Psych ch.1

Sequential study

study design that combines cross-sectional and longitudinal techniques to measure and compare more than one cohort over time

What does the sequential study find

Takes data from one cohort and compares it to another when they are at the same age shows how different events affects generations differently

What does the social survey study find

Through a set of questions Shows the characteristics and behavior of people who have gone through the same incident or situation ex. Personality of home schooled people

My first developmental research grant came from the National Science Foundation. In the research, we tested 71 third-graders, 68 fifth-graders, and 72 seventh-graders over the course of a year. We assessed each child's reading skills (e.g., decoding efficiency, verbal working memory span), their use of reading strategies (e.g., how often they looked back in text, reread, tried to sound out unfamiliar words), and measured their reading comprehension. Was this design cross-sectional or longitudinal?

cross-sectional

What role does theory play in developmental research?

A good developmental theory generates specific hypotheses that can be tested in research to be either supported or non-supported. Such a theory also focusses researchers on aspects of behavior that might otherwise be ignored.

Scientific Method

A series of steps followed to test a theory that shows shows what we studied how it was studied and the findings. Allows for replication and verify the conclusion

What does the longitudinal study find

Allows of to see why and how people turn out similarly or differently. considered the "gold standard" of developmental research

Steps of the Scientific Method

Select problem, Form Hypothesis, test hypothesis,Form Conclusions, make findings available to replicate Saved Five Toys From cold Mold

What does the experimental study find

Shows the causative relationship and whether x causes or doesn't cause y

The social survey study

Studies the cause of reaction and behavior from an incident in a large group of people

How does research impact theory?

Research testing developmental theories help to improve those theories. Often a theory is incomplete, incorrect in some aspects, etc. When researchers test it, especially those who do not have a professional stake in the theory, they often identify important variables that the theory overlooked and other factors that the theory needs to address. In short, theory and research are mutually reinforcing and beneficial.

How could it have been redesigned to be the other and with what advantages/disadvantages?

a single cohort of children could have been tracked over a long period of time (4 years) and retested. Specifically, a large sample of third-graders could be assessed on all of the reading measures. After two years, the same sample could be retested using the same measures as fifth-graders and then two years later as seventh-graders. Longitudinal designs have the great advantage in that comparing and same group of children to themselves at later times controls for cohort effects. In comparing individuals to themselves, you also hold constant many subject variables like personality, intelligences, etc., allowing for less error variance in statistical test like ANOVA. Still, there are drawbacks. A major one is that it takes a long time and many resources to conduct longitudinan research. In addition, attrition is a potential threat to the validity of the findings. If children drop out of the study in a nonrandom pattern (e.g., more affluent children leave the study by moving away), it can skew the results. Still, longitudinal research designs are considered the "gold standard" of developmental research.

The cross-sectional study

a study in which people of different ages are compared with one another

longitudinal study

a study that observes the same participants on many occasions over a long period of time

My first developmental research grant came from the National Science Foundation. In the research, we tested 71 third-graders, 68 fifth-graders, and 72 seventh-graders over the course of a year. We assessed each child's reading skills (e.g., decoding efficiency, verbal working memory span), their use of reading strategies (e.g., how often they looked back in text, reread, tried to sound out unfamiliar words), and measured their reading comprehension. What are the advantages/disadvantages of this design?

adv. Cross-sectional designs have the advantage of efficiency. A large amount of developmental data can be gathered in a relatively short time, in this case in one academic year. dis.The primary disadvantage is that the effects of age on development are confounded with having to compare different cohorts of children. For instance, if the third-graders were taught to read using a different approach than were the seventh-graders, this different may be responsible for differences observed between these age groups in reading rather than age.

.In developmental research, what is/are the major independent variables (IV)?

age

My first developmental research grant came from the National Science Foundation. In the research, we tested 71 third-graders, 68 fifth-graders, and 72 seventh-graders over the course of a year. We assessed each child's reading skills (e.g., decoding efficiency, verbal working memory span), their use of reading strategies (e.g., how often they looked back in text, reread, tried to sound out unfamiliar words), and measured their reading comprehension. What was/were the DVs?

all of the reading measures such a decoding skill level, reading strategy use, and comprehension.

The case study method

an in-depth study of one individual over time ex. Forensic study on a criminal

The naturalistic observation study

observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation

My first developmental research grant came from the National Science Foundation. In the research, we tested 71 third-graders, 68 fifth-graders, and 72 seventh-graders over the course of a year. We assessed each child's reading skills (e.g., decoding efficiency, verbal working memory span), their use of reading strategies (e.g., how often they looked back in text, reread, tried to sound out unfamiliar words), and measured their reading comprehension. What was/were the IVs?

the primary IV was age

Experimental study

the researcher manipulates one of the variables and tries to determine how the manipulation influences other variables

in developmental research What is/are the major dependent variables?

these include cognitive variables (e.g., memory capacity, memory duration), social variables (e.g., the nature of friendships, understanding others' mental states), and personality (e.g., at what age does personality stabilize?).