Life-Span Developmental Psychology

Dealing with the methodological and data analytic problems in developmental research, this book presents solutions advanced from the disciplinary perspectives of psychology, behavior analysis and behavioral systems, sociology, and anthropology. Topics addressed include: * the metatheoretical issues about the relationship between data and theory * the identification and analysis of age, cohort, and time-of-measurement effects * the assessment of quantitative and qualitative change * the use of group and single-subject designs for control by systematic variation * the use of systems methodology to investigate the developmental continuity and organization of behavior * the analysis of data from repeated measures designs * the use of structural equations and path analysis to test causal hypotheses * the use of structured relational matrices to study development and change This unique volume offers students an unusually wide range of research tools for identifying and studying specific developmental problems.

Contents: H.W. Reese, The Data/Theory Dialectic: The Nature of Scientific Progress. R.M. Stewart, Reflections on a "Model" Approach to Metapsychology. K.W. Schaie, Developmental Designs Revisited. J.S. Jackson, T.C. Antonucci, Survey Methodology in Life-Span Human Development Research. M. Perone, Single-Subject Designs and Developmental Psychology. M.G. Trend, Notes from the Field: On Coordinated Use of Quantitative and Qualitative Data. R.D. Ray, D.J. Delprato, Behavioral Systems Methodology: Investigating Continuity and Organization in Developmental Interactions. A. Podolefsky, Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Management: Some Recent Innovations in the Management and Analysis of Field Notes. C. Hertzog, Repeated Measures Analysis in Developmental Research: What Our ANOVA Text Didn't Tell Us. J.J. McArdle, J.R. Nesselroade, Using Multivariate Data to Structure Developmental Change.