Research Methods in Developmental Psychology

Question 1

Seven Key Themes

Answer 1

1. Nature & Nurture
2. Active Child
3. Individual Differences
4. Sociocultural Context
5. Children’s Welfare
6. Mechanisms
7. Stability & Change

Question 2

Nature & Nurture

Answer 2

How do genes and the environment interact to influence development?

Question 3

Active Child

Answer 3

How are children active contributors to their own development?

Question 4

Individual Differences

Answer 4

Why do children turn out so differently?

Question 5

Mechanisms

Answer 5

What processes are involved in development?
What factors contribute to development?

Question 6

Sociocultural Context

Answer 6

How do influences from the immediate and macro contexts impact development?

Question 7

Stability & Change

Answer 7

What changes and stays the same throughout development?

Question 8

Children’s Welfare

Answer 8

How does research improve children’s welfare?

Question 9

General Principles of Developmental Psychology

Answer 9

1. Early competencies rely on few skills
2. Research faces special challenges
3. Many types of valid data collection methods
4. Children’s errors contain valuable info
5. Not only what children do but why and how
6. A single study is not the final answer

Question 10

Special challenges with developmental research

Answer 10

1. Physical development
   - Communicate when can’t point or grab
   - Young infants sleepy & fussy
2. Cognitive development
   - Shorter attention span
   - Communicate w/out language
3. Social & Emotional development
   - Unfamiliar environment can make children scared or upset

Question 11

Fantz’s method

Answer 11

Found way to communicate with young infants through their eye gaze
- learned information about infant preferences
- foundation for future child development research

Question 12

Descriptive Study

Answer 12

Strengths:
- shows what is typical
- measures multiple variables
Weaknesses:
- can’t establish relationships or causation

Question 13

Correlational Study

Answer 13

Strengths:
- can establish relationships
- studies what can’t or shouldn’t be manipulated
Weaknesses:
- can’t establish causation

Question 14

Experiment

Answer 14

Strengths:
- can establish causation
Weaknesses:
- often in lab
- somethings can’t or shouldn’t be manipulated

Question 15

Correlation != Causation

Answer 15

1. Directionality (Temporal Precedence)
2. Third-Variable Problem

Question 16

Research Methods used in Correlational Studies to Address Isusues

Answer 16

1. Directionality
   - Longitudinal Studies
2. Third-Variable Problem
   - Control for statistically

Question 17

Longitudinal Study

Answer 17

Study conducted chronologically or over time
- children ages 2, 6, and 8 in 2004

Question 18

Cross-sectional Study

Answer 18

Study conducted at a given time across various ages
- one child from 2004 to 2014