A branch of archaeology which seeks to understand the nature of cultural change by a study of the variables which cause it, usually in a manner characteristic of new archaeology". After scientific observation questions are formulated hypotheses are formed to answer the questions and are then tested against the data. The ultimate aim is the formulation of laws. This approach stresses the dynamic relationship between social and economic aspects of culture and the environment. The earlier functional-processual archaeology has been contrasted with cognitive-processual archaeology where the emphasis is on integrating ideological and symbolic aspects."