# Developmental Priors **Domain:** Developmental Cognition / Predictive Processing / Learning **Doc Type:** Concept Node **Maturity:** Developed ## Definition **Developmental priors** are structural biases, capacities, constraints and learning dynamics present before or early in experience that influence which world-models become easy, difficult or salient to acquire. The term does not reduce a person to genes or temperament. Development unfolds through continuous coupling among biological disposition, embodiment, caregivers, language, culture, reward, trauma, opportunity and self-directed revision. ## Analytical Role Developmental priors prevent a false binary between “born this way” and “made by the environment.” A prior can bias learning without fixing an endpoint. An environment can amplify, redirect or suppress a tendency without creating the entire underlying capacity. ## Westworld Interface Child William in [[wiki/Westworld S3E6 — The Model Beneath the Model|Decoherence]] establishes that violent capacity preceded the park while leaving its causes and future meaning open. [[wiki/Causal Story Capture|Causal Story Capture]] begins when an early feature is converted from explanation into destiny. ## See Also [[wiki/Model Beneath the Model|Model Beneath the Model]] · [[wiki/Unpopulated Model|Unpopulated Model]] · [[wiki/Biological Bootloader|Biological Bootloader]] · [[wiki/Predictive Processing|Predictive Processing]] · [[wiki/Causal Story Capture|Causal Story Capture]]