Abstract
This article aims: (1) to present the theoretical-methodological assumptions of the Bioecological Theory of Human Development (BTHD); and (2) to report how these assumptions influenced the conduction of a research with juvenile offenders at treatment facilities. The stages of BTHD are presented, highlighting the transformation of a context-centered approach to a theory that emphasizes everyday processes. The elements of the PPCT Model (Process, Person, Context, and Time) are discussed and methodological designs are suggested as a mean of accessing them in researches. A study conducted with juvenile offenders at treatment facilities is then presented as a way to operationalize the use of this theory in a research activity. The formulation of the research problem, the design of method, and the interpretation of the results are discussed in light of the theoretical and methodological assumptions characteristic of the theory.
Keywords:
methodology; developmental psychology; juvenile delinquency