Developmental Research across Cultures and Nations: Challenges, Biases, and Cautions

Abstract

Cultural models inform developmental pathways. Therefore the study of development requires the consideration of the cultural context, which, however, poses methodical challenges, since the research methods are mainly developed in the Western middle-class context. The present article describes those challenges exemplarily considering sampling, conceptions of knowledge and time, as well as situational demands and stimulus material. In the discussion, research strategies that combine naturalistic observations of everyday life and standardized psychological assessments are proposed. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.