Term
| description of correlational design |
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Definition
| The investigator obtains information on participants without altering their experiences |
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Term
| strengths and weaknesses of correlational design |
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Definition
Permits study of relationships between variables.
Does not permit inferences about cause-and-effect relationships. |
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Term
| description of laboratory experiment |
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Definition
| controlled lab conditions, manipulation of independent variable, notes effect on dependent variable; random assignment of treatments |
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Term
| strengths and weaknesses of laboratory experiment |
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Definition
Permits inferences about cause and effect relationships.
Findings may not generalize for the real world. |
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Term
| description of field experiment |
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Definition
| randomly assigns participants to treatment conditions in natural settings |
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Term
| strengths and weaknesses of field experiment |
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Definition
Permits generalization of experimental findings to the real world
Control over the treatment is less than in lab |
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Term
| description of natural/quazi-experiment |
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Definition
| comparison of already existing treatments in real world, carefully sampling participants to ensure that their characteristics are as much alike as possible |
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Term
| strengths and weaknesses of natural experiment |
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Definition
permits study of many real-world conditions that cannot be experimentally manipulated
Findings may be due to variables other than the treatment |
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Term
| Describe Longitudinal design |
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Definition
| same group of participants at different ages |
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Term
| strengths and weaknesses of longitudinal design |
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Definition
can study common patterns and individual differences between early and later events and behaviors
Age-related changes may be distorted because of biased sampling, selective attrition, practice effects, and cohort effects. Theoretical and methodical changes in the field of study can make findings obsolete. |
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Term
| describe a cross-sectional design |
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Definition
| study of groups of participants differing in age at the same time |
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Term
| strengths and weaknesses of cross-sectional design |
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Definition
more efficient than the longitudinal; not plagued by selective attrition, practice effects, or changes in field
Does not permit study of individual trends; age differences can be distorted because of cohort effects |
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Term
| describe a sequential design |
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Definition
| conducts several similar cross-sectional or longitudinal studies (called sequences) at varying times |
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Term
| strengths and weaknesses of sequential design |
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Definition
may permit both longitudinal and cross-sectional comparisons. reveals cohort effects. permits tracking of age-related changes more efficiently than longitudinal design.
May have the same problems as longitudinal and cross-sectional strategies |
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Term
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Definition
| presents children with a novel task and follows their mastery over a series of closely spaced sessions |
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Term
| strengths and weaknesses of microgenetic design |
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Definition
offers insights into how change occurs
requires intensive study of moment-by-moment behaviors; time required for participants to change is difficult to anticipate; practice effects may distort developmental trends |
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Term
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Definition
| number from 0-1 whose magnitude implies the strength of the correlation and whose sign implies the direction |
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Term
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Definition
| the variable manipulated by the researcher in an experiment by randomly assigning participants to treatment conditions |
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Term
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Definition
| the variable the researcher expects to be influenced by the independent variable in an experiment |
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Term
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Definition
| observation of behavior in natural contexts |
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Term
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Definition
| observation of behavior in a lab, conditions same for all participants |
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Term
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Definition
| a prediction about behavior drawn from a theory |
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Term
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Definition
| the consistency, or repeatability, of measures of behavior |
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Term
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Definition
| the extent to which measures in a research study accurately reflect what the investigator intended to measure |
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Term
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Definition
| an unbiased procedure for assigning participants' to treatment groups, such as drawing numbers out of a hat or flipping a coin. increases chances that participants characteristics will be equally distributed across treatment conditions in an experiment. |
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Term
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Definition
| a procedure for assigning participants with similar characteristic in equal numbers to treatment conditions in an experiment. ensures the group will be equivalent on factors likely to distort the results. |
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Term
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Definition
| the tendency of participants to react in the presence of an observer and behave in unnatural ways |
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Term
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Definition
| the tendency of observers who are aware of the purpose of the study to see and record what is expected rather than participants' actual behaviors |
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Term
| Problems with self-analysis of child |
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Definition
May under/over estimate abilities
Influenced by self perceptions |
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Term
| Problems with parents providing information about child |
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Definition
May be overly positive/negative
does not have direct experience with child at school |
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Term
| problems with teachers providing information about child |
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Definition
| may not have enough real experience with the child |
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Term
| problem with peers providing information about child |
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Definition
| influenced by peer perceptions, which may be inaccurate |
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Term
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Definition
| failure to select participants who are representative of a population |
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Term
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Definition
| people drop out of a study, resulting in a biased sample |
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Term
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Definition
| changes in participants' natural responses are a result of repeated testing |
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Term
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Definition
| the effects of cultural-historical change on the accuracy of finding: children born in one period of time are influenced by particular cultural and historical conditions |
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Term
| strengths/limitations of naturalistic observation |
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Definition
Reflects participants every day behaviors
Cannot control conditions.
Accuracy influenced by observer bias/influence. |
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Term
| strengths and weaknesses of structured observation |
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Definition
Equal opportunity to display behavior.
Permits study of behaviors rarely seen in everyday life.
May not have typical behavior of everyday life.
Accuracy influenced by observer bias/influence. |
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Term
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Definition
| Flexible interviewing procedure in which the investigator obtains a complete account of the participants thoughts |
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Term
| strengths and limitations of clinical interview |
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Definition
Comes as close as possible to the way they think in everyday life. Breadth and depth of info in short time.
Inaccurate reporting.
Flexible procedure --> comparison of individuals' responses difficult. |
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Term
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Definition
| self report instruments in which each participant is asked the same question in the same way |
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Term
| strengths/weaknesses of structured interview, questionnaires, and tests |
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Definition
| permits comparisons of participants' responses and efficient data collection. Researchers can assist by specifying answer alternatives they might not have thought about on their own |
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Term
| psychophysiological methods |
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Definition
| methods that measure the relationship between physiological processes and behavior |
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Term
| strengths and limitations of psychophysiological methods |
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Definition
Reveals which nervous system contributes.
Infers perceptions/thoughts/emotions of infants and young children who cannot report them clearly
Cannot be certain of the meaning of autonomic or brain activity.
Many factors can influence a physiological response. |
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Term
| clinical, or case study method |
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Definition
| a full picture of one individual's psychological functioning, obtained by combining interviews, observations, test scores, and psychophysiological assessments |
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Term
| strengths and limitations of clinical/case study method |
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Definition
provides rich descriptive insights into factors that affect development
may be biased by researchers' theoretical preferences. Findings cannot be applied to individuals other than the participant. |
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Term
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Definition
| participant observation of a culture or distinct social group; by making extensive field notes, the researcher tries to capture the culture's unique values and social processes |
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Term
| strengths and limitations of ethnography |
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Definition
provides more complete description than can be derived from single observational visit, interview, or questionnaire
May be biased by researchers' values and theoretical preferences. Findings cannot be applied to individuals and settings other than the ones studied |
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Term
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Definition
| right to physical/psychological protection from harm. if in doubt, seek opinion of others. |
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Term
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Definition
| clear explanation of all aspects of research must be provided. with children, also need consent from parents/school officials, etc. there is a right to discontinue at any time. |
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Term
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Definition
| right to conceal identity, also in written reports and informal discussions about research |
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Term
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Definition
| right to be informed of results of research |
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Term
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Definition
| if experimental treatments are beneficial, control group has right to alternative beneficial treatments if available. |
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