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Flashcards in Studying Development – research methods Deck (11)
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1
Q

What are all humans are interested in?

A
  • understanding behaviour (their own, their parents, children, family and friends)
  • finding out why we find some tasks easy/ hard
  • exploring why we feel for some people the way we do.
2
Q

who said we are all ‘nature’s psychologists’?

A

Nicholas Humphrey (1984)

3
Q

Why have an organised study of the science of psychology?

A

One reason is to help humans have greater insight, and maybe agreement, on contentious issues.

4
Q

What is a cross-sectional study?

A

Investigator looks at several different age groups simultaneously
Example
• Look at language ability in 3 year olds and 4 year olds at the same point in time to see differences
Benefits
• Quick and convenient
• Appropriate if main interest is abilities or behaviours at certain ages

5
Q

What is a longitudinal study?

A

Investigator follows certain individuals over a given time period, measuring change
Example
• Record language ability for a 3 yr old and a year later visit the same child to record again, then at 5 and 6 years old…
Benefits
• Preferable if the focus of interest is the process of change, and the relationship between earlier and later development
At 3…..and again … At 4!
Very powerful but has drawbacks

6
Q

What is the subject attrition or loss of longitudinal studies?

A

• participants move away,
• lose contact,
• refuse
so cannot take part at next point of testing
How could this effect the generality of a study?
Time – consuming
• need to wait for the next time point and then compare
• may not have asked questions about what we want to know now
• conclusions may not be applicable to current times as society has changed

7
Q

What TV series demonstrate longitudinal research?

A

Child of our Time (2000)

8
Q

Who first studied development?

A
  • Earliest contribution from famous biologist Charles Darwin in “A biographical sketch of an infant” (1877), based on observations of his own son
  • At beginning of the twentieth century most of our understanding of psychological development was from anecdote and opinion
  • Therefore not considered ‘scientific’
9
Q

What happened in the 1920s/30s in terms of development?

A

USA founded Institutes
• These combined
• observations and
• experiments in development
• looking at normal, abnormal and adjustment of children
• Included Piaget, a very influential psychologist

10
Q

What happened in 1940s/50s in terms of development?

A
  • Observation – which often took place in naturalistic settings and relied on introspection of the psychologist – went out of favour
  • Instead they used…
  • Experiments in laboratory conditions – this provided rigour and enabled situations to be altered for different participants
11
Q

What happened in 1970/80s in terms of development?

A
  • Laboratory work was seen as “the science of the behaviour of children in strange situations with strange adults” (Bronfenbrenner, 1979)
  • Led to research considering how the child’s developmental processes and the social context in which they exist are intertwined