Abstract— All sciences use models of some variety to understand complex phenomena. In developmental science, however, modeling is mostly limited to linear, algebraic descriptions of behavioral data. Some researchers have suggested that complex mathematical models of developmental phenomena are a viable (even necessary) tool that provide fertile ground for developing and testing theory as well as for generating new hypotheses and predictions. This article explores the concerns, attitudes, and historical trends that underlie the tension between two cultures: one in which computational simulations of behavior are an important complement to observation and experimentation and another that emphasizes evidence from behavioral experiments and linear models enhanced by verbal descriptions. This tension is explored as a dialogue among three characters: Ed (Experimental Developmentalist), Mira (Modeling Inclusive Research Advocate), and Phil (Philosopher of Science).

中文翻译：

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建模还是不建模？关于计算建模在发展科学中的作用的对话。

摘要-所有科学都使用各种模型来理解复杂的现象。然而，在发展科学中，建模主要限于行为数据的线性代数描述。一些研究人员认为，发育现象的复杂数学模型是一种可行（甚至必要）的工具，可为发展和检验理论以及产生新的假设和预测提供肥沃的土壤。本文探讨了造成两种文化之间紧张关系的担忧、态度和历史趋势：一种是行为的计算模拟是观察和实验的重要补充，另一种则强调行为实验和线性模型的证据，这些证据通过口头描述得到增强。这种紧张关系被视为三个角色之间的对话：