3/24/2022
Bronfenbrenner’s Person-Process-Context-time (PPCT)
bio-ecological systems theory
Developmental Psychology
PSYC2020A
Words: 1721
Talia Liebovitz
UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND
, Bronfenbrenner described development as an interaction between individuals and their
environments (Rosa & Tudge, 2013). He established a bioecological model in the form of
Process-Person-Context-Time (PPCT) theory as an extension of his original theoretical
model, ecological systems theory. The mature theory assumes that these four factors
influence human development simultaneously. It holds that researchers should study both
the settings in which developing individuals spend time and the associations they form with
other individuals in those settings (Rosa & Tudge, 2013). Furthermore, it is necessary to
examine the characteristics of an individual, how they develop over time, and the
mechanisms that aid this development. Through this essay I will contextualise
Bronfenbrenner’s theory by applying it to Lunga from the ITV television series 28UP South
Africa. I will also explain the different aspects of the theory in depth while incorporating the
advantages and disadvantages.
A central part of bioecological theory is the notion that each individual plays a role in their
own development through proximal processes (Rosa & Tudge, 2013). In the course of
human development, a person is increasingly interconnected with the people, objects, and
symbols around them (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2007). Proximal processes can enable
genetic potential to be realised and enhanced. When conditions are more stable and
favourable, proximal processes will be more likely to produce developmental competence,
but in unstable and unfavourable environments, they will prevent or delay developmental
dysfunction results (Rosa & Tudge, 2013). Proximal processes, however, vary depending on
the individual and the context. The joint functions of the characteristics of the developing
person, the environment in which they are in, the nature of the developmental outcomes
under consideration, and the historical period during which the person has lived, effect a
person’s development (Tudge et al., 2009).
Lunga started off in unfavourable circumstances as he lived in a small township on the
outskirts of Durban near the end of apartheid. However, his circumstances were able to
change as he grew older and the country began to take on a new rule of law. At 7 years old,
Lunga was one of the first black township children to be admitted into a white government
school (Al Jazeera, 2014). The interactions he had at school and in his township influenced
the way in which he behaved and thought. While he found it quite challenging to fit in at
home and at school as they were quite different, he kept his head up and did his best to
blend in and participate with the other children (Al Jazeera, 2014). When he went to
university at 21 years old, he found that his studies were not as important to him as fitting
Bronfenbrenner’s Person-Process-Context-time (PPCT)
bio-ecological systems theory
Developmental Psychology
PSYC2020A
Words: 1721
Talia Liebovitz
UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND
, Bronfenbrenner described development as an interaction between individuals and their
environments (Rosa & Tudge, 2013). He established a bioecological model in the form of
Process-Person-Context-Time (PPCT) theory as an extension of his original theoretical
model, ecological systems theory. The mature theory assumes that these four factors
influence human development simultaneously. It holds that researchers should study both
the settings in which developing individuals spend time and the associations they form with
other individuals in those settings (Rosa & Tudge, 2013). Furthermore, it is necessary to
examine the characteristics of an individual, how they develop over time, and the
mechanisms that aid this development. Through this essay I will contextualise
Bronfenbrenner’s theory by applying it to Lunga from the ITV television series 28UP South
Africa. I will also explain the different aspects of the theory in depth while incorporating the
advantages and disadvantages.
A central part of bioecological theory is the notion that each individual plays a role in their
own development through proximal processes (Rosa & Tudge, 2013). In the course of
human development, a person is increasingly interconnected with the people, objects, and
symbols around them (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2007). Proximal processes can enable
genetic potential to be realised and enhanced. When conditions are more stable and
favourable, proximal processes will be more likely to produce developmental competence,
but in unstable and unfavourable environments, they will prevent or delay developmental
dysfunction results (Rosa & Tudge, 2013). Proximal processes, however, vary depending on
the individual and the context. The joint functions of the characteristics of the developing
person, the environment in which they are in, the nature of the developmental outcomes
under consideration, and the historical period during which the person has lived, effect a
person’s development (Tudge et al., 2009).
Lunga started off in unfavourable circumstances as he lived in a small township on the
outskirts of Durban near the end of apartheid. However, his circumstances were able to
change as he grew older and the country began to take on a new rule of law. At 7 years old,
Lunga was one of the first black township children to be admitted into a white government
school (Al Jazeera, 2014). The interactions he had at school and in his township influenced
the way in which he behaved and thought. While he found it quite challenging to fit in at
home and at school as they were quite different, he kept his head up and did his best to
blend in and participate with the other children (Al Jazeera, 2014). When he went to
university at 21 years old, he found that his studies were not as important to him as fitting
