Eco-transactional behavioral research

J Prim Prev. 1992 Sep;13(1):37-72. doi: 10.1007/BF01341780.

Abstract

Over the past few years, developmental and community theorists have begun speculating about and researching transactional and ecological processes. Rather than just focus on individual-unit phenomena, the transactional theorists point to reciprocal effects of different systems such that people are influenced and influence others over long periods of time. Ecological theorists have identified interrelationships between different systems or ecologies. Although behavioral investigators frequently study more attribute-type phenomena, methods invented to capture behavior change could be used to analyze transactional and ecological processes. In this paper, an attempt is made to explain the behavioral methodologies that could be used to help investigators better understand transactions and ecological processes.