Theory and Research Methods

Question 1

What is the main goal of the Theories of Development?

Answer 1

Attempt to explain and predict development

Question 2

What are the 5 main perspectives or theories of development?

Answer 2

1. Biological Perspective
2. Psychodynamic Perspective
3. Learning Perspectives
4. Cognitive-Developmental Perspective
5. Contextual Perspectives

Question 3

How does the biological perspective define human development?

Answer 3

Determined predominantly by our biology

Question 4

True or false: According to the biological perspective of development, environment and nurture plays no part in child development.

Answer 4

False

Question 5

What are 3 things that biology could drive, according to the biological perspective of development?

Answer 5

1. Intelligence
2. Personality
3. Physical/Motor development

Question 6

As evolution plays a role in development, how does this manifest in development?

Answer 6

We develop skills and behaviours that help our chances of survival, e.g., crying to receive care from caretakers

Question 7

What is a critical period?

Answer 7

A specific time that a child needs to learn certain skills

Question 8

What happens if a child fails to learn a skill within a critical period?

Answer 8

It would be very difficult, if not impossible to learn this skill

Question 9

How does the psychodynamic perspective define human development?

Answer 9

How well people resolve conflicts as they age

Question 10

Who are 2 primary psychologists that supported the psychodynamic perspective of development, and what were their focuses?

Answer 10

1. Sigmund Freud - biological and sexual conflicts
2. Erik Erikson - social and psychological conflicts

Question 11

What are the 8 stages of psychosocial development and what are their binaries?

Answer 11

1. Infancy - trust vs. mistrust
2. Early Childhood - autonomy vs. shame and doubt
3. Preschool - initiative vs. guilt
4. School Age - industry vs. inferiority
5. Adolescence - identity vs. role confusion
6. Young Adulthood - intimacy vs. isolation
7. Middle Adulthood - generativity vs. stagnation
8. Maturity - ego integrity vs. despair

Question 12

What does systematic observation involve when observing children?

Answer 12

Carefully recording their actions and dialogue

Question 13

What is a nominal scale?

Answer 13

A measurement of discrete categories (e.g. makes/does not make eye contact)

Question 14

In observational research, what is the purpose of a checklist?

Answer 14

To note a list of behaviours and characteristics (e.g. sharing is checked or not checked)

Question 15

What is the difference between naturalistic and structured observation?

Answer 15

Naturalistic - observation in a real-life environment
Structured - observation in a researcher-created environment

Question 16

What phenomenon describes participants becoming unresponsive to repeated stimuli?

Answer 16

Habituation

Question 17

What are self-reports done by children?

Answer 17

Children’s own responses about the topic of interest, whether in a questionnaire or interview

Question 18

How might self-reports be invalid?

Answer 18

Response bias - participants look for the most socially acceptable answer rather than being honest

Question 19

What is the difference between a population and a sample?

Answer 19

Population - a broad group who are the usual focus of research
Sample - a smaller group drawn from a population

Question 20

What is a null hypothesis?

Answer 20

A hypothesis against the original hypothesis; states that nothing the experimenter did had any effect

Question 21

What are baby biographies?

Answer 21

Detailed, systematic observations of individual children

Question 22

In maturational theory, what does development consist of?

Answer 22

The unfolding of specific plans within a body - like puberty

Question 23

What are the two components of learning and conditioning that make up the social cognitive theory?

Answer 23

Operant conditioning and observational learning