ABSTRACT
Researchers investigate children's typical and atypical development, the presence of variation and how particular characteristics of children and the environment contribute to different developmental trajectories, using a variety of methods. Interested families were recruited from two centers for preschool-aged children. The home visits started by informing families of their rights as a participant and obtaining their consent. All observations began with a child–mother observation, which lasted for approximately 18–20 minutes, followed by child–father observation, which lasted for approximately 12–15 minutes, and took place at either the dining table or a play table in the living room. Field experiments combine naturalistic observation and experimental control by studying the consequences of a systematic change in a natural environment for child and adult behavior. Many factors can influence observations of children. Children may be shy or have trouble understanding verbal instructions in an unfamiliar setting.
