Handbook of Developmental Research Methods

Appropriate for use in developmental research methods or analysis of change courses, this is the first methods handbook specifically designed to meet the needs of those studying development. Leading developmental methodologists present cutting-edge analytic tools and describe how and when to use them, in accessible, nontechnical language. They also provide valuable guidance for strengthening developmental research with designs that anticipate potential sources of bias. Throughout the chapters, research examples demonstrate the procedures in action and give readers a better understanding of how to match research questions to developmental methods. The companion website (www.guilford.com/laursen-materials) supplies data and program syntax files for many of the chapter examples.

Table of Contents:
I. Measurement and Design 1. Foundational Issues of Design and Measurement in Developmental Research, Scott M. Hofer, Valgeir Thorvaldsson, and Andrea M. Piccinin 2. Causal Inference, Identification, and Plausibility, E. Michael Foster 3. Accelerated Longitudinal Designs, Susan C. Duncan and Terry E. Duncan 4. Time-Scale-Dependent Longitudinal Designs, Theodore A. Walls, William D. Barta, Robert S. Stawski, Charles E. Collyer, and Scott M. Hofer 5. Event Frequency Measurement, Brett Laursen, Jaap Denissen, and David F. Bjorklund 6. The Impact of Scaling and Measurement Methods on Individual Differences in Growth, Susan E. Embretson and John Poggio 7. Investigating Factorial Invariance in Longitudinal Data, Roger E. Millsap and Heining Cham II. Approaches to Data Collection 8. Foundational Issues in Longitudinal Data Collection, Lea Pulkkinen and Katja Kokko 9. The Use of Large-Scale Data Sets for the Study of Developmental Science, Pamela Davis-Kean and Justin Jager 10. Telemetrics and Online Data Collection: Collecting Data at a Distance, Joshua Wilt, David M. Condon, and William Revelle 11. Collecting and Analyzing Longitudinal Diary Data, Bernhard Schmitz, Julia Klug, and Silke Hertel 12. Retrospective Methods in Developmental Science, Andrea Follmer Greenhoot 13. Peer Ratings, William M. Bukowski, Antonius H. N. Cillessen, and Ana Maria Velásquez III. Interindividual Longitudinal Analysis 14. Foundational Issues in Investigating Development as Interindividual Variation, Jari-Erik Nurmi 15. Analysis of Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Data: Pinpointing Explanations, Richard Gonzalez, Tianyi Yu, and Brenda Volling 16. Autoregressive and Cross-Lagged Panel Analysis for Longitudinal Data, James P. Selig and Todd D. Little 17. Analyzing Change between Two or More Groups: Analysis of Variance versus Analysis of Covariance, Kamala London and Daniel B. Wright 18. Mediation Models for Developmental Data, Matthew S. Fritz and David P. MacKinnon IV. Intraindividual Longitudinal Analysis 19. Foundational Issues in Intraindividual Longitudinal Analysis, Michael J. Rovine and Lawrence L. Lo 20. Dynamic Factor Analysis and Control of Developmental Processes, Peter C. M. Molenaar and Lawrence L. Lo 21. P-Technique Factor Analysis, Ihno A. Lee and Todd D. Little 22. Hazard, Event History, and Survival Modeling, Margaret K. Keiley, Cassandra Kirkland, Ali Zaremba, and Ashley Anders Jackson V. Combining Interindividual and Intraindividual Longitudinal Analysis 23. Foundational Issues in the Contemporary Modeling of Longitudinal Trajectories, John J. McArdle 24. Growth Curve Modeling from a Structural Equation Modeling Perspective, Kevin J. Grimm and Nilam Ram 25. Growth Curve Modeling from a Multilevel Model Perspective, Joop J. Hox and Jan Boom 26. Nonlinear Growth Modeling, Shelley A. Blozis 27. Group-Based Trajectory Modeling in Developmental Science, Daniel S. Nagin and Candice L. Odgers 28. Longitudinal Mixture Models and the Identification of Archetypes: Action-Adventure, Mystery, Science Fiction, or Romance, Nilam Ram, Kevin J. Grimm, Lisa M. Gatzke-Kopp, and Peter C. M. Molenaar 29. Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling, James A. Bovaird and Leslie H. Shaw VI. Nonindependent Data Analysis 30. Foundational Issues in Nonindependent Data Analysis, William L. Cook 31. Dyadic Data Analyses in a Developmental Context, Robert A. Ackerman, M. Brent Donnellan, Deborah A. Kashy, and Rand D. Conger 32. Applying the Social Relations Model to Developmental Research, Noel A. Card and Russell B. Toomey 33. Analysis of Static Social Networks and Their Developmental Effects, Scott D. Gest and Thomas A. Kindermann 34. Actor-Based Model for Network and Behavior Dynamics, René Veenstra and Christian Steglich VII. Special Topics in Data Analysis 35. Configural Frequency Analysis in Developmental Research, Alexander von Eye, Eun-Young Mun, Richard M. Lerner, Jacqueline V. Lerner, and Edmond P. Bowers 36. Cluster Analysis and Latent Class Clustering Techniques, Christine DiStefano 37. Meta-Analysis in Developmental Science, Marinus H. van IJzendoorn, Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg, and Lenneke R. A. Alink 38. Evaluating Gene–Environment Interplay, Mara Brendgen, Frank Vitaro, and Alain Girard 39. Epidemic Models of the Onset of Social Activities, Joseph Lee Rodgers and Andrey Koval 40. Dynamic Systems, Paul van Geert 41. Planned Missing Data Designs for Developmental Research, Stephen A. Mistler and Craig K. Enders

