Examining Systems of Influence and Breaking Methodological Barriers to Create Usable Knowledge

Abstract

The goal of this special section of Mind, Brain, andEducation is to provide a platform on which practical insight can be gained from new empirical research on hormones and behavior in development. In this second installment we highlight two articles and a commentary, which broaden our focus beyond cortisol and stress system functioning to other hormone systems and tackle some of the methodological barriers to making research-practice connections in this domain. Articles specifically look at biology by environment interactions and offer nuanced procedures for hormone collection so as to allow for investigation into the day-today and even within day dynamic functioning of targeted systems.In this second collection of original research articles with commentary, we expand our look to utilizing research on hormones to inform education beyond cortisol to other hormones that have important roles in the regulation of emotion and cognition in life and learning. Broadly, the goal of this special section of Mind, Brain and Education is to provide a deep look to the ways in which practical insight might be gained from research on hormones and behavior in development. Although such transdisciplinary work is nascent, the potential for practical impact is enormous. As Dr. Adam mentions in her commentary, ''when . . . [these results are considered] at the level of the individual child, this implies a kind of 'biologically informed personalized parenting'