Why is infant state considered a major methodological issue? What are some strategies

researchers use to control for infant state differences?

What will be an ideal response?

In most cases, we want all of our infants to be alert and not groggy or sleepy. This
concern rises when working with medically challenged infants; they may be less alert or
more fussy than healthy infants.  Thus, their performance on certain tasks may be more
due to state than their medical condition. To maximize our opportunities with infants,
researchers can test infants during their "best times" during the day. The researcher
should keep testing sessions short and consider multiple testing sessions if one has
lengthy assessments. Caregivers are also aware of strategies that can be used to
temporarily alter an undesirable state pattern, such as repositioning the infant.