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Abstract

A number of special methodological issues and practical problems are involved in research with pediatric and child clinical populations. As in research with adults, there are generic difficulties involved in utilizing and developing measures that have both clinical utility and a solid research foundation. Researchers are also confronted with whether to select existing measures, to modify measures previously used for different purposes or populations, or to embark on the task of developing a new measure altogether. In addition, researchers must decide whether to use direct observation versus self-report measures. However, research with children and adolescents specifically raises a great many other formidable issues, including how to integrate information from multiple measures and/or multiple informants. The purpose of this chapter is to present a decision-making approach to a number of methodological and practical issues involved in measurement development with pediatric and child clinical populations. Whenever possible, we will provide the reader with examples from our own research to illustrate how we dealt with these issues.

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Overholser, J.C., Spirito, A., Difilippo, J.M. (2000). Strategies for Measurement and Psychological Assessment. In: Drotar, D. (eds) Handbook of Research in Pediatric and Clinical Child Psychology. Issues in Clinical Child Psychology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4165-3_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4165-3_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

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