Introduction
Human development is a continuous process that occurs not once but throughout one’s life. Developmental research is the study of how a person changes as they mature. According to Davis-Kean and Ellis (2019), developmental research may entail studying behavioral aspects that could be the effect of chronic illness against ages and factors that affect dependence. Moreover, developmental research includes examining factors that protect people of all ages from specific negative consequences. However, there are many approaches that can be employed in developmental research; this paper outlines experimental, correlational, and case study approaches.
Discussion
Teachers and psychologists use experimental method to assess their subjects of study. This method directly manipulates and examines the actual participants’ conditions and events. This is more of a cause-and-effect approach where the researchers examine the probable causes of a problem or a situation and then assess their consequences (Davis-Kean & Ellis, 2019). Hence, this approach makes it possible to draw strong inferences concerning the causal relationship between the variables under investigation. Although this approach leads to solid assumptions and transparent relationships between the variables under study, its biggest drawback is that it cannot represent the general population. Another approach that is typically used for developmental research is the correlation method.
This approach explores the relationship between events or conditions without the researcher’s intervention (van Schaik & Dominici, 2020). The primary pro of this method is that it enumerates the strengths of a connection between the variables under investigation. Case studies are another way teachers and psychologists can collect information to understand their clients better. It involves collecting data through interviews, observation, questionnaires, and test scores. These are then analyzed to predict the relationship between the variables under study.
Conclusion
In conclusion, developmental research determines progress and development concerning a specific issue. This can be done by examining the relationship between factors contributing to that development and success. This essay has described three developmental approaches usually used to assess the development and progress. The approaches that have been described include experimental and correlational methods and case studies. Of the three discussed approaches, it can be concluded that experimental research design yields a positive result because it involves the actual participant.
References
Davis-Kean, P. E., & Ellis, A. (2019). An overview of issues in infant and developmental research for the creation of robust and replicable science. Infant Behavior and Development, 57, 101339. Web.
van Schaik, J. E., & Dominici, N. (2020). Chapter 5 – Motion tracking in developmental research: Methods, considerations, and applications (S. Hunnius & M. Meyer, Eds.). ScienceDirect; Elsevier. Web.