Chapter 1

Question 1

A method for combining the results from independent studies to reach conclusions based on all of them

Answer 1

Meta-analysis

Question 2

An area of the brain that is involved in emotional reactions

Answer 2

Amygdala

Question 3

Our biological endowment; the genes we receive from our parents

Answer 3

Nature

Question 4

The environments, both physical and social, that influence our development

Answer 4

Nurture

Question 5

Each person’s complete set of hereditary information

Answer 5

Genome

Question 6

The study of stable changes in gene expression that are mediated by the environment

Answer 6

Epigenetics

Question 7

The idea that changes with age occur gradually, in small increments, like that of a pine tree growing taller and taller

Answer 7

Continuous development

Question 8

The idea that changes with age include occasional large shifts, like the transition from caterpillar to cocoon to butterfly

Answer 8

Discontinuous development

Question 9

Approaches proposing that development involves a series of large, discontinuous, age-related phases

Answer 9

Stage theories

Question 10

The development of thinking and reasoning

Answer 10

Cognitive development

Question 11

Chemicals involved in communication among brain cells

Answer 11

Neurotransmitters

Question 12

The physical, social, cultural, economic, and historical circumstances that make up any child’s environment

Answer 12

Sociocultural context

Question 13

A measure of social class based on income and education

Answer 13

Socioeconomic status (SES)

Question 14

The accumulation of disadvantages over years of development

Answer 14

Cumulative risk

Question 15

An approach to testing beliefs that involves choosing a question, formulating a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, and drawing a conclusion.

Answer 15

Scientific method

Question 16

Testable predictions of the presence or absence of phenomena or relations

Answer 16

Hypothesis

Question 17

The degree to which independent measurements of a given behavior are consistent

Answer 17

Reliability

Question 18

The amount of agreement in the observations of different raters who witness the same behavior

Answer 18

Interrater reliability

Question 19

The degree of similarity of a participants performance on two or more occasions

Answer 19

Test-retest reliability

Question 20

The degree to which a test measures what it is intended to measure

Answer 20

Validity

Question 21

The degree to which effects observed within experiments can be attributed to the factor that the researcher is testing

Answer 21

Internal validity

Question 22

The degree to which results can be generalized beyond the particulars of the research

Answer 22

External validity

Question 23

A research procedure in which all participants are asked to answer the same questions

Answer 23

Structured interview

Question 24

A method, similar to the structured interview, that allows researchers to gather information from a large number of participants simultaneously by presenting them with a uniform set of questions

Answer 24

Questionnaire

Question 25

A procedure in which questions are adjusted in accord with the answers the interviewee provides

Answer 25

Clinical Interview

Question 26

Examination of ongoing behavior in an environment not controlled by the researcher

Answer 26

Naturalistic observation

Question 27

A method that involves presenting an identical situation to each participant recording the participant’s behavior

Answer 27

Structured observation

Question 28

Attributes that vary across individuals situations, such as age, sex, and popularity.

Answer 28

Variables

Question 29

The association between two variables

Answer 29

Correlation

Question 30

The concept that a correlation between two variables does not indicate which, if either, variable is the cause of the other

Answer 30

Direction-of-causation problem

Question 31

The concept that a correlation between two variables may stem from both being influenced by some third variable

Answer 31

Third-variable problem

Question 32

A group of approaches that allow inferences about causes and effects to be drawn

Answer 32

Experimental designs

Question 33

A procedure in which each participant has an equal chance of being assigned to each group within an experiment

Answer 33

Random Assignment

Question 34

The ability of researchers to determine the specific experiences of participants during the course of an experiment

Answer 34

Experimental control

Question 35

The group of participants in an experimental design who are presented the experience of interest

Answer 35

Experimental group

Question 36

The group of participants in an experimental design who are not presented the experience of interest but in other ways are treated similarly

Answer 36

Control group

Question 37

The experience that participants in the experiment group receive and that those in the control group do not receive

Answer 37

Independent variable

Question 38

A behavior that is measured to determine whether it is affected by exposure to the independent variable

Answer 38

Dependent variable

Question 39

A research method in which participants of different ages are compared on a given behavior or characteristic over a short period

Answer 39

Cross-sectional design

Question 40

A method of study in which the same participants are studied twice or more over a substantial length of time

Answer 40

Longitudinal design

Question 41

A method of study in which the same participants are studied repeatedly over a short period of time

Answer 41

Microgenetic Design

Question 42

Counting up from larger addend the number of times indicated by the smaller addend

Answer 42

Counting-on strategy