Overview

Developmental psychology relies on a variety of research methods to study how people grow and change over time. Understanding these strategies is essential for evaluating the validity and reliability of developmental findings and for applying scientific principles to human behavior.

Key Strategies and Methods

• Case Study: An in-depth investigation of a single individual or group. Provides rich qualitative data but may not be generalizable.
• Correlational Study: Measures relationships between variables. Useful for identifying associations, but cannot establish causality.
• Cross-Sectional Design: Compares individuals of different ages at one point in time. Quick and cost-effective, but subject to cohort effects.
• Longitudinal Design: Follows the same individuals over time to observe development. Provides detailed change data but is time-consuming and expensive.
• Cross-Sequential Design: Combines cross-sectional and longitudinal methods to separate age effects from cohort effects.
• Experimental Design: Uses random assignment and controlled variables to test cause-effect relationships. Gold standard for internal validity.
• Observational Methods: Includes naturalistic (in real settings) and structured (in labs) observations. Often used to assess early childhood behavior and interaction.

Quick Tip

Understand the strengths and limitations of each method. CLEP questions often ask which design is best for studying change over time or identifying relationships versus causation.