Intro to child development/ research methods Flashcards
What is child development?
The field that involves the scientific study of the patterns of growth, change, and stability that occur from conception through adolescence
Nature is?
genes, DNA
Nurture is?
The environment ex. mommy’s nurture, grandmas advice, etc
Critical Period
Period we need to go through at a certain time, or else we won’t be able to do it in the future.
Sensitive Period
a specific when organisms are particularly susceptible to certain kinds of stimuli in their environment. ex. lack of exposure to language during a sensitive period may result in delayed language production in infants and toddlers
Qualitative (discontinuous)
Development that occurs in distinct steps or stages, with each stage bringing about behavior that is assumed to be qualitatively different from behavior at earlier stages ex. our cognitive development as we age
Quantitative (continuous)
Gradual development in which achievements at one level build on those of previous levels ex. changes in height prior to adulthood
maturation
The process of the predetermined unfolding of genetic information
What did Gizelle say about maturation
“we all will learn how to sit up, stand and walk, all go through the same procedure, but do not all go through it at the same time.”
Scientific Method
- Identify question or interest
- Formulate explanation, theory, hypothesis
- research, conclusion etc.
Why do we need the scientific method?
In order to have good theories, finding probable explanations for certain things we wonder about. We look for OBJECTIVE, RELIABLE, and VALID results
What are the types of research?
- Naturalistic observation
- Archival research
- ethnography
- survey research
- case study
- Psychophysiological research
Naturalistic Observation
An investigator systematically observes naturally occurring behavior and does not make a change in a situation
archival research
existing data such as census documents, college records, and newspaper clippings are examined to test a hypothesis
ethnography
careful study of culture’s values and attitudes through careful, extended examination
survey research
individuals chosen to represent a larger population are asked a series of questions about their behavior, thoughts or attitudes
case study
An in-depth, intensive investigation of an individual or small group of people
psychophysiological research
a study of the relationship between physiological processes and behavior
experimental research
research designed to discover causal relationships between various factors
correlational research
research that seeks to identify whether an association or relationship between two factors exists
Research ethics
- self report cannot be used with infants and young children
- Informed consent, avoidance of deception, protect from physical for self esteem issues, privacy and confidentiality
theoretical research
research designed specifically to test some development explanation and expand scientific knowledge
applied research
research meant to provide practical solutions to immediate problems
longitudinal research
research in which the behavior of one or more individuals is measured as the subjects age
cross-sectional research
research in which people of different ages are compared at the same point in time
sequential studies
studies in which researchers examine members of a number of different age groups at several points in time
survey research
research in which a group of people chosen to represent some larger population are asked questions about their attitudes , behavior, or thinking on a given topic
experiment
a process in which an investigator, called an experimenter, devises two different experiences for subjects or participants
treatment
a procedure applied by an experimental investigator based on two different experiences devised for subjects or participants
treatment group
the group who receives the treatment
independent variable
the variable in an experiment that is manipulated by researchers
dependent variable
the variable in an experiment that is measured and is expected to change as a result of the experimental manipulation
control group
the group in an experiment that receives either no treatment or an alternative treatment
