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Research Methods in

Research Methods in. Developmental Psychology. Michael Hoerger. Observation. Hypothesis generation Laboratory Observation: Parent-child interactions, marriages, intrusive interviews, attachment style Naturalistic observation: bullying, ADHD

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Research Methods in

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  1. Research Methods in Developmental Psychology Michael Hoerger

  2. Observation • Hypothesis generation • Laboratory Observation: Parent-child interactions, marriages, intrusive interviews, attachment style • Naturalistic observation: bullying, ADHD • Used to gain detailed information on a single or small number of cases, commonly used in medicine and clinical psychology: rare events, new events, complex events Case Study

  3. Correlation

  4. Correlation • r = Strength of relationship between two variables (-1 to +1) • What is a “big” correlation? • Reliability: r = .90 • IQ tests: r = .50 to .90 • Personality research: r = .30 • Life/death: r = .01 • Problem: Correlation ≠ Causation due to 3rd variable problem and directionality problem • Solution: Methods and argument

  5. Cross Lagged Panel Design (or “Cross lag panel” or “Cross panel lag”) • Look at correlation between two variables over time • Does X correlated with changes inY? • Smoking at Time 1 causes increased mile time at Time 2

  6. Look at correlation between two variables over time • Does X correlated with changes inY? • Maternal depression at Time 1 causes increased behavior problems at Time 2

  7. THIS DRUG HAS HELPED TO TREAT: HAY FEVER, ASTHMA ATTACKS, ANXIETY, PAIN, ULCERS, ENURESIS, WARTS, ARTHRITIS, MALIGNANT TUMORS, DIABETES, NARCOTIC WITHDRAWAL, INSOMNIA, COLDS, AND INATTENTIVENESS

  8. Experiment “id!” • Independent variable: the manipulation; different conditions or groups • Alcohol vs. placebo; CBT vs. waitlist • Dependent variables: depends on the independent variable; the outcome variable • Age at death; depression; liver functioning • Problem: Participants must be similar across IV groups • Solution: Random assignment

  9. Survey • Interviews, questionnaires, tests • Used for correlational studies or as outcome (DV) measures in experimental studies • Highly efficient • Can be anonymous • Problems: Wording, Response bias (e.g. social desirability) • Solutions: Design with care

  10. Online Research • Most surveys and some experiments can be run on the web (e.g. priming studies) • Benefits: most efficient, useful for screening large samples • Risks: Lower experimental control, random responding, technical problems, non-representative sampling, ethics • http://funpsych.com example

  11. Physical Measures • Physiological: changes in functioning • Galvanic skin response (sweating), pupil dilation, heart rate • Physical: walking speed, eye movement, speed of responding, height, weight • Neurological: neurotransmitter levels, brain structure • Benefits: reliability of measurement • Risks: expensive, often fail to provide new information, low correspondence

  12. Cross-Sectional Research • Groups differ by age • Compare children to teens to young adults to older adults • Differences are presumed to be the result of age • Older people are slower due to aging • BUT differences may simply be due to contextual factors, such as the era each group was born in • OR older people are slower due to differences in nutrition growing up

  13. Longitudinal Research • Follow one group over time to what changes with age • Problem: expensive, bias due to dropout • Combines cross-sectional and longitudinal research Cross-Sequential Research

  14. Michael Hoerger To cite this lecture: • Hoerger, M. (2007, January 10). Research Methods in Developmental Psychology. Presented at a PSY 220 lecture at Central Michigan University.

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