Chapter 1 Flashcards
A method for combining the results from independent studies to reach conclusions based on all of them
Meta-analysis
An area of the brain that is involved in emotional reactions
Amygdala
Our biological endowment; the genes we receive from our parents
Nature
The environments, both physical and social, that influence our development
Nurture
Each person’s complete set of hereditary information
Genome
The study of stable changes in gene expression that are mediated by the environment
Epigenetics
The idea that changes with age occur gradually, in small increments, like that of a pine tree growing taller and taller
Continuous development
The idea that changes with age include occasional large shifts, like the transition from caterpillar to cocoon to butterfly
Discontinuous development
Approaches proposing that development involves a series of large, discontinuous, age-related phases
Stage theories
The development of thinking and reasoning
Cognitive development
Chemicals involved in communication among brain cells
Neurotransmitters
The physical, social, cultural, economic, and historical circumstances that make up any child’s environment
Sociocultural context
A measure of social class based on income and education
Socioeconomic status (SES)
The accumulation of disadvantages over years of development
Cumulative risk
An approach to testing beliefs that involves choosing a question, formulating a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, and drawing a conclusion.
Scientific method
Testable predictions of the presence or absence of phenomena or relations
Hypothesis
The degree to which independent measurements of a given behavior are consistent
Reliability
The amount of agreement in the observations of different raters who witness the same behavior
Interrater reliability
The degree of similarity of a participants performance on two or more occasions
Test-retest reliability
The degree to which a test measures what it is intended to measure
Validity
The degree to which effects observed within experiments can be attributed to the factor that the researcher is testing
Internal validity
The degree to which results can be generalized beyond the particulars of the research
External validity
A research procedure in which all participants are asked to answer the same questions
Structured interview
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
Questionnaire
A procedure in which questions are adjusted in accord with the answers the interviewee provides
Clinical Interview
Examination of ongoing behavior in an environment not controlled by the researcher
Naturalistic observation
A method that involves presenting an identical situation to each participant recording the participant’s behavior
Structured observation
Attributes that vary across individuals situations, such as age, sex, and popularity.
Variables
The association between two variables
Correlation
The concept that a correlation between two variables does not indicate which, if either, variable is the cause of the other
Direction-of-causation problem
The concept that a correlation between two variables may stem from both being influenced by some third variable
Third-variable problem
A group of approaches that allow inferences about causes and effects to be drawn
Experimental designs
A procedure in which each participant has an equal chance of being assigned to each group within an experiment
Random Assignment
The ability of researchers to determine the specific experiences of participants during the course of an experiment
Experimental control
The group of participants in an experimental design who are presented the experience of interest
Experimental group
The group of participants in an experimental design who are not presented the experience of interest but in other ways are treated similarly
Control group
The experience that participants in the experiment group receive and that those in the control group do not receive
Independent variable
A behavior that is measured to determine whether it is affected by exposure to the independent variable
Dependent variable
A research method in which participants of different ages are compared on a given behavior or characteristic over a short period
Cross-sectional design
A method of study in which the same participants are studied twice or more over a substantial length of time
Longitudinal design
A method of study in which the same participants are studied repeatedly over a short period of time
Microgenetic Design
Counting up from larger addend the number of times indicated by the smaller addend
Counting-on strategy
