lifespan development
A researcher conducted an in-depth study of a child who was raised in isolation and had no contact with same-age peers until age 10. This researcher detailed the child's development in a number of spheres: physical/motor, language/cognitive, social and emotional. What kind of research method is this?
Case study
Childcare practices differ across cultures, and different practices have been found to influence when and how children reach certain developmental milestones, such as sitting, crawling, and walking. Which approach to human development is conveyed by this finding?
Development can follow a different course for each child.
In a prenatal education class, an instructor informs parents that their child's development will be influenced by many factors, including biological, cognitive, social, and emotional factors. This instructor is addressing which of Baltes' key principles of lifespan development?
Development is multidimensional.
Research indicates that family education, income, and occupation strongly influence the academic achievement gap across racial/ethnic groups. Which contextual influence on development does this exemplify?
Socioeconomic status
Researchers build upon each other's work by following up on suggested directions for future research and addressing limitations of previous studies. For example, a researcher might extend a study that was originally conducted with an urban sample to include people living in suburban and rural areas. Which aspect of the scientific method does this demonstrate?
The scientific method facilitates the establishment of a literature or knowledge base.
Dr. Petersen designed a correlational study to determine if time spent playing video games is related to obesity. What was the objective of this research?
To formally test whether a relationship exists between two or more variables.
A talk show host likes to interview guests who thought their course in life was set and determined by challenges they experienced as children and teens, but who later encountered situations and opportunities that transformed their lives into something they could not have envisioned earlier in life. This talk show host's approach is aligned with Baltes' key principle of lifespan development that ________
development is lifelong
Brain training programs, which are used to reverse cognitive decline seen in aging, capitalize on the brain's lifelong capacity to reorganize cortical tissue, which aligns with Baltes' key principle of lifespan development that ________.
development is plastic
A researcher is interested in studying the relationship between sensitivity to negative information over positive (i.e., negativity bias) and hours of sleep at night (i.e., average total sleep time). Correlational research would allow this researcher to ________.
identify patterns of relationships between two variables, negativity bias and average total sleep time
A couple arrives at a research lab to participate in a research study of psychosocial factors related to relationship satisfaction. After they learn about the study, they are asked to review a(n) ________, which reviews the procedures to be used in the research, any expected risks or benefits, and serves as a contract stating that they agree to participate in research.
informed consent statement
Millennials, those born between 1982 and 2000, are considered tech-savvy because they grew up with technology and rely on it for daily activities. Millennials are defined by characteristics that were formed while growing up with advancements in technology as part of their world and culture. Which of Baltes' contextual influences does this represent?
normative history-graded influences
A counselor is conducting an initial evaluation with a client and asks questions to better understand the client's feelings, relationships, identity, and personality. This counselor is exploring the ________ of human development.
psychosocial domain
A teenager bemoans, "My life is a roller coaster. I've got all this new stuff to think about and I'm not as good at things I used to do well. I think I'm making progress in one area, but I'm losing ground in another." This statement about alternating between gains and losses reflects which of Baltes' key principles of lifespan development?
Development is multidirectional.
Researchers conducted an experiment to study the effects of sleep training on sleep duration and quality. They randomly assigned some participants to a treatment condition where they received eight sessions of sleep enhancement training and some participants to a control condition where they did not receive the training. If the participants who received sleep enhancement training had better sleep duration and quality than the people who did not receive the training, then the researcher can conclude that the training works. What advantage of experimental research does this demonstrate?
Experimental research helps establish cause and effect relationships.
Suppose a group of researchers wants to investigate the relationship between daily mindfulness meditation and cortisol (stress hormone) levels in the body over a 20-year time period. Which research design would allow them to measure changes with age and within individuals over time, even though it would be expensive, limited to one cohort, take a long time, and they might have people drop out of the study?
Longitudinal research design
In a psychotherapy session, Adrienne talks with her therapist about the stress of raising two young children who are involved in competitive sports and preparing for standardized tests, while caring for her elderly parents who are experiencing ill health, including early signs of dementia. Adrienne's therapist normalizes her experience as part of the "sandwiched generation," sandwiched between caring for young kids and aging parents. Adrienne is in the ________ period of human development.
middle adulthood