Converging methods in developmental science: an introduction.

This special issue of Developmental Psychobiology reflects a number of recent advances in the field of developmental neuroscience. The most evident are methodological advances in noninvasive neuroimaging such as those described in a parallel special issue of Developmental Science, Volume 5, 2002. While advances in imaging methods offer a new era in developmental research, other methods (e.g., animal, computational, lesion, and genetic) remain essential in constraining and informing theories of brain and behavioral development. The papers in this issue highlight the importance of a converging methods approach to the study of developmental science and illustrate how a variety of available tools allow insights into both new and classic developmental questions.