Research Methods in Lifespan Development

Research Methods in Lifespan Developmentis the only comprehensive book on the market pertaining to research methods in lifespan development. Its "user friendly" writing style will appeal to students as it is designed to educate, not intimidate, while instructors will appreciate the comprehensive, chronological organization of the book.

Table of Contents:
1. General Research Strategies The Field of Human Development Child Care Arrangements and Development: A Collaborative Study Influences on Development The Field in Summary General Research Methods Initial Planning Defining Hypotheses and Variables Research Designs Using Analog Methods to Study Hard-to-Manipulate Variables Summary of Research Designs Controlling Validity ThreatsThe Subjects-Today's Problems The Subjects-Tomorrow's Problems The Experimenter Controlling Threats to External Validity Summary of Validity Threats Developmental Designs Cross-sectional designs Longitudinal Designs Time-lag designs Modified Developmental Designs Designs and the Real World Developmental Designs and Methods Summary of Developmental Designs Methods of Data Collection Data Collection Strategies I: Addressing "How" Data Collection Strategies II: Addressing "Good" Summary of Methods for Data Collection Chapter Summary/Study Thoughts 2. Participants, Researchers, and Research Settings Sampling and Recruitment Sampling Using Multiple Sampling Strategies to Obtain Sample Diversity Sampling Different Age Groups Recruitment Summary of Sampling and Recruitment Methods Ethical Issues in Human Development Research The Institutional Review Board Informed Consent Risks and Benefits Confidentiality Vulnerable Populations The Effects of Peer Reputation Measures Summary of Ethical Issues The Experimenter Standardization Experimenter Bias Additional Sources of Subject Reactivity Research Settings Common Research Settings The Neighborhood Walk Emerging Rules for Internet Research Summary of Research Settings Chapter Summary/Study Thoughts 3. Newborn and Biobehavioral Assessment Major Methodological Issues Sampling and Recruitment The Importance of Infant State Working with Vulnerable Infants Summary of Methodological Issues Neonatal Assessment Common Perinatal Screening Strategies Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS) Box 3.1-NBAS Training as an Intervention Additional Behavioral Assessment Scales Summary of Newborn Assessment State Regulation and Arousal Infant State Assessment Box 3.2-Using the "Breathing Bear" to Assist the State Regulation of Premature Infants Assessment of Infant Crying Physiological Indices of Arousal and Regulation Temperament Box 3.3-Born to Shy? A Longitudinal Study of Infant Reactivity Summary of State Regulation and Arousal Assessment Growth and Motor Development Physical Growth Motor Development Summary of Growth and Motor Development Chapter Summary 4. Assessing Infant Mental Abilities Assessment of Infant Learning and Information Processing Habituation Box 4.1-Physiological Measures of Habituation and Recognition Memory Expectancy Formation Instrumental Conditioning Object-hiding and Deferred Imitation Paradigms Summary of Infant Learning/Information Processing Assessment Infant Sensation and Perception Touch Box 4.2-When's a Touch Too Much? Infant Massage Therapy Chemical Sensation-Olfaction and Taste Visual Perception Auditory Perception Cross-Modal Transfer Summary of Infant Sensation and Perception Cognition Object Concept Formation Categorization Space, Time, Number Summary of Infant Cognition Methods Testing Infant Mental Development Bayley Scales of Infant Development Battelle Developmental Inventory Summary of Infant Tests of Mental Development Play Assessment Methodological Considerations Infant Free-Play Assessments Elicited Play Assessments Summary of Play Assessment Chapter Summary 5. Assessing Infant Emotional and Social Development Capturing Early Emotional Development Assessing Basic Infant Emotions Cognitive Developmental Status Emotional Elicitors Measuring Emotional Expression and States Box 5.1-Production of Facial Expressions in Infants across Three Cultures Summary of Early Emotional Development Assessing Emotion Regulation Definition and Basic Measurement Strategies Identifying Variables that Antecede Emotion Regulation Summary of Emotion Regulation Assessment Assessing Infant Attachment Definition and Theoretical Issues The Strange Situation Box 5.2-Modifying the Strange Situation Attachment Behavior Q-Set Box 5.3-Is Attachment Security Universally Valued? Variables That Predict Attachment Security/Insecurity The Adult Attachment Interview Adult Attachment Interview-A Brief Overview Associations with Infant Attachment Associations with Caregiver Sensitivity Frightening/Frightened Caregiver Behavior Summary of Adult Attachment Interview Chapter Summary 6. Assessing Cognitive Processes in Children Assessing Cognitive Processes In Children I: Piagetian Techniques Piaget's Theory: A Brief Overview An Introduction to Piagetian Methods Summary of Piagetian Theory/Tasks Assessing Cognitive Processes in Children II: Neo-Piagetian Methods A New Look at Piagetian Tasks Assessing Domain Specific Knowledge Box 6.1-The Museum as a Research Context Assessing Theory of Mind Assessment of Sociodramatic Play Conclusions and Piaget's Legacy Assessing Information Processing in Children Major Components of the Information Processing System Assessing Information Processing Components and Capabilities Information Processing Speed Episodic Buffer Space Assessing the