Week 2 - Lecture 2 Flashcards
what is Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model of development?
- the developing person, with their genetic makeup and biological and physiological characteristics, is embedded in a series of environmental systems
- these systems interact with one another and with the individual over time to influence development
In what ways is development considered ‘plastic’?
development is plastic (i.e. capacity for change)
- there are many *possible developmental outcomes *and that the nature of human development is much more open and pluralistic than originally implied by traditional views
- there is *no single pathway *that must be taken in an individual’s development across the lifespan
how is developmental science considered multidisciplinary?
- any single discipline’s account of development across the lifespan would not be able to express all aspects of this theoretical framework
- **a combination of disciplines is necessary to understand development **
- psychologists, sociologists, etc may all be interested and involved in research related to the normative age-graded, normative history-graded, and nonormative influences that help shape development
In what ways is development contextual?
development occurs in context and varies from person to person, depending on factors such as a person’s biology, family, school, religion, profession, nationality and ethnicity
what is Paul Baltes view on development?
- individuals are changing beings in a changing world
- as a result of these changes, CONTEXTS exert 3 types of influences:
1. normative age-graded influences
2. normative, history-graded influences
3. non-normative or highly individualized life events
what is meant by normative age-graded influences?
- similar for individuals in a particular age group
- e.g. includes processes such as retirement and beginning formal educations
What is meant by Normative History-Graded Influences?
- common to people of a particular generation becuase of historical circumstances
- long term changes in the genetic and cultural makeup of a population are also part of normative historical change
What is meant by Non-Normative Life Events?
- unusual occurrences that have a major impact on the individual’s life
- they don’t happen to all people, and when they do occur they can influences people in different ways
describe the scientific method cycle
1. Theory
- a general explanation or framework for understanding phenomena.
- The process begins with a theory, which guides the development of a hypothesis
**2. Hypothesis **
- a testable statement derived from the theory
- At this stage, a study is designed to test the hypothesis
3. Research
- The actual process of conducting experiments or gathering data to evaluate the hypothesis
**4. Observation **
- the results of the research are analyzed, leading to conclusions.
- If necessary, the theory is revised or modified based on findings, and the cycle repeats
Kinds of Measures
How does **Observation **occur in a lab environment?
- What is said = controlled
- Who says it = controlled
- Where it is said = controlled
- Meaning = lab based
- Sample = maybe biased
Kinds of Measures
How does **Observation **occur in a Naturalistic environment?
- What is said = random
- Who says it = random
- Where it is said = controlled
- Meaning = real world
- Sample = can be unbiased
What did Bronfenbenner (1974,1977) find about the chronosystem?
- There are multiple environmental experiences which impact children’s development
- the chronosystem is explicitly concerned with historical and/or sociocultural life course **events, encompassing the cumulative effects **of the **entire sequence of transitions or events occurring over a more extended time period (e.g. war**, severe economic downturn, political upheaval)
Advantages of Self Report Measures?
- get **detail **from those who know the child best so can get info you **otherwise might not **
- usually** less time** consuming
Disadvantages of Self Report Measures?
- poor** accuracy **
- harder to implement experimental manipulation
advantages of standardised tests?
- good for comparing across** populations** and **time **
- good for establishing relationships between important constructs
example of a standardised test?
Stanford Binet IQ test for children
Disadvantages of standardised tests?
- cultural and historical specificity
- not usually able to** adapt** to **asking particular questions **
define **physiological measures **
a** biological **or physical measure related to **psychological processes **
explain dishabituation
- dishabituation is the renewed response to a **habituated stimulus **after the introduction of a new stimulus
- eg. people that live near train stations stop noticing the sound of trains overtime. If a car alarm went of, this may “reset” a person’s awareness, making them notice the train sounds again (dishabituation)
What did Baillargeon (1987) study find about object permanence?
- object permanence was shown in 3.5 and 4.5 month old infants
- object permanence: the understanding that objects continue to exist even when out of sight
What did Fantz (1961) study find on looking preferences?
- infants prefer to look at patterned stimuli, especially faces and complex designs over plain ones
- suggests that newborns have innate visual preferences (role in early perceptual development)
Research Designs
What is descriptive research?
- focuses on what is happening** rather than why** it happens
- **observation **and **recording of behaviour **
- common methods: surveys, case studies, observations
Research Designs
What is Correlational research?
- relationship between two or more variables **without manipulating them
- determines whether variables are positively, negatively, or not related but **does not establish causation **
- eg. surveys, observations, secondary data analysis
Research Designs
What is Experimental Research?
- method that tests cause and effect relationships by manipulating one or more independent variables and measuring their impact on dependent variables, while controlling extraneous factors
- typically involves random assignment and controlled conditions to **ensure valid results **
