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Sourcebook of Family Theories and Methods pp 259–273Cite as

Longitudinal Research Methods and Family Theories

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Abstract

An outstanding characteristic of family relationships is their astonishing potential duration over time. A marital or parent-child dyad may persist for more than 60 years before being disrupted by death, and sibling relations may be still more long-lived. How such relations change over time, under what conditions they alter in specific ways, and what early factors shape subsequent developments in relationships are enduring questions for family researchers from various disciplines.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 43210-1353

    Elizabeth G. Menaghan

  2. Department of Housing and Consumer Economics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602

    Deborah D. Godwin

Authors
  1. Elizabeth G. Menaghan
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  2. Deborah D. Godwin
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Social Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA

    Pauline Boss  & William J. Doherty  & 

  2. Department of Sociology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 30302, USA

    Ralph LaRossa

  3. School of Family Studies and Human Services, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA

    Walter R. Schumm

  4. Department of Sociology, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA

    Suzanne K. Steinmetz

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Menaghan, E.G., Godwin, D.D. (2009). Longitudinal Research Methods and Family Theories. In: Boss, P., Doherty, W.J., LaRossa, R., Schumm, W.R., Steinmetz, S.K. (eds) Sourcebook of Family Theories and Methods. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-85764-0_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-85764-0_11

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-306-44264-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-85764-0

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