Within each chapter of this innovative topical text, the authors engage students by demonstrating the wide range of real-world applications of psychological research connected to child development. In particular, the distinctive Active Learning features incorporated throughout the book foster a dynamic and personal learning process for students. The authors cover the latest topics shaping the field of child development including a focus on neuroscience, diversity, and culture without losing the interest of undergraduate students. The pedagogical features in this text and the accompanying ancillaries' package help students discover the excitement of studying child development, enhance their learning, and equip them with tools they can use long after the class ends. Test Your Knowledge true/false prereading assessments compel students to consider their beliefs about child development especially in terms of what they may think is right. Each distinctive Active Learning activity solidifies students' knowledge by connecting their personal experiences to the materials presented in the book. The Journey of Research features provide students with a lens into scientific research, helping them understand that the facts as we know them today may change sometimes substantially in the future as our body of knowledge grows. Accessibly-presented neuroscience coverage throughout reflects its increasing importance in of the study of in child development Issues of diversity and culture gives the broader picture of how the many different circumstances of children's lives around the world influence each aspect of development. The integrated coverage of psychopathology and developmental differences provides students with a better understanding of the wide spectrum of human behavior. The focus on what constitutes evidence explains and then reinforces the importance of convincing evidence within an agreed-upon framework. The emphasis on critical thinking