ABSTRACT

This comprehensive guide offers a rich introduction to research methods, experimental design and data analysis techniques in developmental science, emphasizing the importance of an understanding of this area of psychology for any student or researcher interested in examining development across the lifespan.

The expert contributors enhance the reader’s knowledge base, understanding of methods, and critical thinking skills in their area of study. They cover development from the prenatal period to adolescence and old age, and explore key topics including the history of developmental research, ethics, animal models, physiological measures, eye-tracking, and computational and robotics models. They accessibly explore research measures and design in topics including gender identity development, the influence of neighborhoods, mother-infant attachment relationships, peer relationships in childhood, prosocial and moral development patterns, developmental psychopathology and social policy, and the examination of memory across the lifespan. Each chapter ends with a summary of innovations in the field over the last ten years, giving students and interested researchers a thorough overview of the field and an idea of what more is to come.

Conducting Research in Developmental Psychology is essential reading for upper-level undergraduate or graduate students seeking to understand a new area of developmental science, developmental psychology, and human development. It will also be of interest to junior researchers who would like to enhance their knowledge base in a particular area of developmental science, human development, education, biomedical science, or nursing.

chapter 1|25 pages

A Century of Research in Child Development

The Emergence of a New Science

chapter 2|14 pages

Overimitation across Development

The Influence of Individual and Contextual Factors

chapter 10|14 pages

Social Ecological Influences

The Role of Residential Neighborhoods in the Development of Children and Youth

chapter 11|9 pages

Measuring Peer Relationships During Childhood

Exploring the Benefits of Using Peer Nominations

chapter 14|11 pages

Translational Science

Developmental Psychopathology and Social Policy