Studying Individual Development in an Interindividual Context : A Person-Oriented Approach

by Bergman, Lars R.; Magnusson, David; El Khouri, Bassam M.

• ISBN13: 9780805831306
• ISBN10: 0805831304
• eBook ISBN(s): 9781135673062
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-11-01
• Publisher: Lawrence Erlbau
• More Book Details

Summary

During the last decade there has been increased awareness of the limitations of standard approaches to the study of development. When the focus is on variables and relationships, the individual is easily lost. This book describes an alternative, person-oriented approach in which the focus is on the individual as a functioning whole. The authors take as their theoretical starting points the holistic-interactionistic research paradigm expounded by David Magnusson and others, and the new developmental science in which connections and interactions between different systems (biological, psychological, social, etc.) are stressed. They present a quantitative methodology for preserving--to the maximum extent possible--the individual as a functioning whole that is largely based on work carried out in the Stockholm Laboratory for Developmental Science over the past 20 years. The book constitutes a complete introductory guide to the person-oriented approach. The authors lay out the underlying theory, a number of basic methods, the necessary computer programs, and an extensive empirical example. (The computer programs have been collected into a statistical package, SLEIPNER, that is freely accessible on the Internet. The empirical example deals with boys' school adjustment from a pattern perspective and covers both positive and negative adaptation.) Studying Individual Development in an Interindividual Context: A Person-Oriented Approachwill be crucial reading for all researchers who seek to understand the complexities of human development and for their advanced students.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
About the Authors	xiii
Introduction	1	(3)
Theoretical Framework	4	(24)
Introduction	4	(2)
A Holistic-Interactionistic Perspective	6	(3)
A Modern Holistic-Interactionistic View	9	(10)
The Role of the Holistic Perspective in Developmental Research	10	(1)
Conclusion	11	(1)
Interindividual Differences from a Holistic Perspective	11	(1)
Individual Differences in the Organization of Operating Factors	12	(2)
Individual Differences in Biological Timing	14	(2)
Research Strategy Implications of a Holistic View	16	(1)
Methodological Implications of a Holistic Perspective	17	(2)
The Variable Approach	19	(7)
Data Treatment	19	(1)
Assumptions	20	(1)
An Empirical Illustration	21	(2)
Inferences to Individuals in a Variable Approach	23	(2)
Conclusion	25	(1)
The Person Approach	26	(2)
Pattern Analysis	26	(1)
Conclusion	27	(1)
General Methodological Considerations	28	(24)
Some Methodological Issues Raised by the Holistic-Interactional Research Paradigm	28	(4)
Types and Typology	32	(4)
The Measurement of Patterns	36	(8)
Measurement in Standard, Variable-Oriented, Multivariate Studies in Relation to the Person Approach	36	(1)
Patterns and Linear Transformations	37	(1)
Multivariate Scaling for Pattern Analysis	38	(1)
On the Limitations of Relative Scoring	38	(3)
Quasiabsolute Scaling	41	(1)
Measuring Change	42	(1)
Missing Data	43	(1)
An Overview of Person-Oriented Methods for Studying Individual Development	44	(8)
Model-Based Methods	44	(1)
Descriptive Methods	45	(1)
The Cross-Sectional Perspective	46	(1)
The Longitudinal Perspective	46	(1)
Some Methods for Analysis of Special Aspects of Patterns	47	(3)
The study of ``Anticlasses''	50	(1)
Variable-Oriented and Person-Oriented Methods as Complementary Approaches	50	(1)
Some Computer Programs for Carrying Out Pattern Analyses	51	(1)
Classification in a Person-Oriented Context	52	(22)
Introduction and Overview of the Chapter	52	(2)
Similarity and Dissimilarity	54	(4)
Measuring Proximity	55	(3)
Handling Outliers in Cluster Analysis	58	(2)
The RESIDAN Method	59	(1)
Selected Methods for Cluster Analysis: An Overview	60	(3)
Hierarchical Methods	61	(1)
Agglomerative Methods	62	(1)
Divisive Methods	62	(1)
Partitioning Methods	62	(1)
Density Search Methods	63	(1)
Some Other Methods	63	(1)
Hierarchical Agglomerative Methods: Technique	63	(4)
Algorithm	64	(1)
Updating Dissimilarities	65	(2)
Some Practical Considerations for Achieving a Well-Functioning Classification Using Cluster Analysis	67	(2)
Latent Class Analysis	69	(1)
Clusters, Types, and Classes	70	(2)
Man as a Classifier	72	(2)
Analyzing All Possible Patterns	74	(10)
Introduction to Configural Frequency Analysis	74	(2)
