina [this issue], in their article "The Study of Character Development: Towards Tests of a Relational Developmental Systems Model," propose to advance research on specifically the development of character by proposing a theoretical framework of particular value, namely a relational developmental systems (RDS) model [Overton & Mueller, 2013]. The justification lies in the understanding that character is developmental, multidimensional, and dynamic. Hence the traditional taxonomic approaches that simply list the sub-categories of character are insufficient to fully capture the ontogenetic complexity of character. I recall chiding Marty Seligman when the Character Strengths and Virtues handbook [Peterson & Seligman, 2004], of which I was a contributing author, was first published that there was a dearth of developmental theory in this model. It impressively described and mapped the terrain of character, but not how it developed. Lerner and Schmid Callina have rightfully diagnosed this same problem still existing a decade later. And this attempt to begin the discussion of how to think about the overall development of character is therefore welcome and important.