36 Questions
What is the primary focus of Developmental Psychology?
Identifying and explaining changes in individuals from conception to death
Which of the following is NOT an area of change studied in Developmental Psychology?
Astronomy
What is one of the big questions asked by developmental psychologists?
What does the world look like to the newborn?
What is the topic of Lecture 2 in the Developmental Psychology series?
The importance of the early environment
What is a challenge faced by developmental researchers?
Difficulty interpreting children's behavior in an experimental context
What is the focus of Lecture 5 in the Developmental Psychology series?
Motivation, achievement, and how to talk to children
What is an area of change studied in Developmental Psychology?
Personality
What is the primary method used by developmental psychologists to study development?
Experiments
What is the primary goal of intervening to help children at risk for self-regulation problems?
To identify effective strategies to support children's development
When interpreting children's behavior, what question is essential to consider?
Where does the behavior originate?
In the context of developmental research, what is a key consideration when designing a study?
The balance between internal and external validity
What is the delayed gratification task primarily measuring?
Children's self-regulation skills
What are the two primary sources of children's behavior, according to the content?
Biological/Maturation and Experience factors
When designing a study to investigate the influence of watching aggressive models on aggression in children, what is a crucial consideration?
The method of observing and measuring aggression
Why do children seem to be so attached to their mothers and fearful of strangers?
Because they have a limited ability to self-regulate
What is the primary goal of self-regulation according to developmental psychologists?
To prioritize goal-relevant information
What is a key feature of human development that allows for cultural diversity and change over time?
The prolonged period of helplessness
What is the primary difference between babies and adults according to developmental psychologists?
Babies are more dependent on others
What is a key area of change in developmental psychology?
From external regulation to self-regulation
Why do children take so long to develop self-regulation according to developmental psychologists?
Because they need to learn before they can prioritize goals
What is one of the primary ways that developmental psychologists study development?
By reverse engineering the way the world is now
What is a key aspect of children's thinking and learning according to developmental psychologists?
They are active and sophisticated in their learning
What is the primary advantage of a cross-sectional design in developmental research?
Data can be collected over a wide age range in a short time.
What is a limitation of the cross-sectional approach in developmental research?
It yields no information about past determinants of age-related changes.
What is a problem that can arise in longitudinal studies due to subjects dropping out over time?
Selective attrition
What is a potential issue with using adult tests to study children in developmental research?
The tests may not be valid or reliable for children.
What is a potential issue with cross-sectional designs due to the different birth years of each age group?
Cohort variation
What is the primary difference between cross-sectional and longitudinal designs in developmental research?
The length of time over which the study takes place
What is a limitation of the longitudinal design?
It is subject to subject loss and selective attrition
What is an advantage of the longitudinal-sequential design?
It reveals cultural/historical effects through time-lagged comparisons
What is a characteristic of the cross-sectional design?
It compares different groups of children at each age
What is a disadvantage of the longitudinal design?
It is inflexible and stuck with the initial sample and measures
What is a benefit of the longitudinal design?
It provides extensive information about how individuals develop
What is a challenge faced by researchers using the longitudinal design?
All of the above
What is a characteristic of the longitudinal-sequential design?
It combines cross-sectional and longitudinal elements
What is a limitation of the longitudinal-sequential design?
It is subject to subject loss and selective attrition
Study Notes
Developmental Psychology: Introduction and Research Methods
- Developmental psychology is the discipline that seeks to identify and explain the changes that individuals undergo from conception to death.
- It explores changes in physical growth, motor skills, sensation, perception, cognitive ability, emotional expression, social behavior, and personality.
Background
- Developmental psychologists ask questions like:
- What does the world look like to the newborn?
- How does perception change with age?
- Why are some people friendly and outgoing whereas others are shy and reserved?
- Developmental psychology explores the transformation from dependence to independence, and how this process takes so long.
Interpreting Children's Behavior
- When interpreting children's behavior, it's essential to consider where the behavior originates and whether it's normal.
- The delayed gratification task measures self-regulation and its development.
Sources of Behavior
- Biological/maturational factors (nature) and experience (nurture) contribute to children's behavior.
Developmental Research: Methodological Considerations and Design Issues
- Developmental research must consider methodological issues like:
- Sampling bias
- Observer effects
- Selective attrition (in longitudinal studies)
- Practice effects (in repeated measures)
- Validity and reliability of tests
- Research designs in developmental psychology include:
- Cross-sectional design: Studies different subjects at different ages.
- Longitudinal design: Studies the same subjects at multiple ages.
- Longitudinal-sequential design: Combines cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches.
Research Designs: Advantages and Disadvantages
- Cross-sectional design:
- Advantages: Data can be collected over a wide age range in a short time.
- Disadvantages: No information about past determinants of age-related changes; problem of cohort variation; does not yield information about individual development.
- Longitudinal design:
- Advantages: Provides extensive information about individual development.
- Disadvantages: Time-consuming and costly; subject loss (selective attrition); cross-generational change; inflexibility.
- Longitudinal-sequential design:
- Advantages: More efficient than longitudinal design; reveals cultural/historical effects.
- Disadvantages: Combines the limitations of cross-sectional and longitudinal designs.
Introduction to Developmental Psychology, covering research methods and the importance of early environment in shaping life. This lecture sets the foundation for the course.
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