An example of the Application of Basic Configural Frequency Analysis	76	(3)
More About Significance Testing in CFA	79	(1)
Interaction Structure Analysis Within CFA	80	(1)
CFA Related to Other Methods	81	(1)
A Final Look at What We Have Learned About the Structure in the Data in Table 5.1	82	(2)
Some Methods for Studying Pattern Development	84	(12)
Studying the Development of Single Individuals	84	(1)
Model-Based and Descriptive Methods for Studying Pattern Development	85	(1)
Classification-Based Methods for Studying Interindividual Differences in Individuals' Value Patterns Across Development	86	(8)
The Direct Identification of Typical Longitudinal Patterns	86	(2)
Cross-Sectional Classification Analysis Followed by Linking Over Time Using LICUR	88	(1)
The Removal of a Residue	89	(1)
Age-Specific Hierarchical Cluster Analyses	89	(1)
Relocation Cluster Analyses	90	(1)
Linking of Results Between Ages	90	(1)
Analyzing Sequences of Subwholes	91	(1)
Introduction	92	(1)
Outline of ISOA	92	(2)
Studying Pattern Development by Mapping All Possible Value Combinations	94	(2)
Examining the Generalizability of Results	96	(7)
Sleipner, A Statistical Package for Person-Oriented Analysis	103	(31)
Introduction	103	(2)
Module Blocks Characterizing SLEIPNER	103	(1)
SLEIPNER, the Program	104	(1)
The Organization of the Chapter	105	(1)
SLEIPNER, a Workbench	105	(16)
Data Preprocessing	106	(1)
Data Description	106	(1)
Handling Missingness With Imputation	107	(2)
Residue Analysis	109	(2)
Classificatory Analysis	111	(2)
Clustering the Data	113	(2)
Relocating Cases in Clusters	115	(2)
Searching for Types and Antitypes	117	(2)
Using I-states as Objects of Analysis	119	(2)
Classificatory Simulation and Evaluation	121	(7)
Simulation Analysis	121	(2)
Structural Stability and Change	123	(2)
Individual Stability and Change	125	(3)
Special Purpose Modules in SLEIPNER	128	(4)
Random Samples	128	(1)
Artificial Data Sets	128	(1)
Including Classification Variables in the Data Set	128	(1)
Mapping the Neighborhood of a Unit	129	(1)
Evaluating and Comparing Partitions	129	(1)
Preparing a File Composed of Subindividuals	129	(3)
Concluding Remarks	132	(2)
Stability and Change in Patterns of School Adjustment: An Empirical Study	134	(55)
Introduction	134	(4)
Theoretical Background	134	(2)
Description of the Data Set	136	(1)
Sample	136	(1)
Variables	136	(1)
Note on the Presentation of SLEIPNER Results	136	(2)
Cross-Sectional Classifications of Patterns of School Adjustment Followed by Linking	138	(28)
Introduction	138	(2)
Preparatory Analyses	140	(7)
Cross-Sectional Classifications	147	(1)
Introduction	147	(3)
Deciding the Number of Clusters	150	(1)
Structural Stability and Change	151	(5)
Individual Stability and Change	156	(1)
Looking for Types	156	(2)
Looking for Antitypes	158	(1)
Exploring the remaining Cells	158	(3)
Replicating Results on a Random Half	161	(1)
Replicating the Cross-Sectional Cluster Structure	161	(1)
Replicating the Cross-Sectional Classification With Regard to Individual Cluster Membership	162	(2)
Replicating the Linking Over Time	164	(1)
Testing the Results Against a Null Hypothesis of No Relationships in the Data	164	(2)
Analyzing Patterns of School Adjustment Within an Age-Invariant Classification Structure	166	(6)
Introduction	166	(1)
Age-Invariant Cluster Structure	166	(1)
Structural Stability and Change	166	(3)
Individual Stability and Change	169	(1)
Comparing ISOA States to LICUR Clusters	169	(3)
Exploring the Remaining Cells	172	(1)
Replicating Results on a Random Half	172	(1)
Analyzing All Possible Patterns of School Adjustment and All Possible Patterns of Change	172	(8)
Introduction	172	(1)
CFA of Patterns of School Adjustment	173	(2)
Configurations at Age 10	175	(2)
Configurations at Age 13	177	(1)
Developmental Types and Antitypes	177	(1)
Analyzing All Patterns of Change	178	(2)
Summary and Discussion of Empirical Findings	180	(7)
Summary of the Results of the Cross-Sectional Classification Analysis With Linking	180	(2)
Structural Stability and Change	182	(1)
Individual Stability and Change	183	(1)
Syndromes of Bad School Adjustment	183	(3)
Typical Patterns of Good Adjustment	186	(1)
Some Methodological Considerations	187	(2)
Discussion and Directions	189	(10)
Studying Processes	189	(3)
Theory-Testing and Exploration	192	(1)
Accurate Prediction Versus Identification of Principles and Mechanisms as the Scientific Goal in Developmental Research	193	(3)
Understanding the Constraints of Development	195	(1)
Searching for Types	195	(1)
Some Guidelines for Future Research	196	(3)
References	199	(12)
Author Index	211	(4)
Subject Index	215