Psychology Flashcards
Seeks to understand how and why people of all ages and circumstances change or remain the same over time
The science of human development
A way to answer questions using empirical research and data-based conclusions
Scientific method
- begin with curiosity and pose a question
- develop a hypothesis
- test the hypothesis
- analyze the evidence
- report the results
5 basic steps of the scientific method
Repeat of a study, usually using different participants, perhaps of another age, SES, or culture
Replication: the final step
- one-third did not reproduce same results
- one- third less conclusive than original
Published replication studies showed
Influence of genes we inherit
Nature
Influences of our environment, including the entire development context
Nurture
Heredity-environment
Maturation-learning
Sex-gender
Manifestations
- Ways in which environment alters genetic expression
- Differential susceptibility
Epigenetics
Study of human development that takes into account all phases of life
Life-span perspective
Multidisciplinary Multicontextual Multicultural Multidisciplinary Plastic
Development viewed
At every moment in life, context and culture affect each person’s past and shape their future
True
Development is
Multidirectional
Discontinuity and continuity
Patterns of change
Climate, noise, population density
Psychical
Urban, suburban or rural; multiethnic or not
Community
each person is affected by many social contexts and interpersonal interactions.
nested levels and systems surround individuals and affect them
bioecological theory
- microsystems
- exosystems
- macrosystems
- mesosystem
- chronosystem
ecological system
the___ and the ___ context are basic to understanding people
historical
socieconomic
- born within the same historical period
- move through life together
- experience same events, new technologies, and cultural shifts at the same ages
- influence of attitudes and behaviors
historical context: cohort
- involves education, occupation, neighborhood, income
- brings advantages and disadvantages
economic context reflected in socioeconomic status (SES)
is a social construction
culture
- biosocial development
- cognitive development
- psychosocial development
study of development
includes all the growth and change that occur in a person’s body and the genetic, nutritional, and health factors that affect that growth and change
biosocial development
includes all the mental processes that a person uses to obtain knowledge or to think about the environment
cognitive development
encompasses perception, imagination, judgement, memory and language
cognition
includes development of emotions, temperament and social skills.
psychosocial development
- requires researcher to systematically and objectively record behavior
- may be conducted in a naturalistic setting or a laboratory
scientific observation
- effect size
- significance
- cost-benefit analysis
- odds ratio
- factor analysis
- meta-analysis
statistical measures often used to analyze research results
establishes casual relationships among variables
experiment
- independent variable
- dependent variable
variables
- experimental group
- comparison group
groups
includes information collected from a large number of people by interview, questionnaire, or some other means
survey using scientific method
- acquiring valid survey data is not easy
- some people lie; some change their minds
- survey answers are influenced by the wording and the sequence of the questions
challenges of using scientific method
- cross sectional research
- longitudinal research
- cross sequential research
basic research designs
most convenient, quickest and least expensive way to study developmental change over time; does not always indicate processes of development
cross-sectional research
useful in studying development over many years; uncovers links that cross-sectional research does not; more time and resource intensive
longitudinal research
allows disentanglement of age and historical context
cohort-sequential research
- most important safeguard ensures no harm occurs
- participants must understand and agree to research procedures (informed consent)
protection of research participants
methods and conclusions must promote accuracy, honesty, and truthfulness
integrity of scientific study
the study of development is often divided into _ domains
three
