Issues and methods in developmental psychology

Question 1

The nature-nurture controversy

Answer 1

nature - development driven by the maturation of one’s hereditary
endowment
nurture - development driven by physical and social environment, and experiences before and after birth

Question 2

stability vs change

Answer 2

stability: will young children who are very talkative remain outgoing and confident forever?
change: or do our early experiences play a major role?

Question 3

passive vs active child

Answer 3

does the child simply respond to his/her environment or is the child an active, purposeful individual who influences his/her own behaviour?

Question 4

passive child

Answer 4

environment shapes the child’s behaviour and stimulates development

Question 5

active child

Answer 5

internal psychological structures drive development; children actively explore their world and influence their own learning

Question 6

observational research

Answer 6

behaviours may be observed and recorded in naturalistic environments and structured settings. Can be descriptive, systematic

Question 7

stranger situation

Answer 7

structured observation. A pre-set numbers of stages are planned. Equal oppurtunity for participants to display behaviours in a controlled setting. but might not be like their everyday life/artifical.

Question 8

observer bias

Answer 8

people may record what they expect to see when they know what hypotheses are

Question 9

correlational research

Answer 9

aims to describe the relationship between one aspect of children’s development and another.
Often used when cannot directly manipulate

Question 10

experimental research

Answer 10

aims to show a casual relationship between one variable and another (IV & DV)

Question 11

cross sectional studies

Answer 11

• measure behaviours in different aged subjects at the same point
• advantages: minimise time and monetary cost

Question 12

issues in cross sectional designs

Answer 12

cannot reveal development at the individual level, only at the group average level

Question 13

longitudinal studies

Answer 13

measures behaviours in the same subject at different ages

Question 14

advantages of longitudinal studies

Answer 14

provide estimates of changes/stability of behaviour over time, estimate the impact of early experiences on later behaviour

Question 15

issues with longitudinal studies

Answer 15

• sampling problems

- problems with repeated testing

Question 16

Infant EEG/ERP

Answer 16

• comparing brain waves to responses to b and p sounds
• neurological methods -relationship between behaviour and nervous system
• changes in electrical activity of the cerebral cortex

Question 17

ethical issues in developmental research

Answer 17

Disclosure - researchers can be asked to apply for DBS check
Ethics approval
Informed consent
Personal data act 2010