Chapter 1: Intro to child dev

Question 1

Plato’s view on child rearing

Answer 1

they are wild, kids have innate knowledge, such as category of animals

Question 2

Aristotle’s view on child rearing

Answer 2

Everything is learned, individually suited care

Question 3

John Locke

Answer 3

avoid indulgences and be strict, but as soon as possible, relax authority because if you treat them as adults they will act like adults

Question 4

Rosseau

Answer 4

complete freedom from beginning, no formal education until age 12

Question 5

Social reform movements

Answer 5

Industrial rev, child workers, child labor laws created

Question 6

genome

Answer 6

each person’s complete set of hereditary info

Question 7

epigenetics

Answer 7

the study of stable changes in gene expression due to environmental factorsxt

Question 8

methylation

Answer 8

a biochem process that reduces expression of various genes; involved in regulating reaction to stress (ex: stressed mothers have more stressed kids)

Question 9

continuity vs discontinuity

Answer 9

Continuous:
Discontinuous:
-Children of diff ages are qualitatively different (idea of conservation of mass with kids)
-stage theories

Question 10

Stage theories

Answer 10

dev occurs in progression of distinct age related stages

Question 11

Effortful attention

Answer 11

voluntary control of thoughts and emotions, processes like inhibiting impulses, controlling emotions, and focusing attention

Question 12

Why do children differ:

Answer 12

1. genetics
2. differences in treatment by parents and others
3. differences in reactions to similar experiences
4. different choices of environments

Question 13

Scientific method

Answer 13

1. question
2. hypothesis
3. method to test hypoth
4. using data to draw conclusion regarding hypoth

Question 14

Reliability

Answer 14

degree to which independent measurements of a behavior are consistent

Question 15

Validity

Answer 15

degree to which test measures what it intended to measure

Question 16

interrater reliability

Answer 16

how much agreement in observations between diff raters

Question 17

test retest reliability

Answer 17

same test administered under same conditions

Question 18

internal validity

Answer 18

whether effects observed within experiments can be attributed to factor that is being tested

Question 19

external validity

Answer 19

ability to generalize research findings beyond particulars of study

Question 20

structured interview

Answer 20

asking potentially many participants identical questions; self reports
weakness: biased, subject may not reveal full truth

Question 21

clinical interviews

Answer 21

in depth info; starts with prepared questions, but interview can depart from script to follow an intriguing train of thought
weakness: biased, subject may not reveal complete truth

Question 22

Naturalistic observation

Answer 22

observers remain unobtrusively in background; watch relevant behaviors while minimizing chance that presence influences behaviors
weakness: what can you attribute to situation? or certain behaviors could only happen sometimes, not daily, so researchers don’t know about them

Question 23

Structured observation

Answer 23

design a situation that will elicit behavior relevant to hypothesis, observe how different children behave

Question 24

Variables

Answer 24

attributes that vary across individuals and situations (such as age, sex, etc)

Question 25

Correlation

Answer 25

association between two variables

Question 26

Correlation does not equal causation

Answer 26

• direction of causation problem: correlation does not indicate which is cause which is effect
• third variable problem: could be result of third, unspecified variable

Question 27

Experimental designs

Answer 27

Indicates cause-effect relationships

• random assignment
• experimental control (experimental group vs control group)

Question 28

Independent variable

Answer 28

the experience that children in the experimental group receive and that the control group does not

Question 29

Dependent variable

Answer 29

behavior that is hypothesized to be affected by exposure to independent variable

Question 30

Correlational study

Answer 30

comparison of existing groups of children or examinations of relations among each child’s scores on different variables; can help compare groups of interest (girls vs boys, rich vs poor)

Question 31

Cross sectional approach

Answer 31

comparing children of different ages on given behavior, ability, or characteristic with children being studied at same time

Question 32

Longitudinal Designs

Answer 32

following group of children over substantial amount of time (at least a year) and observing changes and continuities at regular intervals
however, children might move away or drop out of study or effects of repeated testing

Question 33

microgenetic design

Answer 33

same children are studied repeatedly over short period of time; combo between longitudinal and cross sectional

Question 34

Counting on strategy

Answer 34

Siegler and Jenkins (1981)

if 8+3, count up 3 times more than 8: 9, 10, 11 –> so the answer is 11

Question 35

Ethics of child studies

Answer 35

• harming children physically/psych
• informed consent from parents or adults and from children if they are old enough
• preserve anonymity
• discuss with parents info yielded that is important for child’s welfare
• try to counteract unforeseen negative consequences that arise during research
• correct inaccurate impressions child may have developed during study