This study deals with the role of values and the shared assumptions governing research and applications in psychology - with special attention to the values implicit in the study of human development. It explores how so-called "facts" are shaded by the frequently unstated values behind interpretation of findings, how values impinge on the research questions and research methods used, and how values frequently determine the form of theoretical models and constructs derived both from research and from synthetic thinking. The book also looks at the implications of values for developmental theory and research, and the psychological profile of personality and human development.