Module 1 - Research Methods Flashcards
define empiricism
belief that to be deemed true and reliable, knowledge must come from systematic observations that are recorded as data. want to be able to prove that the data is correct
define operational definition
exactly what is meant by each variable in the context of the study, turning abstract ideas into something measurable
define experiment
where all is constant except the variable of interest (independent), which will strategically varies across conditions. dependent variable is what you are measuring from the outcome
define correlational designs
how variables are related to or associated with one another (genre, personality, socioeconomic status). can not determine causality
define experimental designs
can infer causation, all kept constant except variable of interest. rely on random assignment
define reliability
consistency of a measure
test-retest: measurements should be stable across time
interrater: how different experimenters score similar results
define validity
accuracy of measure
internal: is the results from the manipulations, 3rd variables
external: can the results generalize to other groups of people
define structured interview
asking predetermined questions, responses are analyzed and coded
define questionnaires
efficient way to get many response, can use scales and such for responses
define clincical interview
questions can branch off from predetermined questions to follow up on the answers (ex. determining disorders). will give lower internal validity
define naturalistic observations
examining people in their natural environments, researcher has no control of behaviour
define structured observation
people are placed in the same controlled situation while behaviour is recorded, can be used to determine specific factors influencing behaviour
define cross-sectional designs
using different people across different age groups, used for developmental trends, each person is only tested once, no insight into patterns of change within people
define longitudinal designs
look at the changes within the same children over a significant period of development, very rewarding but can be extremely difficult to succeed in completing
define microgenetic designs
track small scale developments in children’s cognitive/behavioural process, multiple observations of same child over a short period of time, detailed look at how specific processes develop
define meta-analysis
a method for combining the results from independent studies to reach conclusions based on all of them
what were both Plato and Aristotle interested in?
how children are influence by their nature and by the nurture they receive
who believed that children had innate knowledge?
Plato
what are the basic themes in child development?
- nature vs nurture
- the active child: how does a child shape their own development (selective attention)
- continuity and discontinuity
- mechanisms of change: how does it occur
- sociocultural context: how does sociocultural influence development
- individual differences: how do we become so different from one another
- research and children’s welfare
describe the difference between nature and nurture.
nature refers to our biological endowment, the genes that we receive. whereas nurture refers to environments that influence out development.
how is epigenetics changing the way we look at nature vs nurture?
we recent studies in epignetics, the study of change in gene expression, it is shown that yes behaviours can be predicted from genes, but behaviours can also influence our genes (methylation = to reduce expression of genes for regulating stress reactions)
what is the difference between continuos and discontinuos for development?
continuos is an idea that changes with age occurring gradually, in small increments (a tree growing taller), where discontinuous is the idea that changes with age including occasional large sifts (cocoon to butterfly)
define cognitive development
it is the development of thinking and reasoning
what kinds of mechanisms can be used to help a child develop?
they can be helped by mechanisms suc as behavioural, neural, or genetic. specifically, roles of brain activity and learning experiences can tell us a lot about developmental changes.
define neurotransmitters
chemicals involved in communication among brain cells
define sociocultural context
the physical, social, cultural, economic, and historical circumstances that make up any child’s environment
define socioeconomic status
a measure of social class that is based on income and education, covering all aspects of children’s lives
define cumulative risk
the accumulation of disadvantages over years of development (ex. being in foster care or homeless)
define the direction of the causation problem
the concept that a correlation between 2 variables does not indicate which, if either, variable is the cause of the other
