Longitudinal research is an essential element in the investigation of human development over time, with considerable advantages over more widely used cross-sectional research designs. This book examines the scope for longitudinal studies in a range of developmental fields, emphasizing the advantages of this approach for the investigation of causal mechanisms and processes and the dynamics of development over the lifespan. It also discusses methodological issues and some of the practical and ethical problems that longitudinal research may present. The distinguished contributors review normal and disordered development in the emotional, cognitive and social domains, including valuable discussions of gene-environment interactions, the maturation of the human brain, and issues relating to ageing.

"...many chapters serve as excellent summaries and integrations of work spanning entire careers. Individuals new to longitudinal research in developmental psychology will be rewarded with a state-of-the-art introduction to the breadth and depth of longitudinal research on individual development." Richard Schulz and Jason Newsom, Contemporary Psychology

"...successful in presenting the variety of longitudinal research, issues concerning longitudinal studies, the variety of the study areas in which this method of research is most used, and, most importantly, the suitability of this methodology in studies of development...This [book] gives an excellent overview ofthe current research in human development, as well as hope for additional research using the power and the variety of longitudinal research." Michelle Kim-Leff, American Journal of Psychology