2. Research Flashcards
3 main approaches to child-devt research
- systematic observation
- using tasks to sample behaviour
- directly asking babies or others
define systematic observation
a research approach that involves watching and carefully recording what people do/say.
define naturalistic observation
observing people in real life situations and recording data based on certain predetermined variables of interest
A: captures behaviour in natural setting
D: does not wrk well for rare behaviours
structured observation
creating a setting or circumstance designed to bring about behaviours of interest
A: good for rare/private behaviours
D: setting can distort results
what is “sampling behaviour with tasks”?
When researchers can’t observe a behaviour directly, they can create tasks that sample the behaviour of interest. Ex. identifying emotions using photographs.
A: convenient
D: ecological invalidity
Ecological validity
the extent to which research results reflect real life
self-reports
survey that elicit people’s thoughts/feelings/ideas/opinions about a topic of interest (self-report or interview)
A: convenient
D: invalidity from forgetting, role demands, bias
reliability
the extent to which a measure yields consistent results over time
validity
the extent to which conclusions based on a measure actually mean what the researcher thought they would
convergent validity
the extent to which a measure yields results that are similar to another well-established measure of the same variable
divergent validity
the extent to which a measure yields results different from another well-established measure of an opposite variable
Why is the issue of population sampling particularly relevant in Canadian research?
- diverse country
- many regional population differences
- variety in living circumstances
correlation coefficient
(r)
a numerical, statistical value representing both the direction and strength of relationship between variables
r = 0
no relationship between variables
r > 0
variables are positively correlated (more of both)
r < 0
variables are negatively correlated (less of one/more of the other)
p-value
the probability of obtaining a particular measurement if not real-world relationship exists between two variables
descriptive statistics
basic numerical summaries of data, such as averages or ranges
inferential statictics
go beyond the basic description of research data to infer how well the sample data represents the total population
mediator variables
a variable that explains or accounts for any relationship observed between and IV and DV
field experiment
an experiment in which the IV is manipulated in a naturalistic setting
microgenetic study
a longitudinal study in which subjects are tested at very sort intervals to test periods of rapid developmental change
another word for testing effects
practice effects
another word for mortality
attrition
how do cohort effects complicate developmental reserach
in cross-sectional studies, cohort effects confound developmental variables - it can be hard to separate differences in different groups based on developmental factors from those based on environmental factors.
Family policy
laws and regulations that directly or indirectly affect families with children
Evidence-based practice
an approach to working with people in health services using methods of intervention and assessment that have been demonstrated through empirical research to be effective
frequency
the number of observations that fall
within a certain category or range of scores
mean
average
median
the 50th percentile - the score at which 50% of
the observations are lower and 50% of the observations
are higher
mode
the category with the highest frequency (the most
observations)
variability
the degree to which scores are spread out:
high variability means that scores are very spread out
low variability means that scores are clustered
standard deviation
a computed measure of how much scores vary around a mean score
construct
hypothetical attribute or mechanism that helps explain
or predict behaviour
- e.g., intelligence, stress, love, empathy, creativity
operational definition
statements that describe the procedures
and specific measures that are used to record observations
quasi-experimental research
a research technique in which the groups that are compared are selected based on predetermined
characteristics rather than random assignment
Correlational Research
an approach to research that involves measuring two variables for each individual in order to describe the relationship between the variables
CPA Code of Ethics
- Respect for the Dignity of Persons
- Responsible Caring
- Integrity in Relationships
- Responsibility to Society
informed consent
a potential volunteer must know the purpose,
tasks, and risks involved in the study and agree to participate based on the information provided without pressure
- a legal concept implying full competence to make a binding decision that affects oneself
3 important Ethical Considerations for Conducting Psychological Research with Children
research risks
voluntary participation
confidentiality
Permission
agreement of parents or guardians to the participation of their child in research
Assent
a child’s affirmative agreement to participate in research
Guiding ethical principle with children
minimize harm
(p)
measure of statistical significance
• e.g., p < .05 or p = .003
n
sample size (number of participants)
