Methods and issues

Question 1

briefly describe continuity and discontinuity

Answer 1

• like how trees have continuity and butterflies have discontinuity
• Learning is continuous , cognitive development is discontinuous, evolutionary is discontinuous , ecological is unspecified

Question 2

describe continuous development

Answer 2

changes with age occur gradually, in small increments
development occurs skill by skill, task by task,
learning theorists e.g. Watson, Bandura

Question 3

describe discontinuous development

Answer 3

changes with age include occasional large shifts, developmental shifts result in qualitative changes =, stage theorists , Piaget, Freud, Erikson, Kohlberg

Question 4

What are the four basic steps to the scientific method ?

Answer 4

question
hypothesis
method for testing
conclusions are made

Question 5

what is a cross sectional research design?

Answer 5

children studies at different ages observed at single point in time

Question 6

what is a longitudinal research design?

Answer 6

over time , observing changes

Question 7

what is a microgenetic research design?

Answer 7

change as it occurs, tested lots over a short period of time

Question 8

What does an interview involve ?

Answer 8

• ask children directly about their lives, thoughts, emotions - structured or clinical (following child’s lead and in-depth info about individual)

Question 9

strengths of interviews

Answer 9

1. ✅in-depth data
2. ✅quick
3. ✅convenient

Question 10

limitations of interviews

Answer 10

❌maybe invalid because child may forget or biassed responses

Question 11

what are the different types of observations ?

Answer 11

Naturalistic

Structured

Psychological testing - psychological attributes are assessed, compared against norm groups

Clinical method - natural behaviour recorded and then environment is changed

Question 12

what does a correlational study examine?

Answer 12

relationships between variables , positive or negative

Question 13

what does a experimental study examine?

Answer 13

a systematic way of manipulating the key factor or factor that the investigator thinks cause a particular behaviour . Control group and independent variable

1. random assignment
2. experimental control

Question 14

what are the four main development functions?

Answer 14

a systematic way of manipulating the key factor or factor that the investigator thinks cause a particular behaviour . Control group and independent variable

1. random assignment
2. experimental control

Question 15

what are epigenetics?

Answer 15

the study of stable changes in gene expression that are mediated by the environment