This non-traditional text familiarizes students with the scientific approach to the study of human development, while exploring the chronology of a typical lifespan text.

In evaluating contemporary research literature on human development, students are guided to critically assess assertions about behavior. Students see the field of human development as it is today, through 32 separate research "stories", which tell why the study was done, what was done, and what the results tell us about development. This text--with its detailed Instructor's Manual-- is a complete teaching package permitting first-time instructors to employ a directive, Socratic teaching method, or for experienced professors who have grown tired of a traditional lecture approach. This text is also an effective bridge, preparing students for more difficult journal articles.