Fostered in important respects by the lifespan movement, the study of behavioral development now places much more emphasis on individuality and plasticity than was the case for many decades. Promising emphases that are becoming more evident include the individual as the proper unit of analysis in developmental research, a process as well as a product orientation, and more careful attention to the roles of manifest and latent variables. Important methodological innovations are both arising from, and helping to reinforce these emphases.
