Week 2- Big Ideas in Development

Question 1

What are the three types of research studies?

Answer 1

experimental
correlational (non-experiemntal)
observational (qualitative)

Question 2

Experimental

Answer 2

-researcher manipulates or controls at least one IV
-subjects are randomly assigned to treatment and control groups
-often smaller samples
-high degree of control
-quasi experimental

Question 3

Correlational

Answer 3

-no manipulation or random assignment
-researcher measures 2 or more variables and examines how they relate to eachother

Question 4

Observational

Answer 4

-researcher observes a single person or small group
-gives detailed description of the observed person/people

Question 5

Cross sectional

Answer 5

researchers select people at different age groups and measure differences in the dependent variable
-not randomly assigning people to different ages so cannot determine causality

Question 6

Longitudinal

Answer 6

tracks the development of one group of several years
-can be correlational or experimental
-true measure of development

Question 7

When is correlational studies often used

Answer 7

-often use survey in data collection
-often used with large samples

Question 8

Correlation coefficent (r)

Answer 8

• measures how two variables relate to each other (ranges from +1 to -1)

Question 9

True or False: the larger the absolute value of r, the weaker the correlation

Answer 9

false; it has a stronger correlation

Question 10

True or false: do experimental studies test cause and effect relationships

Answer 10

True

Question 11

What is the goal of an observational study

Answer 11

to provide detailed information about person in a specific context

Question 12

What are observational studies described as

Answer 12

-descriptive and a starting place for future investigations/ theory building

Question 13

Examples of observational

Answer 13

-single subject case study
-interviews
-classroom observations

Question 14

Cons of longitudinal studies

Answer 14

costly and time consuming
problems with attrition
participants can become test wise

Question 15

Inferential Statistics

Answer 15

use the data we have collected from a sample to draw conclusions about the characteristics of the population from which is was drawn

Question 16

Population

Answer 16

the complete set of individuals, objects, or scores in the universe of interest

Question 17

Sample

Answer 17

a subset of the population

Question 18

Generalizability

Answer 18

how well the research findings of a study will apply to another sample

Question 19

True or False: the more representative your sample is of the population, the more generalizable your study is to that population

Answer 19

true

Question 20

Reliability

Answer 20

the consistency of a measurement when taken repeatedly or under similar circumstances

Question 21

Validity

Answer 21

the degree to which an assessment/instrument measures what it is intended to measure
- SAT, BMI

Question 22

Development

Answer 22

changes to the organisms that occur over time throughout the lifespan

Question 23

theory

Answer 23

a set of general statments used to explain facts

Question 24

4 key questions in developmental science

Answer 24

nature or nurture
stability or plasticity
continuity vs discontinuity
the child’s role in development

Question 25

Nature vs Nurture

Answer 25

-what plays a bigger role, do genes have a bigger role in determining height and how does nutrition come into play

Question 26

Behavioral genes

Answer 26

the study of how genes and the environment contribute to outcomes

Question 27

Three sources of variability within nature vs nurture

Answer 27

Genes Shared Environment Nonshared environment