Child Psychology– Psy 202

Prof. Manolya Bayar

Welcome Back!

CHAPTER 1 :

THE SCIENCE OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Issues of Development Patterns of Development Developmental Research Ethical Considerations in Conducting Research with Children

UNIT 1 – INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN DEVELOPMENTCHAPTERS 1, 2, & 3

The Social & Historical Context of Child Development

1. Understanding conceptions of the Life-span

2. The status of the child in current society3. The status of the child in the middle ages –

differences based on social class4. The mid-1800s – social change5. Changes in Laws

ISSUES OF DEVELOPMENT

Heredity vs. Environment1. This is the issue of which contributes to

development – nature or nurture?2. Nature: biology, genetics3. Nurture: experience, learning,

interactions with specific environments4. Learning vs. maturation5. The concept of the Reaction Range

Continuity vs. Discontinuity

1. Stage-like development vs. non-stage development

2. Stage theories & non-stage theories

1. Normative – age graded2. Normative – history graded3. Non-normative

What is a cohort?

PATTERNS OF DEVELOPMENT

General research designs:

1. Experimental research: The goal is to establish cause & effect between the IV and the DV.

Independent variable Dependent variable Control group Experimental group

DEVELOPMENTAL RESEARCH

2. Correlational research: The goal is to establish a relationship between the variables, X and Y.

Direction of the relationship Strength of the relationship

Types of correlations:a) Negative correlationb) Positive correlationc) Zero correlation

CROSS-SECTIONAL VS. LONGITUDINAL DESIGNS

What is the IV in C-S research?

What is the IV in Longitudinal research?

Testing subjects of various age groups at one time.

Advantages: Inexpensive & quick

Disadvantage:Cohort effects

Testing one age (or age group) of subjects multiple times, over a period of weeks, months, years.

Advantage: Eliminates cohort effects

Disadvantages:Attrition, practice effects,

expensive & long-term

Children cannot give consent by signing a written informed consent form which they’ve read and understood.

Consent must be obtained from parents/ guardians. A verbal assent must be obtained from the children that they in fact want to participate in the research after the study has been explained to them in a language they can understand.

ETHICS – Special considerations for children