DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY - LECT 1 - INTRO Flashcards
What is the term development?
Refers to the process by which an organism grows and changes through its life span
Whats developmental psychology?
Scientific study off the process of change in mental processes and behaviour during the life span of
Whats the aims of developmental psychology?
Provides valuable understanding of developmental via scientifc study: the theories describe, explain and predict behaviour at given stage of development
Which 3 broad areas does development occur in?
Physical characteristics - height, weight, brain size
Perceptual and cognitive capacities - visual, auditory perception
Social capacities - identity, relationships
How does development progress?
Continuously - a quantitative change : a result of doing more or less of something eg growth
Discontinously - a qualitative change : a result of doing something differently
Eg change from crawling to walking; learning a new way to add two numbers
What influences development?
Nature vs nurture
Nativism (nature)
Empiricism (nurture)
Explain nature vs nurture?
Extent to which human behaviour and characteristics are determined
by innate vs. environmental factors.
Explain nativism?
Maturation wholly predetermined by innate biological factors
Whats empiricism?
17th Century philosopher John Locke: Child is a blank slate.
Behavioural characteristics determined entirely by experience.
Ignores contribution of innate psychological abilities in development.
This position focused on learning and knowledge.
What else influences development?
Genes - determines the first stage of development: cell division and differentiation
- considered a blue print for development
Environment
- provides energy and building materials - nutrients and water
- provides stimulation - visual, auditory, social
What does gene and the environment together determine?
Behaviour but not independent
What does scarr and McCartney argue?
Evocative interaction
Active interaction
Whats evocative interaction?
Child elicits responses from others, based on innate
characteristics. (E.g. active babies elicit more social
interactions than withdrawn ones)
Whats active interaction?
Individual seeks/creates a particular kind of
environment. (e.g. one suited to their
capabilities/motivations. Most apparent when
gaining independence from parents)
How can we study development?
Observation
Self - report
Whats naturalistic observation?
measure behaviour in natural setting
(e.g. comforting behaviour in response to child’s distress in school
Strengths and weakness of observation?
Strengths
Observations (potentially) are of natural behaviour
Weaknesses
No experimental control:
Many factors in natural settings can influence behaviour
Behaviours of interest are left to chance
Presence of observer may influence subject’s behaviour
Observer bias
Tells us little about child’s reasoning behind their behaviou
What’s structured observation
measure behaviour in a laboratory
(e.g. ability to recognise mother’s speech in newborns
Strengths and weakness of structured observations?
Strengths
High degree of experimental control: ‘clean’ data
Ensures all subjects are exposed to same conditions
Avoids variation due to uncontrolled factors in natural setting
Can measure a behaviour difficult to see in naturalistic obs.
Weaknesses
Behaviour in the lab may not reflect behaviour in everyday life
Observer bias
Tells us little about child’s reasoning behind their behaviour
Strengths and weakness of clinical interview?
Strengths
Can examine child’s thinking, rather than inferring it from behaviour
Interview is tailored to the individual child – most likely to yield the
information an experimenter needs
Enables the experimenter to probe widely & deeply in little time
Weaknesses
Subjects may not respond truthfully or accurately
Skilled interviewer may be needed - e.g. building rapport, probing.
Child must have sufficient linguistic ability
Strengths and weakness of structured interview/ questionnaires?
Strengths
Can make valid comparisons between subjects
Can examine child’s thinking, rather than inferring it from behaviour
Efficient way to collect data from many subjects
Weaknesses
Cannot obtain same depth of information as clinical interview
Subjects may not respond truthfully or accurately
Child must have sufficient linguistic ability
Some common designs for for examining age measure behaviour?
1) Longitudinal design
Experimenter tests same individual at different points in time
2) Cross-sectional design
Experimenter tests individuals of different ages at one time
Longitudinal design strengths and weaknesses?
Strengths
Provides a wealth of data on an individual
Can examine individual similarities/differences over time
Useful in asking whether behaviour at time 1 predicts that at time 2
Weaknesses
Cost, keeping track of subjects, subjects can outlive experimenters!
Biased sample - only a certain type of individual takes part
Practice effects
Major world events (e.g. war) can disrupt normal development
Results can be outdated
Whats a cross- sectional design?
Experimenter tests indivudlas from diff age groups at one time?
Strengths and weakness of cross sectional designs?
Strengths
Quick and inexpensive
Avoids practice effects
Weakness
- can only examine groups average time nt indivudlas
- need to ensure children being comapred differ onl in age
- cohort effect : indivudlas born in diff years may have diff developments