About the Author :
Brett Laursen, PhD, is Professor of Psychology and Director of Graduate Training at Florida Atlantic University. He is also a Docent Professor of Social Developmental Psychology at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. In 2008, Dr. Laursen received an honorary doctorate from Örebro University, Sweden. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (Division 7, Developmental) and a Fellow and Charter Member of the Association for Psychological Science. In addition to his own research on parent-child and peer relationships, Dr. Laursen is a consultant and collaborator on several large longitudinal projects currently under way in North America and Europe. Todd D. Little, PhD, is Professor of Educational Psychology and Leadership at Texas Tech University and founding Director of the Texas Tech University Research Institute. Dr. Little is past president of the American Psychological Association's Division 5 (Evaluation, Measurement, and Statistics) and winner of the Division's 2013 Cohen Award for Distinguished Contributions to Teaching and Mentoring. He organizes and teaches in the internationally renowned Stats Camps that he founded in 2002. Noel A. Card, PhD, is Associate Professor in Family Studies and Human Development at the University of Arizona. His research centers on social development and quantitative methods, and especially the interface of these disciplines. Dr. Card's developmental research focuses on aggression and peer relations during childhood and adolescence; his quantitative interests include longitudinal analyses, analysis of interdependent data, and meta-analysis. He is a recipient of the Society for Research in Child Development's Early Career Research Award. Â

Review :
"The study of developmental change is a cardinal activity of behavioral and social science, but determining how to do it has prompted denial, disagreement, and despair for nearly a century. The contributors to this excellent volume are an outstanding group whose qualifications for guiding the field at this point in our history are truly stellar. Graduate students and faculty members alike will find this well-organized, highly informative volume indispensable as they articulate questions, design research, and analyze data pertaining to the study of change."--John R. Nesselroade, PhD, Hugh Scott Hamilton Professor of Psychology, University of Virginia "In 41 chapters, this volume covers a very wide range of research methods, all extremely relevant to the developmental researcher. I know of no other handbook that even comes close to being so generally useful to young developmental researchers seeking to improve their knowledge of research methods. Numerous advanced topics are also treated--in many cases in depth--making the book valuable for methodologists as well. A highly commendable feature is the discussion of each method's applicability and assumptions."--Lars R. Bergman, PhD, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Sweden "This is perhaps the most comprehensive and accessible handbook on developmental methodology yet written. Impressively, the handbook both covers current thinking on longstanding, classic issues and presents cutting-edge developments in emergent areas of developmental research, analysis, and design. Unlike many edited volumes whose chapters vary widely in style, format, and technical detail, the book is unified in its approach and eminently readable. It would serve nicely as the core text for a graduate seminar on developmental research methods."--Daniel J. Bauer, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill "The Handbook has an all-star roster of contributors who know both developmental and methodological issues. Especially impressive is that the volume covers a wide range of cutting-edge methodological issues at a level that is understandable to the practicing developmentalist. It is sure to be a valuable resource for decades to come for those who study change."--David A. Kenny, PhD, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut "The editors have compiled a volume that could easily become a standard reference that defines a generation of developmental researchers. This is an ideal reference for researchers at any career stage seeking an accessible yet informative introduction to state-of-the-art methods. The illustrative applications to substantive problems in human development will be useful to methodologists interested in further developing these methods. The chapters interweave research design with data analysis, reflecting the complex interdependence of the two in developmental research."--Keith A. Markus, PhD, Department of Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York "Comprehensive and consolidated, this volume is a 'one-stop shop' for methodological advances that need to be in every developmental scientist's tool box."