Conducting Applied Developmental Science in Diverse Contexts

This volume guides readers through the dynamic field of applied developmental science while explaining the importance of conducting research across diverse contexts. The first part begins with a review of relevant theoretical perspectives and then defines diverse contexts along two dimensions: the backgrounds and identities of the children and families who participate in developmental research, and the lived environments that those children and families inhabit, from their homes and schools to juvenile justice and child welfare service settings. The second part turns first to the designs, measures, and analytic approaches that developmental researchers may employ in applied settings, with an emphasis on the methodological issues that are more likely to arise when research is conducted in real-world environments. It then addresses how applied developmental researchers are currently trained, and outlines how those training approaches will need to adapt to promote a more equitable, responsive, and relevant science. The final part of the book focuses on why it is essential that developmental research is conducted in diverse contexts if that research is to yield findings that are broadly generalizable, and presents strategies intended to maximize the likelihood that applied developmental science will fulfil its promise to improve the lives of children and families. The book's final chapter reviews the landscape of applied developmental science and the different professional roles that applied developmental researchers may choose to inhabit throughout their careers. Written in an approachable style, and featuring interviews with applied developmental scientists working in a range of settings, Conducting Applied Developmental Science in Diverse Contexts will appeal to students and scholars across a wide range of disciplines including psychology, sociology, anthropology, human development, social work, and education.