Multi-level periodisation of ontogenesis: Empirical characteristics of organisation levels

Abstract

The periodisation scheme described in both the current and the previous paper is multi-level, since it is based on the concept of the organisation level and, consequently, on the hierarchy of levels that derives from it. The main advantage of such an approach to the issue of periodisation is that it offers the opportunity to describe the course of development of any living creature beginning with the minimal level, i. e. with a ripening egg cell, and finishing with a certain level of organization, which is the limiting for a given biological species. As for non-level and semi-level approaches, they do not provide such an opportunity, and therefore their dominance in modern science impedes further development of psychology.

The presentation of the scheme began in the preceding article (Karandashev 2019) with the traditional concept of a time scale. Further, the concept of the organisation level was introduced and consistently expanded to a hierarchy of levels. And, finally, on the basis of multi-level relative scales, an absolute chronological ontogenesis scale was constructed, leading on to the process of the empirical substantiation of the multi-level ontogenesis periodisation.

This article describes the empirical characteristics of organisation levels. They are organised in a table that includes the following columns: 1) level number, 2) organisation level, 3) formation title, 4) formation explanation, 5) primary function, 6) function explanation, 7) primary period, and 8) age of transition to a new period. The rows of the table are formed by the following organisation levels: (−2) ribonucleic, (−1) genetic, (0) cytological, 1) morphological, 2) physiological, 3) interoceptive, 4) proprioceptive, 5) exteroceptive, 6) attributive, 7) reflexive, 8) cognitive, 9) personal, 10) institutional, and 11) constitutional. Each of the positions located at the intersection of one of the above characteristics with one of the listed organisation levels is subjected to a detailed description, and their combination provides a primary definition of the level in question.