Chapter 2: Theory and Research in Child Development

Question 1

What is naturalistic observation?

Answer 1

To go into the field, or natural environment and record the behaviour of interest

Question 2

What is structured observation?

Answer 2

Where the investigator sets up a laboratory situation that evokes the behaviour of interest so that every participant has an equal opportunity to display the response.

Question 3

What is event sampling?

Answer 3

Where the observer records all instances of a particular behaviour during a specified time period.

Question 4

What is time sampling?

Answer 4

Where the researcher records whether certain behaviours occur during a sample of short intervals

Question 5

What is observer influence?

Answer 5

The effects of the observer on the behaviour studied

Question 6

What is the observer bias?

Answer 6

When observers are aware of the purpose of a study, they may see and record what they expect to see rather than what participants actually do

Question 7

What is a clinical interview?

Answer 7

Where researchers use a flexible, conversational style to probe for the participant’s point of view

Question 8

What is a structured interview?

Answer 8

Where each individual is asked the same set of questions in the same way

Question 9

What are neurobiological methods?

Answer 9

Measure the relationship between nervous system processes and behaviour

Question 10

What is the clinical, or case study method?

Answer 10

Brings together a wide range of information on one child, including interviews, observations, test scores, and sometimes neurobiological measures.

Question 11

What is ethnography?

Answer 11

Study directed at understanding a culture or a distinct social group through participant observation

Question 12

What is reliability?

Answer 12

Consistency or repeatability of measures of behaviour

Question 13

What is high validity?

Answer 13

Accurately measures characteristics that the researcher set out to measure

Question 14

What is internal validity?

Answer 14

The degree to which conditions internal to the design of the study permit an accurate test of the researcher’s hypothesis

Question 15

What is external validity?

Answer 15

The degree to which their findings generalise to settings and participants outside the original study

Question 16

What is correlational design?

Answer 16

Where researchers gather information on individuals in natural life circumstances and look at the relationship between their characteristics and their development

Question 17

What is matching?

Answer 17

Where participants are measured and participants high and low on that factor are assigned in equal numbers to each treatment condition.

Question 18

What is biased sampling?

Answer 18

The failure to enlist participants who represent the population of interest

Question 19

What is selective attrition?

Answer 19

Participants who drop out for other reasons and those who continue are likely to differ in important ways from those who drop out.

Question 20

What is practice effect?

Answer 20

Performance improving because of better test-taking skills and increased familiarity with the test

Question 21

What is the microgenetic design?

Answer 21

Present children with a novel task and follow their mastery over a series of closely spaced sessions. Observe how change happens.

Question 22

What is the risk-versus-benefits ratio?

Answer 22

Weigh the costs to participants in terms of inconvenience and possible psychological or physical injury against the study’s value for advancing knowledge.

Question 23

What is informed consent?

Answer 23

People’s right to have all aspects of a study explained to them that might affect their willingness to participate.