Looking in on the children: Using developmental psychology as a tool for hypothesis testing and model building in social psychology

The aim of this article is to illustrate how developmental psychology may be used as a tool for hypothesis testing and model building in social psychology. To this end, 5 conceptual themes and 1 methodological theme linking developmental psychology to social psychology are outlined. Emphasis is put on the potential of each theme to provide insight into the processes underlying the phenomena studied by social psychologists. Examples of how the themes have been used in the past or might be used in the future to inform hypothesis testing and model building in specific areas are provided.