What suppositions do the three families of theories make regarding development?
A theory's suppositions refer to its answers to three questions regarding development:
1) Active or passive: Is a person active in shaping her own environment, or is she a passive recipient of the environmental influences?
2) Nature or nurture: Does the theory claim more affect from genetics and heredity (nature) or from the environment (nurture)?
3) Continuity or discontinuity: Are there phases (emphasizing development in leaps) or no phases (development is a stable, continuous method)?