On the Relatedness and Nestedness of Constraints

Sports Med Open. 2019 Feb 11;5(1):6. doi: 10.1186/s40798-019-0178-z.

Abstract

The purpose of this opinion paper is providing a platform for explaining and discussing the relatedness and nestedness of constraints on the basis of four claims: (a) task constraints are distributed between the person and the environment and hence are relational variables, (b) being relational, task constraints are also emergent properties of the organism/environment system, (c) constraints are nested in timescales, and (d) a vast set of constraints are correlated through circular causality. Theoretical implications for improving the understanding of the constraints-led approach and practical applications for enhancing the manipulation of constraints in learning and training settings are proposed.

Keywords: Circular causality; Constraints-led approach; Fast-changing constraints; Nested organization; Perceived affordances; Slow-changing constraints; Task constraints; Timescales.