Developmental Psychology Flashcards
(20 cards)
What is developmental psychology
seeks to identify + explain changes in behaviour that individuals undergo from birth until death
What are the two primary kinds of research questions in developmental psychology
- Reverse engineering = looking at a behaviour NOW and determining how they got there from the PAST
- Interventions = taking these primary findings and intervening to aid development
what is delayed gratification and what are the implications for children
capacity to delay current form of gratification knowing there’s a greater award in the future
- children don’t care, no concept of consequences and time, therefore it is important to understand that you can’t impose adult assumptions onto children’s behaviour
*marshmallow test
What are some research design issues/biases that should be accounted for
sampling bias = representativeness of the sample
observer effects = both researcher and participants
selective attrition = subjects naturally drop out
practise effects = repeated measures design
validity/reliability = can’t test an adult construct on children
what is a cross-sectional approach + strengths and weaknesses
different subjects are studied at different ages (five 10 year olds, five 20 year olds)
STRENGTHS:
1. data can be collected over a wide age range in a short time
WEAKNESSES:
1. doesn’t consider individual differences and development
2. ‘cohort variation’ = each group was born in a different year and has experienced different environmental influences
what is a longitudinal approach + strengths and weaknesses
studies same subjects as they develop over a long period of time
STRENGTHS:
1. provides extensive information about how individuals develop
WEAKNESSES:
1. not time and cost efficient
2. selective attrition
3. cross sectional change (how relevant is early data)
4. inflexible and stuck with original sample and measures
what is a longitudinal sequential design + strengths and weaknesses
mix of cross-sectional and longitudinal, 2-3, 3-4 etc. (overlap)
STRENGTHS:
1. more efficient than longitudinal
WEAKNESSES:
1. reveals cultural/historical effects - overlapping samples, compare samples born in different years at same age
What are the long-term effects of impoverished early child rearing environments
Eg. 1 Orphanages
- longer length of time = negative impact on IQ
- cognitive consequences = poorer speech development, inability to concentrate
- social/emotional = social immaturity, aggressiveness
Eg. 2 English/Romanian Adoption
- increased stress
- increased self-soothing behaviour
- severe health issues (sitting in own piss)
MODERN = post-natal depression (greater risk of anxiety and depression) + SES backgrounds (lower academic performance)
What are factors that effect the severity of impoverishment
- age at which environmental deprivation begins
- for long they experience it for
*however, mediated by individual differences e.g. resilience
What happens to children who move to an enriched environment
- effects of deprivation can be overcome by a move to a stimulating (enriched environment)
- children adopted before 6 months of age = better recovery
- longer period of deprivation = less likely the remediation is to the expected norm
what features of interventions for children at-risk are most effective for preventing long-term negative outcomes
- parental involvement e.g. importance of reading
- health screening and referral - mental health services
- special early education programs
Explain the Ramey and Ramey’s Abecedarian approach - what was found and recommended by it
early childhood development/stimulation/education is VERY important
- intervention must begin early, preferably before 3 years of age
- parental involvement is required for success
- emphasis on LANGUAGE shows greater results
What are two theories/approaches of studying development
- Naturve vs nurture
- pre-determinists = shaped by biological/genetic factors - continuous or discontinuous development
what is Piaget’s theory of “constructivism”
interactionist approach - both nature and nurture
actively construct knowledge based on what we already know
What are some core assumptions of Piaget’s Theory
- children are born with no knowledge
- children are ACTIVE CONSTRUCTORS of knowledge
- stage theory = discontinuous development (only advance when MATURE enough and LEARNED enough)
Contrast assimilation and accomodation
assimilation = make sense of experience in terms of existing schemas, schema has been updated (chair can look different)
accommodation = modifying schemas to take into account new experiences (animal with four legs not only a dog, but a horse)
Describe Piaget’s Stages
- sensorimotor stage (0-2 years)
- pre-operational stage (2-7 years)
- concrete operations stage (7-11)
- formal operations stage (11+)
What are some strengths and weaknesses of Piaget’s research
what aspects of Piaget’s research is still held today by “neo-constructivists”
how has modern research advanced Piaget’s findings
