Developmental stasis, sensitivity, and disturbance: Linking concepts to analytic methods using impulsivity and...

Area of Science:

• Developmental psychology
• Quantitative psychology
• Adolescent development

Background:

• Developmental sensitivity is well-established.
• Developmental stasis and disturbance concepts are less explored.
• Understanding these concepts is crucial for developmental trajectories.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define and contrast developmental sensitivity, stasis, and disturbance.
• To translate these concepts into testable analytic models.
• To provide an empirical example using adolescent and young adult data.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of developmental periods.
• Proposal of the dual latent change score (LCS) growth model.
• Application to longitudinal data on impulsivity and alcohol use.

Main Results:

• The dual LCS model allows for the examination of intraindividual, time-varying associations.
• This approach can identify periods of developmental sensitivity, stasis, and disturbance.
• Empirical data illustrated the model's utility in understanding developmental changes.

Conclusions:

• The dual LCS growth model offers a framework for analyzing complex developmental patterns.
• This research highlights the importance of considering stasis and disturbance alongside sensitivity.
• Further research can apply these models to diverse developmental phenomena.