{"title":"The impact of ignoring lags on developmental science: A re-analysis of meta-analyses using lag as moderator","authors":"Rachel M. Taylor, Noel A. Card","doi":"10.1177/01650254241247155","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Longitudinal studies provide developmental science with invaluable information about how variables and the associations between variables change across time, but typically give limited attention to the length of time over which that change occurs. The present study re-analyzed data from previously published meta-analyses of longitudinal data across a broad range of developmental science to ascertain how lag may have impacted coefficients of stability ( k<jats:sub>meta-analyses</jats:sub> = 6, k<jats:sub>studies</jats:sub> = 157) and prediction ( k<jats:sub>meta-analyses</jats:sub> = 15, k<jats:sub>studies</jats:sub> = 270). We additionally analyzed how average participant age interacts with lag to test how the impact of lag might change across the lifespan. Findings indicate that conventional lags (e.g., 6 months, 12 months) were used at extremely high rates: More than 75% of lags were selected based on convention. Linear and nonlinear models indicated that lag moderated stability and predictive associations, although the significance, magnitude, and direction of this impact changed depending on the phenomenon under investigation. Average participant age interacted with lag in certain cases, providing a possibility for more time-specific developmental theory. However, these results should not be considered conclusive due to the high number of conventional lags in our sample, which likely restricted both variability in lags and the length of those lags. Future longitudinal studies should measure phenomena at varying lags, and future meta-analysts should consider both lag and average participant age when synthesizing longitudinal research. Both practices would enable developmental science to determine the interval over which a phenomenon occurs and facilitate advancements in developmental theory.","PeriodicalId":13880,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Behavioral Development","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4000,"publicationDate":"2024-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Behavioral Development","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/01650254241247155","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENTAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Longitudinal studies provide developmental science with invaluable information about how variables and the associations between variables change across time, but typically give limited attention to the length of time over which that change occurs. The present study re-analyzed data from previously published meta-analyses of longitudinal data across a broad range of developmental science to ascertain how lag may have impacted coefficients of stability ( kmeta-analyses = 6, kstudies = 157) and prediction ( kmeta-analyses = 15, kstudies = 270). We additionally analyzed how average participant age interacts with lag to test how the impact of lag might change across the lifespan. Findings indicate that conventional lags (e.g., 6 months, 12 months) were used at extremely high rates: More than 75% of lags were selected based on convention. Linear and nonlinear models indicated that lag moderated stability and predictive associations, although the significance, magnitude, and direction of this impact changed depending on the phenomenon under investigation. Average participant age interacted with lag in certain cases, providing a possibility for more time-specific developmental theory. However, these results should not be considered conclusive due to the high number of conventional lags in our sample, which likely restricted both variability in lags and the length of those lags. Future longitudinal studies should measure phenomena at varying lags, and future meta-analysts should consider both lag and average participant age when synthesizing longitudinal research. Both practices would enable developmental science to determine the interval over which a phenomenon occurs and facilitate advancements in developmental theory.
期刊介绍:
The International Journal of Behavioral Development is the official journal of the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development, which exists to promote the discovery, dissemination and application of knowledge about developmental processes at all stages of the life span - infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age. The Journal is already the leading international outlet devoted to reporting interdisciplinary research on behavioural development, and has now, in response to the rapidly developing fields of behavioural genetics, neuroscience and developmental psychopathology, expanded its scope to these and other related new domains of scholarship. In this way, it provides a truly world-wide platform for researchers which can facilitate a greater integrated lifespan perspective. In addition to original empirical research, the Journal also publishes theoretical and review papers, methodological papers, and other work of scientific interest that represents a significant advance in the understanding of any aspect of behavioural development. The Journal also publishes papers on behaviour development research within or across particular geographical regions. Papers are therefore considered from a wide range of disciplines, covering all aspects of the lifespan. Articles on topics of eminent current interest, such as research on the later life phases, biological processes in behaviour development, cross-national, and cross-cultural issues, and interdisciplinary research in general, are particularly welcome.