Getting at Developmental Processes Through Experiments

Abstract

Birren and Bengtson’s (1988, p. ix) assessment of the field of aging research that it is “data rich and theory poor” still holds today and applies to developmental science as a whole. The accumulation of descriptive results that are not integrated into overarching theories of development lead to less progress in gaining knowledge about developmental processes than one might wish for, particularly considering its importance for enhancing development across the life span. My wish is that we as developmental researchers become more theory-driven and creative in our empirical approaches to study development. Complementing age-correlative studies, I propose that we make more use of experimental approaches that target the causal mechanisms driving developmental changes (or stability) more directly than by comparing different age groups.