Beginning in the 1960s, the Isle of Wight studies were among the first to investigate developmental reading problems in representative, population-based samples, using the tools of epidemiology. In this paper, we provide an overview of the contribution of the Isle of Wight studies to research on reading disabilities. We begin with an account of…

This article provides an introduction to the idiographic approach ("N = 1" research) in developmental psychology and an overview of methodological and statistical techniques employed to address the study of within-individual variability in development. Through a popularization of the idiographic approach and associated statistical…

This article provides readers with an accessible and minimally technical description of foundational issues surrounding the analysis of individual change--that is, the amount by which a given construct related to individuals changes over time. Of primary focus is an explanation of what is meant by construct commensurability, the requirement that…

In this article the life history of a young Finnish woman, Salla, is explored along with reflections of her best friend and other peers. The analysis is conducted from the perspective of Finland as a country of "genderless gender", where mute or hidden gendering and sexualisation converge with the gender-neutral rhetoric about the…

Studying human development involves describing, explaining, and optimizing intraindividual change and interindividual differences in such change and, as such, requires longitudinal research. The selection of the appropriate type of longitudinal design requires selecting the option that best addresses the theoretical questions asked about…

Much controversy surrounds the consequences of adolescent paid work, with researchers coming to diverse conclusions about work's impact on youth. This article summarizes findings from the Youth Development Study (YDS), a long-term, ongoing longitudinal study that has followed youth from middle adolescence through early adulthood. The YDS findings…

Nonlinear growth curves or growth curves that follow a specified nonlinear function in time enable researchers to model complex developmental patterns with parameters that are easily interpretable. In this article we describe how a variety of sigmoid curves can be fit using the M"plus" structural modeling program and the nonlinear…

This article describes three distinct yet interrelated elements of self-authorship: trusting the internal voice, building an internal foundation, and securing internal commitments. These elements, which emerged from longitudinal interviews with adults in their 30s, offer insights into the complexity and cyclical nature of self-authorship as well…

In 2007, nearly 40 percent of children in the United States lived in low-income families--families with incomes at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL). Youth from low-income families are vulnerable to poor outcomes as adults, as these youth often lack the resources and opportunities found to lead to better outcomes. This fact…

The transition to adulthood can be particularly challenging when a young adult experiences mental health problems. This fact sheet uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 to explore the young adult outcomes and adolescent risk behaviors of youth suffering from depression and anxiety as they make this transition. Depression…

Most young people leave elementary school and move into some form of secondary school during early adolescence. At precisely the time that young people are navigating multiple developmental challenges (social, intellectual, academic, physical), they are expected to move between these intuitions of public education. The transition is commonly…

Developing the ability to speak in a foreign language is an arduous task. This is because it involves the mastery of different language subsystems, simultaneous focus on comprehension and production, and the impact of a range of social factors. This challenge is further compounded in situations in which learners have limited access to the target…

Presents a new approach that extends conventional random coefficient growth models to incorporate a categorical latent trajectory variable representing latent classes or mixtures. Provides a didactic example of this new methodology using adolescent alcohol use data and discusses the method as a tool for mapping hypotheses of development onto…

This article presents an emergent conceptual model of childhood adultification and economic disadvantage derived from 5 longitudinal ethnographies of children and adolescents growing up in low-income families. Childhood adultification involves contextual, social, and developmental processes in which youth are prematurely, and often…

Describes a computerized system for collecting test scores and other data that are useful in gauging the performance of children as they progress through the South Carolina public schools. Draws implications for research best addressed with longitudinal data bases. (RH)