Encyclopedia of Applied Developmental Science

"The most comprehensive, one-stop source for the latest in applied developmental science."

—Don Floyd, President and CEO, National 4-H Council

The Encyclopedia of Applied Developmental Science is an important and timely contribution to this burgeoning field. This four-volume set is the authoritative source that encompasses the entire range of concepts and topics involved in the study of applied developmental science. Its contents and levels have broad appeal for those interested in how the application of knowledge about human development can be used to enhance the lives of individuals, families, and communities.



The breadth of activity in applied developmental science makes adequate representation of its concepts and topics a daunting challenge. To this end, the encyclopedia seeks to answer the following questions:

How may information about this field be integrated in a manner accessible, meaningful, and useful to the next generation of the leaders of our nation and world?  How may we best convey the knowledge necessary for them to understand the nature of their development and the way that they may contribute positively to their own lives, to their families and communities, and to the designed and natural environments of which they will be stewards? The Encyclopedia of Applied Developmental Science provides the most effective way to address these questions. It includes entries written in an authoritative but not overly technical manner by the broad range of scholars and practitioners involved in applied developmental science. In addition to an alphabetical table of contents, there is a readers′ guide that organizes the entries into 30 content categories to help the reader locate similarly themed entries with ease.

The encyclopedia is ideal for libraries serving those with interests in psychology, human development/human ecology, education, sociology, family and consumer sciences, and nursing, as well as social work and other human services disciplines. The entries are written to be accessible to not only professionals, but also to policy makers and other potential consumers of applied developmental science scholarship. This includes young people and their parents, teachers, and counselors.

Topics Covered

Adolescent Development ADS Training and Education Adult Development Biographies of Applied Developmental Scientists Child Development Civic Engagement Culture and Diversity Development Promoting Interventions Developmental Assessment Developmental Disorders Developmental Processes Developmental Risks Ecology of Human Development Emotional and Social Development Ethics Families Foundations Health Historical Influences Infant Development Organizations Parenting Personality Development Religiosity and Spirituality Research Methodology Schools Social Issues Theory Universities Youth Programs Advisory Board

Peter Benson, President, Search Institute

Joan Bergstrom, Wheelock College

Nancy A. Busch-Rossnagel, Fordham University

Roger A. Dixon, University of Alberta

Felton "Tony" Earls, Harvard University

Robert C. Granger, William T. Grant Foundation

Daniel P. Keating, University of Toronto

Kim Choo Khoo, National University of Singapore

Kaveh Khoshnood, Yale University

Bonnie Leadbeater, University of Victoria

Rick Little, President & CEO, The ImagineNations Group

Gary B. Melton, Clemson University

Jari-Erik Nurmi, University of Jyväskylä, Finland 

Ellen Pinderhughes, Vanderbilt University

Avi Sagi-Schwartz, University of Haifa, Israel

 T.S. Saraswathi, University of Baroda, India

Rainer K. Silbereisen, University of Jena, Germany

Merrill Singer, Chief of Research, Hispanic Health Council, Inc.

Margaret Beale Spencer, University of Pennsylvania

Linda Thompson, University of Maryland

Richard A. Weinberg, University of Minnesota

Hirokazu Yoshikawa, New York University

Luis H. Zayas, Washington University, St. Louis

Edward Zigler, Yale University