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From Dynamic Systems to 4E Cognition: Esther Thelen’s Contributions to the Clinical Understanding of Child Development

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Vol. 27 (2026)
https://doi.org/10.5354/0719-5346.2026.79089
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Abstract

Esther Thelen (1941–2004) was a dissident who—as a woman doing science in the 1970s—boldly challenged traditional paradigms explaining the development of action, perception, and cognition. Instead, she understood development as a multicausal, nonlinear, and complex process that can be explained through a dynamic systems approach. Her work differs from other perspectives by proposing that all domains of development have equal causal weight, and that cognition emerges from the interaction of body, environment, and task across multiple timescales. This understanding aligns with the core principles of the emerging 4E cognition framework: Embodied, Embedded, Enactive, and Extended. This scoping review explores precursor ideas to the 4E framework found in Thelen’s work and proposes their contribution to a shift in how clinical and neuroscientific approaches conceptualize child development. Thelen’s legacy represents a robust and underrecognized theoretical foundation that connects contemporary neuroscience with a more situated and dynamic view of cognitive processes. Key words: Child Development; Cognition; Dynamical Systems; Cognitive Neuroscience; Embodied Cognition.
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Quezada Donoso, N., & Parada Flores, F. J. (2026). From Dynamic Systems to 4E Cognition: Esther Thelen’s Contributions to the Clinical Understanding of Child Development. Revista Chilena De Terapia Ocupacional, 27, 25. https://doi.org/10.5354/0719-5346.2026.79089
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Revista Chilena de Terapia Ocupacional
Facultad de Medicina
Universidad de Chile
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