--Antonio A. Morgan-Lopez, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill-This Handbook is an impressive collection of methods that span the familiar through cutting edge…useful to developmental researchers at all career and experience levels….Does a preeminent job at providing coverage of sufficient breadth and depth, making it an essential volume for both graduate students and seasoned investigators studying human development. From the perspective of someone new to developmental research, the value of the six chapters on foundational issues cannot be overstated. These chapters could easily form the starting point for a graduate seminar in developmental research methods. The scope of topics covered…ensures that The Handbook of Developmental Research Methods will be relevant for many years to come. Researchers working across the life span will find several examples with topics in the study of childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Researchers working with both normative and clinical populations will also find examples throughout the Handbook….The Handbook will also be valuable for methodologists.--International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 6/1/2014 "The study of developmental change is a cardinal activity of behavioral and social science, but determining how to do it has prompted denial, disagreement, and despair for nearly a century. The contributors to this excellent volume are an outstanding group whose qualifications for guiding the field at this point in our history are truly stellar. Graduate students and faculty members alike will find this well-organized, highly informative volume indispensable as they articulate questions, design research, and analyze data pertaining to the study of change."--John R. Nesselroade, PhD, Hugh Scott Hamilton Professor of Psychology, University of Virginia "In 41 chapters, this volume covers a very wide range of research methods, all extremely relevant to the developmental researcher. I know of no other handbook that even comes close to being so generally useful to young developmental researchers seeking to improve their knowledge of research methods. Numerous advanced topics are also treated--in many cases in depth--making the book valuable for methodologists as well. A highly commendable feature is the discussion of each method's applicability and assumptions."--Lars R. Bergman, PhD, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Sweden "This is perhaps the most comprehensive and accessible handbook on developmental methodology yet written. Impressively, the handbook both covers current thinking on longstanding, classic issues and presents cutting-edge developments in emergent areas of developmental research, analysis, and design. Unlike many edited volumes whose chapters vary widely in style, format, and technical detail, the book is unified in its approach and eminently readable. It would serve nicely as the core text for a graduate seminar on developmental research methods."--Daniel J. Bauer, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill "The Handbook has an all-star roster of contributors who know both developmental and methodological issues. Especially impressive is that the volume covers a wide range of cutting-edge methodological issues at a level that is understandable to the practicing developmentalist. It is sure to be a valuable resource for decades to come for those who study change."--David A. Kenny, PhD, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut "The editors have compiled a volume that could easily become a standard reference that defines a generation of developmental researchers. This is an ideal reference for researchers at any career stage seeking an accessible yet informative introduction to state-of-the-art methods. The illustrative applications to substantive problems in human development will be useful to methodologists interested in further developing these methods. The chapters interweave research design with data analysis, reflecting the complex interdependence of the two in developmental research."--Keith A. Markus, PhD, Department of Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York "Comprehensive and consolidated, this volume is a 'one-stop shop' for methodological advances that need to be in every developmental scientist's tool box."--Antonio A. Morgan-Lopez, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - This Handbook is an impressive collection of methods that span the familiar through cutting edge…useful to developmental researchers at all career and experience levels….Does a preeminent job at providing coverage of sufficient breadth and depth, making it an essential volume for both graduate students and seasoned investigators studying human development. From the perspective of someone new to developmental research, the value of the six chapters on foundational issues cannot be overstated. These chapters could easily form the starting point for a graduate seminar in developmental research methods. The scope of topics covered…ensures that The Handbook of Developmental Research Methods will be relevant for many years to come. Researchers working across the life span will find several examples with topics in the study of childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Researchers working with both normative and clinical populations will also find examples throughout the Handbook….The Handbook will also be valuable for methodologists.--International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 6/1/2014