在印第安纳大学，我们将发展研究视为变革的机制和因果力研究。我们试图通过为他们提供经验和理论工具来为未来的科学家做好准备，这些工具不仅需要简单地描述发展，还可以解释变化的发生方式。关于发展过程的问题超越了特定的内容领域和特定的物种。因此，对发展过程的理解既需要在特定内容领域的专业知识，又需要对通常被视为心理学和相关科学的独立领域的发展现象的广泛了解。例如，我们相信对微笑和其他面部手势的婴儿运动发展的研究以及对鸟类歌曲发展的研究有助于我们理解语言的习得方式。发展心理学研究生课程的结构使学生能够对发展以及在特定
Our department views the study of developmental psychology as the study of mechanisms and causal forces of change. We seek to prepare future scientists by giving them the empirical and theoretical tools needed to go beyond the mere description of development to an explanation of how change happens. Questions about developmental process transcend specific content areas and species. An understanding of developmental process requires both deep expertise in a particular content area and a broad awareness of developmental phenomena across what are normally considered separate areas in psychology and allied sciences. For example, we believe that studies of infant motor development like smiling and other facial gestures, and studies of the development of songs in birds help us understand how language is acquired.