Research Methods in Human Development

1
Research Methods in Human Development

• Five Basic Goals in Research
• Basic Research Process
• Types of Research

2
Research Methods

• Being a Wise Consumer of Information
• Media only publishes parts of research when of
  public interest.
• All information for public consumption may be
• Oversimplified, condensed with few details
• Distorted or exaggerated
• People must consider information carefully
• Separate group from individual outcomes
• Do not over generalize from small sample
• Look for additional information on a study
• Do not attribute causes when none exist
• Evaluate the source of information

3
30
Parents Explanations of Science to Sons and
Daughters at a Science Museum
25
Percentage parentchild interactions in which
the parent explained science concepts
20
15
10
5
0
Girls
Boys
4
Five Basic Goals in Research

• Describe
• Explain Why did the subject produce the
  behavior?
• Predict The best predictor of future behavior is
  past behavior.
• Control What can we do to change the behavior?
• Improve

5
Research Methods

• Main Types of Psychological Research
• Basic Study of psychological issues in
  order to seek knowledge for its own sake.
• Applied Study of psychological issues
  that have direct practical significance,
  application.

6
Research Methods

• Types of research
• Descriptive observes and records behavior
• Laboratory research
• Naturalistic observation
• Surveys and interviews
• Standardized tests
• Case studies
• Life-history records
• Physiological measures

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Research Methods

• Two main divisions of research
• Correlational research-
• Measures relationships
• No causation
• Experimental research-
• Independent variable gets manipulated
• Dependent variable is the resulting change
• Experimental group is manipulated
• Control group serves as the norm for comparison

8
Research Methods

• Time-span research
• Focus on the relation of age to some other
  variable across the life span.
• Cross-sectional approach
• Compares different age groups at one time
• