Applied Developmental Psychology

Question 1

What is applied developmental psychology?

Answer 1

• Applied: direct implications for what parents/teachers/policy-makers do
• Developmental: changes across the human lifespan; developmental populations
• Psychology: grounded in research methods; using scientific method

Question 2

Major themes of applied developmental psychology?

Answer 2

• Enhancing lives
• Working on real-world problems
• Use of developmental psychology methodology

Question 3

focuses of applied developmental psychology research

Answer 3

• assessment
• intervention
• research on socially important issues
• contribution to public policy
• dissemination of psychological knowledge

Question 4

focus of ADP: assessment

Answer 4

• identifying developmentally important characteristics in an at-risk population
• ex. conducting neonatal screening tests (APGAR and NBAS); testing for dyslexia)
• Must be valid and have predictive power

Question 5

focus of ADP: intervention

Answer 5

• altering the environment to prevent, correct, or reduce problems of development
• ex. Head Start program for disadvantaged pre-school children)

Question 6

focus of ADP: research on socially important issues

Answer 6

• providing evidence relevant to the resolution of important questions
• ex. Researching accuracy of child testimony in abuse cases, outcomes of divorce, etc.

Question 7

focus of ADP: contribution to public policy

Answer 7

• using research to inform policy-making decisions

- ex. using research on schooling to create curriculum; using research on daycare to establish daycare standards

Question 8

dissemination of psychological knowledge

Answer 8

• making research results available to those who might benefit from them
• ex. making information on parenting available to parents

Question 9

basic psychology

Answer 9

• Concerned with advancing knowledge
• Motivated by theory
• Leave implementation to others
• Most psychologists at universities are “basic” psychologists
• Ex. A psychologist researching children’s visual memory

Question 10

applied psychology

Answer 10

• Concerned with application of research to practical problems; bettering lives
• Likely involved in implementation
• Applied psychologists usually work in hospitals, schools, governments, etc.
• Ex. A psychologist working with kids who have to give eyewitness testimony

Question 11

psychologists can be somewhere in between basic and applied, for ex. if they…

Answer 11

• Do research and develop theories, but are motivated by topics of practical implications
• Are usually not involved directly with implementation
• Ex. A psychologist researching children’s eyewitness testimony

Question 12

difficulties in applying developmental research

Answer 12

• Different questions, different goals, different communities
• Basic research often doesn’t give clear-cut answers that can be used for practice
• Different deadlines for results
• Difficult to generalize research across populations, contexts, situations
• Findings may be difficult to understand for those not in the field; can be misinterpreted
• Researchers are rewarded for conducting research, but not for applying it

Question 13

roles for applied developmental psychologists

Answer 13

• Education settings: implementing/evaluating classroom programs, teaching, etc.
• Media: developing/evaluating children’s media
• Healthcare: consulting with pediatricians, implementing healthcare programs
• Community services: ex. Designing “risky play” playgrounds
• Government programs: implementing/designing programs
• Non-profits: ex. Ones interested in children’s welfare