The application of a person-oriented approach in longitudinal research on individual development.

• The article gives an overview of person-oriented methods in longitudinal research on individual development. Theoretical and research strategic fundaments of the person-oriented approach are reviewed and this approach is contrasted to the ordinary variable-oriented approach. The importance of a balanced representation of core variables of the system under study is emphasized as is their representation in the form of relevant patterns in the methodological realization of the approach. One basic and robust method to carry out a person-oriented study is presented, namely LICUR. In LICUR, longitudinal data with the same variable pattern measured at the different ages are used. First a residue of "unclassifiable" objects is removed (usually 1-3% of the observations), then cross-sectional classifications are performed at each age separately, and, finally, the different classifications are linked across age. In this way, both structural and individual stability and change can be studied. Finally, future perspectives are discussed, focusing on the development of new methods based on a paradigm taken from the study of nonlinear dynamical systems.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

person-oriented

cluster analysis

longitudinal development

Psychology

Psykologi

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)