Week 1- Research Methods PDF

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Lecture notes for week 1- Research methods...

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Lifespan Development: Introduction What is lifespan development? - The field of study that examines patterns of growth, change and stability in behaviour that occur throughout the entire lifespan from birth to death - Looks at how we change and how we stay the same - Answers questions about our development and others - Ex: role of genetics in development  How do children learn?  Why do children make choices Age and range differences - Prenatal, infancy and toddlerhood, middle childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle adulthood, late adulthood Cultural factors & developmental diversity - Broad factors (orientation toward individualism or connectivism - Finer differences (…) Cohort: group of people born at around the same time in the same place - Influences of development  History-graded influences (polio outbreak, great depression)  Age-graded influences (hair loss, memory, social development)  Sociocultural-graded influences (diet)  Non-normative life event (death of parent, abuse, lottery): can cause difficulty of forming relationships Nature vs. Nurture - Nature refers to traits, abilities and capacities that are inherited from ones parents. It encompasses any factor that is produced by the predetermined unfolding of genetic information- process known as maturation - Nurture refers Critical and sensitive periods - Critical: specific time during development when a particular event has its greatest consequence and the presence of certain kinds of environmental stimuli are necessary for development to proceed normally - Sensitive period: point in development when organisms are particuarily susceptible to certain kinds of stimuli in their environments Posing developmental questions - Theory: broad explanation, and predictions about a phenomenon Scientific method - Identifying questions of interest - Formulating an explanation

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Carrying out research that either lends support to the explanation or refutes it

Hypothesis - Prediction stated in a way that permits it to be tested Categories of research - Correlational research (ex: tv with aggressive content, causes high aggression and vise vera, low socioeconomic status can result in both)  Does not prove causality  Provides important information  Correlation coefficient  Types: ethnography, survey research - Experimental research (determining cause and effect, dependent and independent variables, random subjects)  Logically impossible  Ethically impossible: determined by institutions and government agencies  Guidelines: protect participants from harm, obtain consent, use of deception but be justified research (placebos), privacy maintained Choosing research settings - Field of study  Capture behaviour in real-life setting  Participants - Laboratory study  Holds events constant  Enables researchers to learn more clearly how treatment affects participants Complementary approaches...