![]() In 1934, she obtained her doctorate by surveying 229 sets of triplets, the most comprehensive research of triplets completed at the time. An example of comprehensive survey was the research done by Ruth W. This particular method can provide large amounts of information in relatively short amounts of time however, validity of data collected in this way relies on honest self-reporting, and the data is relatively shallow when compared to the depth of information collected in a case study. The survey method asks individuals to self-report important information about their thoughts, experiences, and beliefs. As she learned to use language, psychologists were able to compare how her language acquisition abilities differed when occurring in her late-stage development compared to the typical acquisition of those skills during the ages of infancy through early childhood (Fromkin, Krashen, Curtiss, Rigler, & Rigler, 1974 Curtiss, 1981). In Genie’s case, her neglectful and abusive upbringing led to her being unable to speak until, at age 13, she was removed from that harmful environment. Little Genie, the subject of a case study discussed in the chapter on thinking and intelligence, provides another example of how psychologists examine developmental milestones through detailed research on a single individual. Freud’s findings helped inform his theories of psychosexual development in children, which you will learn about later in this chapter. ![]() ![]() In one classic example of this research method being applied to a study of lifespan development Sigmund Freud analyzed the development of a child known as “Little Hans” (Freud, 1909/1949). This particular approach is an excellent way to better understand individuals, who are exceptional in some way, but it is especially prone to researcher bias in interpretation, and it is difficult to generalize conclusions to the larger population. In a case study, developmental psychologists collect a great deal of information from one individual in order to better understand physical and psychological changes over the lifespan. While this research approach provides a glimpse into how children behave in their natural settings, researchers have very little control over the types and/or frequencies of displayed behavior. A developmental psychologist might observe how children behave on a playground, at a daycare center, or in the child’s own home. Naturalistic observations involve observing behavior in its natural context. These methods include naturalistic observations, case studies, surveys, and experiments, among others. Developmental psychologists use many of these approaches in order to better understand how individuals change mentally and physically over time. You’ve learned about a variety of research methods used by psychologists. Research Methods in Developmental Psychology We refer to these domains throughout the chapter. Psychosocial development involves emotions, personality, and social relationships. Cognitive development involves learning, attention, memory, language, thinking, reasoning, and creativity. Physical development involves growth and changes in the body and brain, the senses, motor skills, and health and wellness. They view development as a lifelong process that can be studied scientifically across three developmental domains-physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development. These are the types of questions developmental psychologists try to answer, by studying how humans change and grow from conception through childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and death. Consider the following questions: To what extent is the adult you are today influenced by the child you once were? To what extent is a child fundamentally different from the adult he grows up to be? In this poem, William Wordsworth writes, “the child is father of the man.” What does this seemingly incongruous statement mean, and what does it have to do with lifespan development? Wordsworth might be suggesting that the person he is as an adult depends largely on the experiences he had in childhood. ![]() Understand the three major issues in development: continuity and discontinuity, one common course of development or many unique courses of development, and nature versus nurtureīound each to each by natural piety.Discuss the normative approach to development.Define and distinguish between the three domains of development: physical, cognitive and psychosocial.By the end of this section, you will be able to:
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |