Introducing Lifespan Development

research that formally tests whether a relationship exists between two or more variables, however, correlation does not imply causation

correlational research

used to examine behavior in participants of different ages who are tested at the same point in time; may confound age and cohort differences

cross-sectional research

A team of researchers is interested in studying changes in parenting style over time, as children and parents grow older. One researcher states, "If we choose a ________, then it would be less time consuming and expensive. Another researcher comments, "If we choose that design, then we have measurements of parenting style for one point in time, and we can't be sure about changes with age over time." They are discussing the advantages and disadvantages of which research design? a. longitudinal research design b. cohort sequential research design c. cross-sectional research design d. sequential research design

cross-sectional research design

blueprint or guideline shared by a group of people that specifies how to live; passed down from generation to generation; learned from parents and others

culture

the outcome or variable that is supposedly affected by the independent variable

dependent variable

Dr. Thompson uses observation and surveys to study how much time children spend playing outside. The objective of this research is to a. randomly assign people to different conditions, then use hypothesis testing to make inferences about how these conditions influence time spent playing outside. b. describe the occurrence of time spent playing outside. c. formally test whether a relationship exists between time spent playing outside and some other variable. d. to explain why children play outside.

describe the occurrence of time spent playing outside.

research focused on describing an occurrence

descriptive studies

While most human development theorists and researchers have focused on infancy and childhood, and some on adolescence, others have explored development over the course of one's entire life, which aligns with Baltes' key principle of lifespan development that ________. a. development has gains and losses b. development is changeable c. development is lifelong d. development has socio-cultural influences

development is lifelong

According to Baltes' lifespan perspective, what is true about development? a. development is only influenced by nature and not nurture b. development consists of only one dimension or domain c. early childhood id the most important part of lifespan development d. development is plastic

development is plastic

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 ________. a. development has socio-cultural influences b. development has gains and losses c. development is multidisciplinary d. development is plastic

development is plastic

You are interested in finding out if life satisfaction changes with age. You send a survey to individuals who are 15, 25, 35, 45, 55, 65, 75, and 85 years old in 2019 and compare their life satisfaction ratings. From what you've learned about developmental research designs: a. a disadvantafe of this research design is the risk of attrition over time b. this research uses a sequential design c. differences found could be due to age or cohort effects d. practice effects are a potential risk with this research design

differences found could be due to age or cohort effects

idea that development takes place in unique stages and occurs at specific times or ages

discontinuous development

A researcher wants to know as much as possible about Mr. Jackson, who is a middle-aged adult with extraordinary memory abilities. Various tests, interviews, and other methods are used to gather in-depth data about Mr. Jackson and his memory. From what you have learned about research methods, ________. a. this illustrates the use of random sampling b. findings about Mr. Jackson may not be generalizable to other people c. this is an example of survey research the findings are an example of secondary content analysis

findings about Mr. Jackson may not be generalizable to other people

specific statements or predictions about the relationship between variables

hypotheses

As a scientific researcher, you want to find out when children learn to read. Based on what you've learned about the scientific method: a. ideally you should study a random sample of children b. collecting data will be your final step in the research process c. if you choose to do qualitative research, you will have only closed-ended numerical data d. to avoid bias, you should report on when you and your own family and friends learned to read

ideally you should study a random sample of children

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 ________. a. identify patterns of relationships between two variables, negativity bias and average total sleep time b. determine if one variable, negativity bias, causes another variable, average total sleep time c. watch and record the actions of research participants and how they respond to daily events d. explore a single case of someone with a negativity bias and insomnia in great detail

identify patterns of relationships between two variables, negativity bias and average total sleep time

Iminathi and all of her siblings are being raised by their elderly grandmother (with few resources) because both of their parents have died from complications of AIDS. This is very common in recent years in South Africa, as many adults have died due to the AIDS/HIV epidemic, leaving their children to be raised by grandparents. According to Baltes' contextual paradigm, this best exemplifies: a. nonnormative influence b. normative age-graded influence c. normative history-graded influence d. that development is context-free

normative history-graded influence

Jesse recently started elementary school and is forming new relationships with other children and the teacher. Social comparisons with schoolmates begin to influence Jesse's self-esteem. The changes described here best illustrate Jesse's development in the ________ domain of human development. a. cognitive b. brain c. psychosocial d. physical

psychosocial

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. a. lifespan domain b. cognitive domain c. psychosocial domain d. physical domain

psychosocial domain

theoretical ideas are "grounded" in the experiences of the participants, who answer open-ended questions

qualitative research

involves numerical data that are quantified using statistics to understand and report what has been studied

quantitative research

when something yields consistent results

reliability

the strategy or blueprint for deciding how to collect and analyze information; dictates which methods are used and how

research design

a plot or mathematical diagram consisting of data points that represent two variables

scatterplot

biological and environmental factors that have a strong correlation with chronological age

normative age-graded influences

involves looking at media such as old texts, pictures, commercials, lyrics or other materials to explore patterns or themes in culture

content analysis

the idea that development is a progressive and cumulative process, gradually improving on existing skills

continuous development

a comparison group that is equivalent to the experimental group, but is not given the independent variable

control group

Which of the following correlation coefficients indicates the strongest relationship between two variables? a. +.80 b. -.50 c. +.25 d. -.90

-.90

Question 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? a. Survey b. Content analysis c. Case study d. Observational study

Case study

In a study of children, let's suppose that researchers found a positive correlation (r= .63) between creativity and resilience. How is this finding interpreted? a. Greater creativity causes children to be less resilient when they are faced with challenges. b. Children who score higher on measures of creativity tend to score lower on measures of resilience. c. Greater creativity causes children to be more resilient when they are faced with challenges. d. Children who score higher on measures of creativity also score higher on measures of resilience.

Children who score higher on measures of creativity also score higher on measures of resilience.

A graduate student research team is giving an oral presentation of their research on resilience in young adults. They note that a downside of their study is that participants were recruited from the university that they attend. What makes this a study limitation? a. It is more difficult to get IRB approval for studies involving college and university students. b. College students are samples of convenience that are not randomly selected from the wider population and may not represent all young adults in our society. c. It is an ethical violation for graduate researchers to recruit participants from the college/university they attend. d. University students tend to have higher rates of attrition compared to non-university students.

College students are samples of convenience that are not randomly selected from the wider population and may not represent all young adults in our society.

To examine the effectiveness of two types of interventions for depression, researchers randomly assigned participants to a 12-week course of cognitive-behavioral therapy, a 12-week mindfulness-based stress reduction program, or a waitlist control group. In this experiment, what is the dependent variable? a. Cognitive-behavioral therapy b. Depression c. Waitlist control group d. Mindfulness-based stress reduction

Depression

In a health class for middle schoolers, the instructor discusses puberty, to the embarrassment of the students, and reviews the biological factors involved in how their bodies are changing, the cognitive factors involved in more advanced thinking skills, the emotional factors involved in regulating feelings, and the social factors involved in navigating relationships. This illustrates which of Baltes' key principles of lifespan development? a. Development is multidimensional. b. Development has gains and losses. c. Development is multidisciplinary. d. Development is plastic.

Development is multidimensional.

n 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? a. Development is multidimensional. b. Development is changeable. c. Development is lifelong. d. Development has gains and losses.

Development is multidimensional.

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? a. Development is multidimensional. b. Development is multidisciplinary. c. Development is multidirectional. d. Development is plastic.

Development is multidirectional.

Parents exclaim, "One day my baby was crawling around on the floor, and the next day my toddler was wobbling around the house on two feet! It all happened so suddenly." Which approach to describing how developmental changes occur does the parents' statement reflect? a. Discontinuous development b. Universal development c. Sequential development d. Continuous development

Discontinuous development

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? a. Experimental research reviews media (e.g., old texts, pictures) to explore patterns in behavior. b. Experimental research allows the researcher to serve as a participant in the study. c. Experimental research helps establish cause and effect relationships. d. Experimental research uncovers as much as possible about a single person or situation.

Experimental research helps establish cause and effect relationships.

individuals tend to change their behavior when they know they are being watched

Hawthorne effect

a panel of experts who review research proposals for any research to be conducted in association with the institution (for example, a university)

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

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? a. Longitudinal research design b. Cross-sectional research design c. Sequential research design d. Cohort-sequential research design

Longitudinal research design

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? a. To describe the occurrence of a phenomenon. b. To randomly assign participants to different conditions, then use hypothesis testing to make inferences about how these conditions influence behavior. c. To explain why people play video games. d. To formally test whether a relationship exists between two or more variables.

To formally test whether a relationship exists between two or more variables.

A theorist proposes that children learn language by observing and imitating their parents, who in turn reinforce the sounds and words their children produce. In the nature versus nurture debate, where does this theorist's proposal fit? a. Nature b. Interaction between nature and nurture c. Nurture d. Reciprocation between nature and nurture

Nurture

In a study of empathy across young adulthood to older adulthood, researchers found a negative correlation (r= -.75) between empathy and age. How is this finding interpreted? a. Older adults tended to have lower empathy scores than younger adults. b. Older adults tended to have higher empathy scores than younger adults. c. Older age causes adults to be less empathic. d. Older age causes adults to be more empathic.

Older adults tended to have lower empathy scores than younger adults.

the relationship between two or more variables; when two variables are correlated, one variable changes as the other does

correlation

number from -1 to +1, indicating the strength and direction of the relationship between variables, and usually represented by r

correlation coefficient

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? a. The scientific method allows for asking only those individuals with whom we are familiar to participate in a study. b. The scientific method allows for asking only those individuals with whom we are familiar to participate in a study. c. The scientific method facilitates the establishment of a literature or knowledge base. d. The scientific method allows for theories that cannot be falsified.

The scientific method facilitates the establishment of a literature or knowledge base.

When researchers select participants for their studies in a random way to ensure that all members have an equal chance of being selected, they are demonstrating which aspect of the scientific method? a. The scientific method offers a systematic way to make comparisons and guard against bias. b. The scientific method allows for asking only those individuals with whom we are familiar to participate in a study. c. The scientific method allows for personal inquiry and drawing conclusions based on what we have personally experienced. d. The scientific method allows for validating our own experience by discussing what we think is true with others who share the same views.

The scientific method offers a systematic way to make comparisons and guard against bias.

Height and weight are positively correlated. This means that ________. a. in general, the shorter someone is, the heavier they are b. as height increases, typically weight increases c. there is no relationship between height and weight d. in general, the taller someone is, the thinner the are

as height increases, typically weight increases

Dr. Carlton conducts evaluation research of language enrichment programs for preschool children from low-income families. The objective of this research is to ________. explain why children from low-income families have language enrichment needs. randomly assign participants to different conditions, then use hypothesis testing to make inferences about how these conditions influence behavior. describe the language enrichment needs of children from low-income families assess the effectiveness of an academic enrichment program

assess the effectiveness of an academic enrichment program

occurs when participants fail to complete all portions of a study

attrition

reduction in the number of research participants as some drop out over time

attrition

DeShawn has a hunch that people eat more pizza during football season. He and his friends want to test this theory, so they ask everyone they know about their pizza consumption and determine that, yes, pizza consumption does increase during the fall. DeShawn first wrote down his hypothesis, then surveyed his friends, and drew conclusions. DeShawn's research is a. an example of quantitative research. b. biased because he only asked his friends and family. c. scientific because he followed the scientific method. d. scientific because he does not base his research upon his own experiences.

biased because he only asked his friends and family.

exploring a single case or situation in great detail. Information may be gathered with the use of observation, interviews, testing, or other methods to uncover as much as possible about a person or situation

case study

a group of people who are born at roughly the same period in a particular society. Cohorts share histories and contexts for living

cohort

research design with the goal of identifying patterns of relationships, but not cause and effect

correlational research

a research design in which neither the participants nor the researchers know whether an individual is assigned to the experimental group or the control group

double-blind

A group of friends gets together and their conversation revolves around love and work: relationships, planning for future marriage and children, finishing formal education and establishing their careers, developing independence, and feeling like an adult. This group of friends is in the ________ period of human development. a. middle adulthood b. adolescence c. mid-life crisis d. early adulthood

early adulthood

Teresa believes her cultural practices are the best and right ones, and it is difficult for her to understand the cultural practices of other societies. Tanya expresses an appreciation for cultural differences and a willingness to consider the perspectives of people in other cultures. Teresa's view demonstrates ________, while Tanya's view demonstrates ________. a. ethnocentrism; cultural relativity b. one dimensional culture; multidimensional culture c. nonnormative influences; normative history-graded influences d. a cohort effect; contextual intelligence

ethnocentrism; cultural relativity

For funding purposes, research is done to assess the effectiveness of Head Start (preschool) programs on children's academic achievements. This type of research is: a. descriptive b. explanatory c. evaluation d. personal experience

evaluation

research designed to assess the effectiveness of policies or programs

evaluation research

the group of participants in an experiment who receive the independent variable

experimental group

research that involves randomly assigning people to different conditions and using hypothesis testing to make inferences about how these conditions affect behavior; the only method that measures cause and effect between variablesresearch that involves randomly assigning people to different conditions and using hypothesis testing to make inferences about how these conditions affect behavior; the only method that measures cause and effect between variables

experimental research

designed to test hypotheses in a controlled setting in efforts to explain how certain factors or events produce outcomes; the only research method that measures cause and effect relationships between variables

experiments

research that tries to answer the question "why"

explanatory studies

In a study of the effect of playing video games on sleep quality, researchers randomly assigned some participants to play an up-tempo video game for either one or three hours before bed. Other participants had no engagement with electronics in the time before bed. Then, the researchers assessed all the participants' sleep quality (e.g., number of awakenings, percentage of time in deep sleep) during an overnight sleep study. In this experiment, the time spent playing video games (e.g., one or three hours) is the ________. a. dependent variable b. independent variable c. experimental group d. control group

independent variable

something that is manipulated or introduced by the researcher to the experimental group; treatment or intervention

independent variable

a process of informing a research participant what to expect during a study, any risks involved, and the implications of the research, and then obtaining the person's agreement to participate

informed consent

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. a. recruitment agreement b. attrition prevention statement c. informed consent statement d. IRB approval statement

informed consent statement

The correlation coefficient indicates the weakest relationship when ________. a. it is closest to 0 b. it is negative c. it is positive d. it is closest to -1

it is closest to 0

an approach to studying development which emphasizes that development is lifelong, multidimensional, multidirectional, plastic, contextual, and multidisciplinary

lifespan perspective

studying a group of people who may be of the same age and background (cohort), and measuring them repeatedly over a long period of time; may confound age and time of measurement effects

longitudinal research

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. a. middle adulthood b. late adulthood c. early adulthood d. mid-life crisis

middle adulthood

Andrea's brain has recently reached its adult size, though it continues to develop; her body's growth has slowed down for now, and her motor skills are more coordinated. She is busy with learning and testing in school; her friendships with other girls are especially important. Considering all of this information, Andrea is probably in this period of human development: a. early childhood b. middle childhood c. early adulthood d. adolescence

middle childhood

Michael's grandfather was teaching Michael how to drive a car. At first, Michael was frustrated because his grandfather's reactions and driving were rather slow; his grandfather explained that while he's not as fast as he used to be, he is more careful in his driving in later life. When Michael followed his grandfather's example and avoided hitting another car due to his cautious driving, he appreciated his grandfather's slow, but careful driving. This difference in ability involving the loss of speed but gain of caution best illustrates Baltes' principle that development is: a. multidisciplinary b. multidirectional c. multidimensional d. contextual

multidirectional

the influences of biology and genetics on behavior

nature

two variables change in different directions, with one becoming larger as the other becomes smaller; a negative correlation is not the same thing as no correlation

negative correlation

unpredictable influences not tied to a certain developmental time, personally or historical period

nonnormative influences

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? a. normative contextual intelligence b. normative history-graded influences c. nonnormative influences d. normative age-graded influences

normative history-graded influences

influences associated with a specific time period that define the broader bio-cultural context in which an individual develops

normative history-graded influences

environmental, social, and cultural influences on behavior

nurture

also called naturalistic observation, involves watching and recording the actions of participants

observational studies

concepts transformed into variables that can be measured in research

operationalized

Let's suppose that developmental researchers found a correlation coefficient of r = +.85 between how often parents read to their young children and the size of children's vocabulary. What conclusion could you accurately make from this information? a. parents reading to their children causes an increase in children's vocabulary b. parents reading to their young children often tends to be related to children having a large vocabulary c. parents reading ti their young children often tends to be related to children having a smaller vocabulary d. there is a very weak relationship between how often parents read to their young children and the size of children's vocabulary

parents reading to their young children often tends to be related to children having a large vocabulary

A pediatrician provides parents with a chart that plots changes in their child's height and weight over time. This growth chart represents a ________ in human development. a. physical domain b. cognitive domain c. lifespan domain d. psychosocial domain

physical domain

two variables change in the same direction, both becoming either larger or smaller

positive correlation

The National Institutes of Health released a large dataset from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, or the ABCD Study. Now researchers from around the world have access to this data and can conduct ________ on various factors related to brain, cognitive, social, and emotional development. a. content analysis b. secondary content analysis c. surveys d. observational studies

secondary content analysis

archival research, involves analyzing information that has already been collected or examining documents or media to uncover attitudes, practices or preferences

secondary content analysis

certain groups of individuals may tend to drop out more frequently resulting in the remaining participants no longer being representative of the whole population

selective attrition

Researchers studied frequency and amount of marijuana use in three groups of students (grades 6 to 8, grades 9 to 10, and grades 11 to 12) over five years. With this ________, researchers can examine age-related changes and changes within the same individuals as they age. In addition, researchers can account for the possibility of cohort and/or time of measurement effects. a. longitudinal research design b. sequential research design c. cross-sectional research design d. observational research design

sequential research design

combines aspects of cross-sectional and longitudinal designs, but also adding new cohorts at different times of measurement; allows for analyses to consider effects of age, cohort, time of measurement, and socio-historical change

sequential research design

Which statement best illustrates a negative correlation between the number of hours spent watching TV the week before an exam and the grade on that exam? a. smart students watch less television b. watching too much television leads to poor exam performance c. viewing television interferes with a students ability to prepare for the upsoming exam d. students who watch more television perform mor poorly on their exams

students who watch more television perform mor poorly on their exams

Jaime is a graduate student who will be conducting research on infants and emotions for her master's degree. Jaime and her graduate school advisor have developed the plan for her research and her advisor reminds Jaime that the first thing she needs to do is to: a. keep the infants comfortable to prevent high rates of attrition b. get informed consent from the infants' parents c. advertise on social media to recruit parents and infants for the study d. submit her proposal for review and approval by the Institutional Review Board at the university

submit her proposal for review and approval by the Institutional Review Board at the university

A researcher wants to understand parents' attitudes and opinions toward residential school programs for academically gifted students. This researcher would likely choose a ________ research method. a. content analysis b. case study c. survey d. observational study

survey

asking a standard set of questions to a group of subjects

survey

Researchers are interested in whether a new tutoring program can improve students' scores on math tests. All students were given math tests at the beginning. Then half of the students were randomly assigned to a group and given the new tutoring program; the other half were randomly assigned to another group and did not receive any tutoring. All students were given math tests again. Which of the following statements is true? a. only an observational study could reveal cause and effect between the tutoring program and math scores b. the dependent variable is only given to the control group c. the independent variable is given to all students who the students who signed up for the new tutoring program d. the assignment (or lack of assignment) to the new tutoring program is the independent variable

the assignment (or lack of assignment) to the new tutoring program is the independent variable

If cross-cultural research reveals that certain aspects of childhood physical development are the same and happen at the same ages in different countries, this would most likely be evidence for: a. the influence of nature on human development b. the discontinuous process of human development c. the influence of nature on human development d. many different courses of human development

the influence of nature on human development

when something yields accurate results

validity

factors that change in value

variables