chapter 1: an introduction to child development Flashcards

1
Q

meta-analysis

A

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

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2
Q

amygdala

A

an area of the brain that is involved in emotional reactions

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3
Q

nature

A

our biological endowment; the genes we receive from our parents

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4
Q

nurture

A

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

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5
Q

genome

A

each person’s complete set of hereditary information

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6
Q

epigenetics

A

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

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7
Q

methylation

A

a biochemical process that influences behavior by suppressing gene activity and expression

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8
Q

continuous development

A

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

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9
Q

discontinuous development

A

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

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10
Q

stage theories

A

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

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11
Q

cognitive development

A

the development of thinking and reasoning

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12
Q

neurotransmitters

A

chemicals involved in communication among brain cells

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13
Q

sociocultural context

A

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

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14
Q

socioeconomic status (SES)

A

a measure of social class based on income and education

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15
Q

cumulative risk

A

the accumulation of disadvantages over years of development

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16
Q

scientific method

A

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

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17
Q

hypotheses

A

testable predictions of the presence or absence of phenomena or relations

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18
Q

reliability

A

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

19
Q

interrater reliability

A

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

20
Q

test-retest reliability

A

the degree of similarity of a participant’s performance on two or more occasions

21
Q

validity

A

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

22
Q

internal validity

A

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

23
Q

external validity

A

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

24
Q

structured interview

A

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

25
Q

questionnaire

A

a method that allows researchers to gather information from a large number of participants simultaneously by presenting them a uniform set of printed questions

26
Q

clinical interview

A

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

27
Q

naturalistic observation

A

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

28
Q

structured observation

A

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

29
Q

variables

A

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

30
Q

correlational designs

A

studies intended to indicate how two variables are related to each other

31
Q

correlation

A

the association between two variables

32
Q

direction-of-causation problem

A

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

33
Q

third-variable problem

A

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

34
Q

experimental designs

A

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

35
Q

random assignment

A

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

36
Q

experimental control

A

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

37
Q

experimental group

A

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

38
Q

control group

A

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

39
Q

independent variable

A

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

40
Q

dependent variable

A

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

41
Q

cross-sectional design

A

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

42
Q

longitudinal design

A

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

43
Q

microgenetic design

A

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