The Science of Developmental Psychology by Stefanie Logan https://padlet.com/Msslogan/67pgsfyr6u3m en-us 2017-03-21 17:45:04 UTC 2024-10-16 02:28:44 UTC hello@padlet.com Scientific Method and Human Growth Msslogan https://padlet.com/Msslogan/67pgsfyr6u3m/wish/161605201
How do developmental scientists study people? What are some advantages and disadvantages of each research method?


Research can be either quantitative or qualitative, or both. Three forms of data collection are self-reports (diaries, interviews, and questionnaires); behavioral and performance measures; and observation. Two basic qualitative designs used in developmental research are the case study and the ethnographic study. Cross-cultural research can indicate whether certain aspects of development are universal or culturally influenced. Experiments must be rigorously controlled so as to be valid and replicable. Random assignment of participants can ensure validity. Laboratory experiments are easiest to control and replicate, but findings of field experiments may be more generalizable beyond the study situation. Natural experiments may be useful in situations in which true experiments would be impractical or unethical. The two most common designs used to study age-related development are longitudinal and cross-sectional. Cross-sectional studies compare age groups; longitudinal studies describe continuity or change in the same participants. The sequential study is intended to overcome the weaknesses of the other two designs.]]> 2017-03-21 17:49:54 UTC https://padlet.com/Msslogan/67pgsfyr6u3m/wish/161605201 Scientific Method and Human Growth Msslogan https://padlet.com/Msslogan/67pgsfyr6u3m/wish/161695020
What ethical problems may arise in research with humans? 

The chief role of human participants in research is to serve as sources of needed data. This is a different situation than ordinarily occurs in clinical medicine, in which diagnostic or therapeutic interventions are suggested or carried out solely to benefit the current patient. Consequently, although many ethical issues overlap between the realms of research and clinical medicine, the ethics concerns in human subjects research are not identical to those arising in the diagnostic and therapeutic context.

The most salient ethical values implicated by the use of human participants in research are beneficence (doing good), non‐maleficence (preventing or mitigating harm), fidelity and trust within the fiduciary investigator/participant relationship, personal dignity, and autonomy pertaining to both informed, voluntary, competent decision making and the privacy of personal information. These (as well as other) ethical concerns are addressed by an extensive regulatory structure pertaining to human subjects research.

..]]> 2017-03-22 01:53:26 UTC https://padlet.com/Msslogan/67pgsfyr6u3m/wish/161695020 What is developmental research? Msslogan https://padlet.com/Msslogan/67pgsfyr6u3m/wish/161701244
What purposes do theories serve?

Theories provide a framework for understanding human behavior, thought, and development. By having a broad base of understanding about the how's and why's of human behavior, we can better understand ourselves and others. Theories create a basis for future research. Researchers uses theories to form hypothesis that can be tested. 


]]> 2017-03-22 02:59:11 UTC https://padlet.com/Msslogan/67pgsfyr6u3m/wish/161701244 What is developmental research? Msslogan https://padlet.com/Msslogan/67pgsfyr6u3m/wish/161702187
What are two (2) theoretical issues on which developmental scientists differ?

Cross-sectional studies make comparisons at a single point in time. The benefit of a cross-sectional study design is that it allows researchers to compare many different variables at the same time. We could, for example, look at age, gender, income and educational level in relation to walking and cholesterol levels, with little or no additional cost.
However, cross-sectional studies may not provide definite information about cause-and-effect relationships. This is because such studies offer a snapshot of a single moment in time; they do not consider what happens before or after the snapshot is taken. Therefore, we can’t know for sure if our daily walkers had low cholesterol levels before taking up their exercise regimes, or if the behavior of daily walking helped to reduce cholesterol levels that previously were high.


The benefit of a longitudinal study is that researchers are able to detect developments or changes in the characteristics of the target population at both the group and the individual level. The key here is that longitudinal studies extend beyond a single moment in time. As a result, they can establish sequences of events.

To return to our example, we might choose to look at the change in cholesterol levels among women over 40 who walk daily for a period of 20 years. The longitudinal study design would account for cholesterol levels at the onset of a walking regime and as the walking behavior continued over time. Therefore, a longitudinal study is more likely to suggest cause-and-effect relationships than a cross-sectional study by virtue of its scope.

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