chapter 1: an introduction to child development Flashcards
meta-analysis
a method for combining the results from independent studies to reach conclusions based on all of them
amygdala
an area of the brain that is involved in emotional reactions
nature
our biological endowment; the genes we receive from our parents
nurture
the environments, both physical and social, that influence our development
genome
each person’s complete set of hereditary information
epigenetics
the study of stable changes in gene expression that are mediated by the environment
methylation
a biochemical process that influences behavior by suppressing gene activity and expression
continuous development
the idea that changes with age occur gradually, in small increments, like that of a pine tree growing taller and taller
discontinuous development
the idea that changes with age include occasional large shifts, like the transition from caterpillar to cocoon to butterfly
stage theories
approaches proposing that development involves a series of large, discontinuous, age-related phases
cognitive development
the development of thinking and reasoning
neurotransmitters
chemicals involved in communication among brain cells
sociocultural context
the physical, social, cultural, economic, and historical circumstances that make up any child’s environment
socioeconomic status (SES)
a measure of social class based on income and education
cumulative risk
the accumulation of disadvantages over years of development
scientific method
an approach to testing beliefs that involves choosing a question, formulating a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, and drawing a conclusion
hypotheses
testable predictions of the presence or absence of phenomena or relations
reliability
the degree to which independent measurements of a given behavior are consistent
interrater reliability
the amount of agreement in the observations of different raters who witness the same behavior
test-retest reliability
the degree of similarity of a participant’s performance on two or more occasions
validity
the degree to which a test measures what it is intended to measure
internal validity
the degree to which effects observed within experiments can be attributed to the factor that the researcher is testing
external validity
the degree to which results can be generalized beyond the particulars of the research
structured interview
a research procedure in which all participants are asked to answer the same questions
questionnaire
a method that allows researchers to gather information from a large number of participants simultaneously by presenting them a uniform set of printed questions
clinical interview
a procedure in which questions are adjusted in accord with the answers the interviewee provides
naturalistic observation
examination of ongoing behavior in an environment not controlled by the researcher
structured observation
a method that involves presenting an identical situation to each participant and recording the participant’s behavior
variables
attributes that vary across individuals and situations, such as age, sex, and popularity
correlational designs
studies intended to indicate how two variables are related to each other
correlation
the association between two variables
direction-of-causation problem
the concept that a correlation between two variables does not indicate which, if either, variable is the cause of the other
third-variable problem
the concept that a correlation between two variables may stem from both being influenced by some third variable
experimental designs
a group of approaches that allow inferences about causes and effects to be drawn
random assignment
a procedure in which each participant has an equal chance of being assigned to each group within an experiment
experimental control
the ability of researchers to determine the specific experiences of participants during the course of an experiment
experimental group
the group of participants in an experimental design who are presented the experience of interest
control group
the group of participants in an experimental design who are not presented the experience of interest but in other ways are treated similarly
independent variable
the experience that participants in the experimental group receive and that those in the control group do not receive
dependent variable
a behavior that is measured to determine whether it is affected by exposure to the independent variable
cross-sectional design
a research method in which participants of different ages are compared on a given behavior or characteristic over a short period
longitudinal design
a method of study in which the same participants are studied twice or more over a substantial length of time
microgenetic design
a method of study in which the same participants are studied repeatedly over a short period
