Abstract
This article asserts the claim for linking methods to phenomena—and not vice versa—in research on individual development. It is argued that proper application of theory, design, and methodological tools in studies of specific problems requires strict consideration of four basic features of developmental processes: (1) the holistic-interactionistic nature of such processes, (2) individual development as a process of adaptation, (3) developmental change as transformation, and (4) synchronization and coordination of operating elements in developmental change. The research strategy and methodological consequences of this claim are discussed.

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