Discuss methodological issues that face researchers that study infant state. What are some

strategies that researchers use to assess infant state?

What will be an ideal response?

Infants display a variety of states throughout the day, ranging from deep sleep to
crying. The researcher should provide an operational definition of the stages they are
interested in studying. These stages have been operationalized by some experts and it is
recommended that researchers use established classification systems to correctly
identify infant states and guide decisions regarding infant state movement. Researchers
should carefully consider where they are going to assess infant state; infant states and
state movement can be influenced by context (e.g., home versus lab-based assessments).
Infant state can be assessed using direct observations or video recordings. State
recognition software is used to "profile" different infant states by tabulating behavioral
and physiological data.