Class session flashcards, terms and concepts

Question 1

Nature & Nurture

Answer 1

Also known as “genetics vs environment”. Early psychologists believed nature to be the prime factor of development, but it’s really a mix. Genetics can play a role in susceptibility to certain illnesses, but they need environmental triggers.

Question 2

The Active Child

Answer 2

Main tenet of Piaget’s theory on development. Children influence their own environment and therefore their own development. They choose what to learn about, are naturally curious, and grow on their own.

Question 3

Continuity/Discontinuity

Answer 3

Continuous development: A tree growing larger but remaining structurally the same. Discontinuous development: A moth going from caterpillar to pupae to moth. Piaget believed development to be discontinuous, but in reality childrens’ development is more on the continuous side.

Question 4

Sociocultural context

Answer 4

It’s important to understand the culture a child is growing up in, and its impact on how they think. IE holistic thinking vs analytic thinking (remember social psych?)

Question 5

Individual differences

Answer 5

Kids are all different. While general statements may be made about how children develop, each will develop differently and at different times, especially with things like spacial awareness.

Question 6

Ethical concern of developmental psych

Answer 6

It’s hard to get informed consent from children and infants. You have to be really careful with experiments.

Question 7

Vaugh Et Al 1984

Answer 7

Example of a CROSS SECTIONAL DESIGN. Tested 3 age groups, and their abilities to refrain from eating a raisin or touching a toy phone. Results: Children who were older were able to wait longer, on average, than younger children.

Question 8

Cohort Effect

Answer 8

Bias/Error in psych studies caused by the differences in children of being born in different time periods (experiencing different environments). Weakness of CROSS SECTIONAL DESIGN.

Question 9

Pros and cons of CROSS SECTIONAL DESIGN

Answer 9

PRO: Efficient, and reveals differences in age groups. CON: Cohort effect, only shows age difference, not change

Question 10

Pros and cons of LONGITUDINAL DESIGN

Answer 10

PRO: Shows change in individuals over time. CON: inefficient, small sample sizes = biased, Attrition, practice effects

Question 11

Practice Effect

Answer 11

Bias in sampling where someone being tested on the same thing several times will naturally get better at it simply by having that test experience, not by actually improving. flaw of LONGITUDINAL DESIGN

Question 12

Attrition

Answer 12

Loss of study participants over time.