HANDBOOK of PSYCHOLOGY - Volume 6 - Developmental Psychology - Handbook Foreword

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Aria

HANDBOOK of PSYCHOLOGY Volume 6 focuses on developmental psychology within a comprehensive 12-volume reference spanning the science of behavior and its real-world applications. The preface describes psychology as an exceptionally diverse field, covering natural, social, and organizational contexts, and highlights two unifying themes: a common historical foundation and the development and use of research methods for behavioral data. It positions Volume 6 as part of the core substantive areas, complementing biological, experimental, personality and social, and developmental studies.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages691

Reading Time17 h 44 min

AccessFree to download

Handbook of Psychology Preface

Diversity of Psychology as a Science and Practice

Two Unifying Threads: History and Research Methods

Organization of the 12-Volume Handbook

Positioning of Developmental Psychology in Core Areas

HANDBOOK of PSYCHOLOGY VOLUME 6 DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY Richard M. Lerner M. Ann Easterbrooks Jayanthi Mistry Volume Editors Irving B. Weiner Editor-in-Chief John Wiley & Sons, Inc. HANDBOOK of PSYCHOLOGY HANDBOOK of PSYCHOLOGY VOLUME 6 DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY Richard M. Lerner M. Ann Easterbrooks Jayanthi Mistry Volume Editors Irving B. Weiner Editor-in-Chief John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Editorial Board Volume 1 History of Psychology Donald K. Freedheim, PhD Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, Ohio Volume 2 Research Methods in Psychology John A. Schinka, PhD University of South Florida Tampa, Florida Wayne F. Velicer, PhD University of Rhode Island Kingston, Rhode Island Volume 3 Biological Psychology Michela Gallagher, PhD Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, Maryland Randy J. Nelson, PhD Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio Volume 4 Experimental Psychology Alice F. Healy, PhD University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado Robert W. Proctor, PhD Purdue University West Lafayette, Indiana Volume 5 Personality and Social Psychology Theodore Millon, PhD Institute for Advanced Studies in Personology and Psychopathology Coral Gables, Florida Melvin J. Lerner, PhD Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, Florida Volume 6 Developmental Psychology Richard M. Lerner, PhD M. Ann Easterbrooks, PhD Jayanthi Mistry, PhD Tufts University Medford, Massachusetts Volume 7 Educational Psychology William M. Reynolds, PhD Humboldt State University Arcata, California Gloria E. Miller, PhD University of Denver Denver, Colorado Volume 8 Clinical Psychology George Stricker, PhD Adelphi University Garden City, New York Thomas A. Widiger, PhD University of Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky Volume 9 Health Psychology Arthur M. Nezu, PhD Christine Maguth Nezu, PhD Pamela A. Geller, PhD Drexel University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Volume 10 Assessment Psychology John R. Graham, PhD Kent State University Kent, Ohio Jack A. Naglieri, PhD George Mason University Fairfax, Virginia Volume 11 Forensic Psychology Alan M. Goldstein, PhD John Jay College of Criminal Justice–CUNY New York, New York Volume 12 Industrial and Organizational Psychology Walter C. Borman, PhD University of South Florida Tampa, Florida Daniel R. Ilgen, PhD Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan Richard J. Klimoski, PhD George Mason University Fairfax, Virginia Handbook of Psychology Preface Psychology at the beginning of the twenty-ﬁrst century has become a highly diverse ﬁeld of scientiﬁc study and applied technology. Psychologists commonly regard their discipline as the science of behavior, and the American Psychological Association has formally designated 2000 to 2010 as the“Decade of Behavior.” The pursuits of behavioral scientists range from the natural sciences to the social sciences and embrace a wide variety of objects of investigation. Some psychologists have more in common with biologists than with most other psychologists, and some have more in common with sociologists than with most of their psychological colleagues. Some psychologists are interested primarily in thebehavior of animals, some in the behavior of people, and others in the behavior of organizations. These and other dimensions of difference among psychological scientists are matched by equal if not greater heterogeneity among psychological practitioners, who currently apply a vast array of methods in many different settings to achieve highly varied purposes. Psychology has been rich in comprehensive encyclopedias and in handbooks devoted to speciﬁc topics in the ﬁeld. However, there has not previously been any single handbook designed to cover the broad scope of psychological science and practice. The present 12-volume Handbook of Psychology was conceived to occupy this place in the literature. Leading national and international scholars and practitioners ha

FAQs

What does the preface say about psychology as a field?

Psychology is presented as a highly diverse scientific discipline and applied technology, spanning natural sciences, social sciences, and organizational contexts.

What two unifying themes are identified in the science of behavior?

The preface highlights a common history rooted in conceptual and empirical approaches, and a commitment to developing and using suitable research methods for behavioral data.

How is the 12-volume Handbook structured, and where does Volume 6 fit?

Volumes 3–7 present substantive knowledge in five broad study areas, including developmental psychology in Volume 6, while Volumes 8–12 address professional applications.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Aria