Efficiency of Working Memory Assessing Retrieval Strategies Summary of Information Processing Theory Box 6.2-Assessing Eyewitness Recall in Children Chapter Summary 7. Assessing Intelligence and Language in Children Assessing Child Intellect Group-Administered Intelligence Tests Individual Tests of Intelligence Reliability and Validity of Intelligence Tests Assessing "Total" Intelligence Assessing Child Intellect-A Summary Box 7.1-Does Television Viewing Warp Thinking? Language Assessment Types of Language Assessments Language Development-A Very Brief Landscape Major Considerations in Language Assessment Box 7.2-Assessing Private Speech Screening Infants and Children for Communicative Abilities Comprehensive, Standardized Language Tests Comprehensive Assessment of Language in Naturalistic Settings Summary of Language Assessment Assessing the Cognitive/Linguistic Environments of Children Assessing Adult Mentorship Behavior Beyond the Parent-Child Dyad Assessing Cognitive/Learning Environments-A Summary Chapter Summary 8. Assessing Social Development in Children The Field Of Social Cognition Assessing Social Thinking: Are Children Good Informants? The Field of Social Cognition-A Summary Box 8.1-How to Interview Children Assessing Self-Representation and Self-Esteem Assessing Self-Representation Assessing Self-Esteem Summary of Self-Assessment Assessing Gender-Related Thinking and Behavior Gender-Schema Theory Should Sex be Considered an Independent Variable? Assessing Gender-Related Attitudes and Preferences Assessing Gender Constancy and Gender-Identity Assessing Gender-Related Behavior Summary of Gender-Related Assessments The Assessment of Perspective Taking, Moral Reasoning, Prosocial Behavior, and Emptahy/Sympathy The Assessment of Perspective Taking Assessing Moral Reasoning, Distributive Justice, and Social Conventions Assessing Prosocial Behavior The Assessment of Empathy/Sympathy Assessing Prosocial Reasoning and Behavior-A Summary Assessing Relationships With Others Assessing Child-Caregiver Attachment Assessing Peer Relationships Assessing Relationships with Others-A Summary Box 8.2-Why do Children Become Rejected? Chapter Summary 9. Assessing Adolescent Development I: Biological, Cognitive, and Social Changes Understanding Adolescent Development-A Brief Overview A Contemporary Framework Understanding Adolescent Development-A Summary Assessing Pubertal Development Assessing Hormonal Concentrations Box 9.1-An Event Sampling Method to Document Mood Changes in Adolescents Assessing Pubertal Change and Status Measuring Pubertal Development-A Summary Measuring Cognitive Changes in Adolescence Piaget's Perspective on Adolescent Thought Piaget's Theory and Methods-A Summary Box 9.2-Linking Social and Cognitive Development Assessing Adolescent Information Processing Summary of Cognitive Assessment Assessing Social Change Social Changes in the Family Context Assessing Social Changes in the Peer Group Assessing Adolescent-Adult Transitions Assessing Social Changes-A Summary Chapter Summary 10. Assessing Adolescent Development II: The Developmental Outcomes Attachment and Intimacy Attachment Intimacy Some Remaining Questions Assessing Attachment and Intimacy-A Summary Autonomy Emotional Autonomy Behavioral Autonomy Value Autonomy Box 10.1-Current Issues in Moral Development Research Some Conclusions Regarding Autonomy Assessment Identity Erikson's Theory-A Brief Overview Identity-Methodological and Theoretical Issues Box 10.2-Is Erikson's Theory Developmentally Valid? Some Conclusions Regarding Identity Assessment Achievement Assessing Educational Achievement Assessing Occupational Aspirations Achievement-A Summary Sexuality Locating a Research Context/Sample What to Assess? Some Remaining Methodological/Theoretical Issues Assessing Sexuality-Some Concluding Thoughts Chapter Summary 11. Methodological Issues in Adult Development Research I: Biological and Cognitive Changes Methodological Issues Facing Adult Developmentalists What Influences Development? Sampling Maximizing Data Quality Biology or Environment? Summary Assessing Biological and Health Ramifications of Aging Biology of Aging-Methodological Considerations Health, Disease and Health Risk Summary Stress and Coping-Methodological Issues Stress-Definitional and Methodological Issues Box 11.1-Parents are Hassled: No Kidding Around The Assessment of Coping Summary Adult Cognition Intelligence Box 11.2-Can We Reverse Cognitive Decline? Information Processing and Memory Summary Chapter Summary 12. Methodological Issues in Adult Development Research II: Personality and Social Processes Theoretical and Methodological Approaches to Personality Development Trait Theory/Research Box 12.1-Assessing The Personality of Children Stage Theories of Personality Summary Assessing the Context of Marriage Marital Behavior Marital Cognitions Marital Quality Summary Methodological Issues in Parenting Research What Child Outcomes Should I Predict? Parent Emotional Functioning Parent Cognitions Parenting Styles and Practices Summary Career Development: Methodological and Assessment Issues The Adult Worker-Methodological Issues Theories of Career Development Assessing Career Development Assessing Career Development Outcomes Summary Attachment at Mid- and Later Life: Grandparenting and Intergenerational Relationships The Theoretical Influence of Grandparents Box 12.2-The Intergenerational Effects of Parenting and Attachment Variables that Influence Grandparent-Grandchild Relationships Methodological Issues in Caregiving Summary Chapter Summary