ABSTRACT
The random coefficient model has been applied extensively in many different research settings in recent years. In the social sciences, the model has proven to be especially valuable for the study of individual differences in repeated measures problems or longitudinal studies. The main appeal of the method is that the process of change is described for each individual, an approach that is especially natural in the study of behavior. At the same time, the model also represents average change in the population, and connects average change with the collection of developmental patterns for individuals. Characteristics of development can be further accounted by covariates such as demographic variables, achievement, or health status, which may be important in explaining individual differences in development.
