This volume is the product of a course on longitudinal prospective re search arranged by the three editors in Arhus, Denmark, in 1978. The course was supported by the Nordisk Kulturfond for young researchers from the Nordic countries, who had planned or had simply involved themselves in longitudinal prospective research projects of various kinds. The twenty-six participants represented a wide range of professions: statisticians, psychologists, psychiatrists, nutritionists, and public health researchers. The teachers came from many countries and represented many disciplines. The course was very successful, especially from the point of view of the quality and investment of the teachers. We felt also that the course met a strong need in this relatively new field of research. Therefore, we asked the teachers to prepare written versions of their lectures so that they could have wider dissemination; they agreed to do so. The present book is composed of these contributions. The first chap ter, after outlining some of the problems with traditional strategies in mental health research, goes on to suggest some of the possible preven tive applications of longitudinal research methods. Included in Parts II and III are papers on design problems and on the tools of long-term research, such as genetics and classification, biological measurements, epidemiological guidelines, statistical models, disease registers, and de velopmental psychology.

The importance that practitioners are placing on longitudinal designs and analyses signals a critical shift toward methods that enable a better understanding of developmental processes thought to underlie many human attributes and behaviors. A simple scan of one’s own applied literature reveals evidence of this trend through the increasing number of articles adopting longitudinal methods as their primary analytic tools. Advances in Longitudinal Methods in the Social and Behavioral Sciences is a resource intended for advanced graduate students, faculty, and applied researchers interested in longitudinal data analysis, especially in the social and behavioral sciences. The chapters are written by established methodological researchers from diverse research domains such as psychology, biostatistics, educational statistics, psychometrics, and family sciences. Each chapter exposes the reader to some of the latest methodological developments and perspectives in the analysis of longitudinal data, and is written in a didactic tone that makes the content accessible to the broader research community. This volume will be particularly appealing to researchers in domains including, but not limited to: human development, clinical psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, special education, epidemiology, family science, kinesiology, communication disorders, and education policy and administration. The book will also be attractive to members of several professional organizations such as the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the American Psychological Association (APA), the American Psychological Society (APS), the Society for Research on Adolescence (SRA), the Society of Research in Child Development (SRCD), Society for Research in Adult Development (SRAD), British Psychological Society (BPS), Canadian Psychological Association (CPA), and other related organizations.

This book is a practical guide for the analysis of longitudinal behavioural data. Longitudinal data consist of repeated measures collected on the same subjects over time.

A comprehensive introduction to research methods and best practices for designing,conducting, interpreting, and reporting findings This text is designed to develop in students a passion for conducting research and an understanding of the practical value of systematic information- gathering and decision-making. It features step-by-step coverage of the research process including research design, statistical considerations, and guidance on writing up and presenting results. Recognized leaders in the field—authors Bart Weathington, Christopher Cunningham, and David Pittenger—present: Introductions to multiple research designs—including single-participant, multi-group, longitudinal, correlational, and experimental designs—accompanied by examples Bibliographic research and methods for appropriate sampling Identifying, developing, and evaluating reliable and valid approaches to measurement The issues and steps common to all single-factor and multifactor studies, as well as single-subject and nonexperimental methods How to summarize research in writing that conforms to the editorial guidelines of the American Psychological Association A comprehensive review of research methods and the statistical concepts that support them, Research Methods for the Behavioral and Social Sciences offers the best techniques for studying behavior and social phenomena.

This groundbreaking book provides students and researchers with a unique overview of the longitudinal study of the development of young people from the ages of 12 to 25. It offers a comprehensive introduction into the multiple theories on the development of the self, personal relationships and psychopathology in adolescence, alongside a non-statistical overview of the many longitudinal models used to study development. The book includes key topics such as the development of the self, adolescent identity and personality; the development of parent-adolescent relationships; friendships and the understanding of others; and the development of psychosocial problems such as anxiety, depression, delinquency, aggression, and substance use. Meeus highlights multiple findings showing how these processes are integrated and identifies eight fundamental patterns of adolescent development to help determine why most adolescents develop into mature and organized individuals towards the end of this life stage, whilst a substantial minority show an inability to mature. It is essential reading for graduate students and researchers in adolescent development and anyone seeking to use longitudinal research methodology in the social and behavioral sciences.

Longitudinal research (or observing the same subject across time) in human development requires more careful planning than do cross-sectional studies and is demanding theoretically and organizationally. This volume focuses on methods of data treatment in longitudinal research emphasizing the importance of careful matching of methodology to the substantive problem under consideration. It deals particularly with concepts of stability and change that are central to personality and developmental research. Contributors to this volume explore the methodology and scope of life span studies in a variety of contexts, including intellectual and cognitive development, transitions such as that from childhood to early adult life, social mobility, behavioral genetics, and psychological disorder, particularly depression. It is a valuable reference for a wide range of researchers in developmental psychology, social and behavioral science, psychiatry, epidemiology, and statistics.