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The missing link in the WILD agenda: Anchoring developmental science in globalizing non-WEIRD societies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 July 2026

Shaocong Ma Open the ORCID record for Shaocong Ma [Opens in a new window]  and
Eva E. Chen Open the ORCID record for Eva E. Chen [Opens in a new window]
Shaocong Ma
Affiliation:
Division of Social Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the People’s Republic of China mary.ma@connect.ust.hk https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=n0ptXgMAAAAJ&hl=en
Eva E. Chen*
Affiliation:
College of Education, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu City, Taiwan Republic of China evachen@gapp.nthu.edu.tw https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=r49GW70AAAAJ&hl=en
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

This commentary extends the WILD framework to societies undergoing rapid industrialization and globalization. We demonstrate how children in these societies form close attachments to extended kin and non-kin members, consistent with local cultural values and modern societal demands and in contrast to the core assumptions of attachment theory. These caregiving ecologies showcase the functional plasticity of the human developmental system.

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Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 49 , 2026 , e270
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press

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