TY - JOUR
T1 - Modern Practices to Improve Human Development Research
AU - Little, Todd D.
AU - Gorrall, Britt K.
AU - Panko, Pavel
AU - Curtis, Jacob D.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Institute for Measurement, Methodology, Analysis and Policy (Todd D. Little, director) at Texas Tech University, and by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to Wei Wu and Todd. D. Little.
Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2017/10/2
Y1 - 2017/10/2
N2 - We review several methodological practices that are integral to enhancing developmental research in the social sciences. Our primary theme is shifting the dominant statistical and methodological paradigm in the developmental sciences to embrace modern modeling practices. Although null-hypothesis significance testing is unavoidable in some cases, techniques such as latent variable modeling and planned missing data designs can improve research. We also address instances in which only quasi-experiment designs are possible, highlighting three alternative designs: regression discontinuity, propensity score matching, and regression point displacement. Ill-guided and outdated methodological paradigms in research lead to biased results which can lead to biased conclusions.
AB - We review several methodological practices that are integral to enhancing developmental research in the social sciences. Our primary theme is shifting the dominant statistical and methodological paradigm in the developmental sciences to embrace modern modeling practices. Although null-hypothesis significance testing is unavoidable in some cases, techniques such as latent variable modeling and planned missing data designs can improve research. We also address instances in which only quasi-experiment designs are possible, highlighting three alternative designs: regression discontinuity, propensity score matching, and regression point displacement. Ill-guided and outdated methodological paradigms in research lead to biased results which can lead to biased conclusions.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85033389227&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/15427609.2017.1370967
DO - 10.1080/15427609.2017.1370967
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85033389227
VL - 14
SP - 338
EP - 349
JO - Research in Human Development
JF - Research in Human Development
SN - 1542-7609
IS - 4
ER -