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Managing affordances in a complex world depends on social and cultural factors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2026

Kathleen H. Corriveau Open the ORCID record for Kathleen H. Corriveau [Opens in a new window] ,
Rebekah A. Richert ,
Benjamin D. Jee Open the ORCID record for Benjamin D. Jee [Opens in a new window] ,
Florencia K. Anggoro  and
John D. Coley Open the ORCID record for John D. Coley [Opens in a new window]
Kathleen H. Corriveau*
Affiliation:
Boston University, Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, Boston, MA, US kcorriv@bu.edu
Rebekah A. Richert
Affiliation:
University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, US rebekah.richert@ucr.edu
Benjamin D. Jee
Affiliation:
Worcester State University, Worcester, MA, US bjee@worcester.edu
Florencia K. Anggoro
Affiliation:
College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA, US fanggoro@holycross.edu
John D. Coley
Affiliation:
Northeastern University, Boston, MA, US j.coley@northeastern.edu
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

Ko and Neuberg present a valuable framework for understanding how environmental affordances are managed as goals shift across life stages. We review research highlighting the importance of not only the individual’s shifting relation to the environment but also the level of opacity of the to-be-learned information and the reciprocal social and cultural interaction between the learner and the teacher as well. We argue that focusing on these social and cultural aspects of development is critical to understanding such ecological affordances.

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Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 49 , 2026 , e63
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press

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