Introduction and methods

Question 1

Normative vs individual differences

Answer 1

Normative: focusing on similarities between people e.g. Piaget’s stages of cognitive development.

Individual differences: differences observed between children at a given time/age/place

Question 2

What are the 3 main questions developmental psychology aims to address?

Answer 2

• Normative vs individual differences
• Continuous vs discontinuous development
• Nature vs nurture

Question 3

continuous vs discontinuous development

Answer 3

Continuous: development exists on a continuum and change is cumulative as well as what causes the change

Discontinuous: theories with stages of development assuming development is discontinuous e.g. Piaget’s stages

Question 4

Nature vs nurture

Answer 4

Nature: biological underpinnings of behaviours and innate behaviours/ traits including genetic influences.

Nurture: environments, culture, context and family influences

Also how do these interact

Question 5

4 forms of methods used

Answer 5

Observational
Interview
clinical/case study
Field or natural experiment.

Question 6

Observational research

Answer 6

Naturalistic: in the field/natural environment where the behaviour occurs
Structures: laboratory situations set up to evoke behaviours and all participants have equal chance to display behaviour

Using either event or time sampling

Limitations: observer influence and observer bias (recording what they expect rather than just what occurs)

Question 7

Interview methods

Answer 7

With child/parents/caregivers

Limitations: language development limits understanding/ ability to respond.
Accuracy?
Desire to please
Response may be influenced by desire to avoid/achieve diagnosis
Distortions in recall or judgement

Question 8

Clinical/ case study

Answer 8

Bringing together wide range of information on a child through observations, interviews, test scores and psychophysiological.

Limitations: can it be generalised to wider populations?
Time consuming

Question 9

Field + natural experiments

Answer 9

Field: using rare opportunities for random assignment in natural settings.

Natural: quasi-experiment comparing differences between two groups ideally with matched characteristics.

Question 10

Novelty preferences

Answer 10

Preferential looking paradigms: what does the child look at more- eye tracking technology

Habituations paradigms: showing something until they become habituated to it/ bored then show a new one. If they can tell the difference they will look at the new item

Question 11

Operant conditioning

Answer 11

Eye movements
Psychophysiological measures: bp, heart rate, pupils
Neuroimaging: most likely EEG because they can move around + more comfortable.

Carolyn Rovee-collier 1999: babies ankle attached to ribbon, babies learn to kick vigorously, memory of how to activate in 3-6 months

Question 12

Designs typically used:

Answer 12

Longitudinal: - biased sampling/ non-random, selective attrition, practice effects, cohort effects= (common experiences effect results)

Cross-sectional: multiple samples of different characteristics/ ages at the same time)

Sequential designs: same group of different aged people studies repeatedly as they change ages and sometimes adding a new set each year

Question 13

Ethic of researching children

Answer 13

Children more vulnerable to harm through participation in research

Issue of infromed consent: can they give consent if they cannot fully understand and deception is sometimes necessary.

With right to withdraw, may feel desire to please adults and follow through whole way