Chapter 1 Introduction to Developmental Psychology and Its Research Strategies

1. Chapter 1Introduction to Developmental Psychology and Its Research Strategies

2. What is Development? Definition: Systematic continuities and changes in the individual that occur between conception and death Systematic: Orderly, patterned, relatively enduring (not temporary) Continuities: Ways in which we remain the same or continue to reflect our past Causes of development Maturation: Biological unfolding according to genetic plan Learning: Experiences produce relatively permanent changes in behaviors, thoughts, and feelings.

3. What Are the Goals of Developmentalists? Describe: Developmentalists carefully observe the behavior at different ages, seeking to specify how human beings change over time. Normative development (typical patterns of change) Ideographic development (individual variations) Explain: Try to determine why humans develop as they typically do and why some individuals turn out differently from others Optimize development: Attempt to help human beings develop in positive directions.

4. Basic Ideas about Development A continual and cumulative process The one constant is change. Changes that occur at each major phase of life can have important implications for the future. A holistic process: Physical, cognitive, and psychosocial aspects of development combine Plasticity: Capacity for change in response to positive or negative life experiences Historical/cultural context

5. Basic Ideas about Development (cont.)

6. Historical Perspective Childhood in premodern times: Children had very few rights. Toward modern-day views on childhood Early philosophical perspectives on childhood Children as subjects: The baby biographies Origins of a science of development: G. Stanley Hall

7. Research Methods The scientific method Gathering data: Basic fact-finding strategies: Reliability and validity Self-report methods: Interviews and questionnaires Observational methods Case studies Ethnography Psychophysiological methods

8. Detecting Relationships: Correlational and Experimental Designs The correlational design Determine if two or more variables of interest are meaningfully related. No attempts to structure or to manipulate the participants' environment Statistical procedure that yields a correlation coefficient (r) r can range in value from +1.00 to -1.00.

9. Detecting Relationships: Correlational and Experimental Designs (cont.) The experimental design Precise assessment of the cause-and-effect relationship that may exist between two variables Independent variable: Treatment or the variable that is manipulated Dependent variable: The data or the variable that is measured The natural (or quasi-) experiment: Observing the consequences of a natural event that subjects have experienced

10. Detecting Relationships: Correlational and Experimental Designs (cont.) Figure 1.2� Plot of a hypothetical positive correlation between the amount of violence that children see on television and the number of aggressive responses they display. Each dot represents a specific child who views a particular level of televised violence (shown on the horizontal axis) and commits a particular number of aggressive acts (shown on the vertical axis). Although the correlation is less than perfect, we see that the more acts of violence a child watches on TV, the more inclined he or she is to behave aggressively toward peers.

11. Detecting Relationships: Correlational and Experimental Designs (cont.)

12. Designs for Studying Development The cross-sectional design: People who differ in age are studied at the same time. Cohort effects Data on individual development The longitudinal design: The same participants are observed repeatedly over time. The sequential design Participants of different ages Follow each of these cohorts over time.

13. Designs for Studying Development (cont.) Figure 1.4� Example of a sequential design. Two samples of children, one born in 1994 and one born in 1996, are observed longitudinally between the ages of 6 and 12. The design permits the investigator to assess cohort effects by comparing children of the same age who were born in different years. In the absence of cohort effects, the longitudinal and cross-sectional comparisons in this design also permit the researcher to make strong statements about the strength and direction of any developmental changes.

14. Designs for Studying Development (cont.)

15. Designs for Studying Development (cont.)

16. Cross-Cultural Comparisons Generalizability of findings across samples and settings is an important issue. Participants from different cultural or subcultural backgrounds are observed, tested, and compared on one or more aspects of development. Guard against the overgeneralization of research findings Only way to determine whether there truly are "universals" in human development

17. Ethical Considerations in Developmental Research Investigators are ethically bound to protect their research participants from physical or psychological harm. Informed consent Benefits-to-risk ratio Human-subjects review committee Confidentiality Protection from harm

18. Postscript: On Becoming a Wise Consumer of Developmental Research Help with reading academic journals Be skeptical about "research" reported in popular media. Be skeptical about coverage of research conclusions in the popular media.