Abstract
Abstract Models for nonlinear growth are not new, but have not been widely applied in the social and behavioral sciences. In this essay, we describe the fundamental issues relevant to choosing and using a nonlinear growth model. We discuss how researchers can go about choosing a model and then focus on the application of two specific nonlinear models: the fractional polynomial model and the piecewise model. We highlight recent work in reparameterization that allows researchers to choose models with parameters tailored specifically to research questions. We also review recent work on the topic of growth rates in nonlinear models that will allow researchers to obtain richer information from the application of nonlinear models. We conclude by pointing out some of the unresolved issues in the use of nonlinear growth models.
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