Design a research study regarding issue in developmental psychology Essay

Design a research study regarding issue in developmental psychology - Essay Example I am especially interested in the cases of those children who were kidnapped by someone other than a parent, and who were held for some time and structured into a â€Å"familial† relationship with their kidnapper/abuser. My research question is: What techniques do kidnappers use on kidnapped children to deconstruct and reconstruct identity and integrate them as a â€Å"family member† (however dysfunctional)? My hypothesis is: there are patterns of commonality in the techniques kidnappers use on kidnapped children to deconstruct and reconstruct self-identity and integrate them as a â€Å"family member† (however dysfunctional). The kidnapping of children by a stranger is a rare event (Gardiner). Fewer still survive months or years in captivity. It is rare but it happens. It happened to Jaycee Lee Dugard (ABC News). It happened to Shawn Hornbeck (CBS News.com). It happened to Elizabeth Smart (Netter, Stone and Friedman). They have told their stories, and surely ther e are others. I will collect data by looking at the cases mentioned, and any others I identify.