A Place of Value for Applied and Policy Studies

Abstract

After more than 6 decades of advancing science as a means to expand our understanding of human development, the Society for Research in Child Development has welcomed into its major journal research that uses this knowledge on children's behalf. The acceptance of applied and social policy work within the field of psychology has been gradual, urged along by trends that are discussed in context: the reconciliation of basic and applied research, the call for social responsibility by prominent developmentalists, and efforts by individual and groups of psychologists to serve the public good. SRCD's decision to open these journal pages more widely to the practical and policy implications of research bolsters the legitimacy and status of such efforts. The society's leadership, coupled with changes in professional training and expectations, will expedite the discipline's maturation into a positive social force.

Criteria for Evaluating the Significance of Developmental Research in the Twenty‐First Century: Force and Counterforce

“…As the Þeld of child development has progressively become more of a Òpublic scienceÓ (Zigler, 1998), the relative importance and impact of person and microsystem level forces have changed. The more distal system forces again have assumed greater prominence and the boundaries between the microsystem and external forces are now more permeable than they once were (as depicted in Figure 2).…”

“…A department may alter its research support based on changing views of the Þeld, which may then inßuence the kinds of research questions an investigator pursues. The SRCDÕs decision to open its pages to applied research has bolstered the status of this type of research (Zigler, 1998). A particularly inßuential mesosystem force involves the selection of journal editors and reviewers and grant of-Þcers and reviewers.…”

The Future of Applied Child Development Research and Public Policy

“…Should we relate to society? Subsequently, some scholars explored the idea of relating behavioral research on development to applied concerns and public policy, but the discipline questioned whether this was appropriate (Zigler, 1998) and resistance was often strong. Many felt that adherents to the discipline did not know enough to contribute to practitioners, poli-cymakers, and the general public, and bringing behavioral research to applied programs, the media, and the political process meant that scientists would lose control over their information, which would be transformed in unanticipated and often inaccurate ways to meet the nonscientiÞc needs of politics and the public (McCall, 1987).…”

“…Many felt that adherents to the discipline did not know enough to contribute to practitioners, poli-cymakers, and the general public, and bringing behavioral research to applied programs, the media, and the political process meant that scientists would lose control over their information, which would be transformed in unanticipated and often inaccurate ways to meet the nonscientiÞc needs of politics and the public (McCall, 1987). It took senior scholarly citizens to buck tradition (Zigler, 1998). In his APA Presidential Address (1969), George Miller, for example, urged his colleagues to Ògive psychology awayÓ to practitioners, policymakers, and the public.…”

“…In his APA Presidential Address (1969), George Miller, for example, urged his colleagues to Ògive psychology awayÓ to practitioners, policymakers, and the public. Other senior scholars testiÞed before Congress, held preconvention workshops at SRCD, and provided background material and press releases to the news media (for review, see Zigler, 1998). With notable exceptions (e.g., Zigler becoming Director of the federal OfÞce of Child Development, now the Administration for Children and Families), these efforts were largely conducted in a unidirectional mannerÑscholars decided what policymakers and the public should know, expected them to follow those admonitions, and were surprised and frustrated when they typically did not.…”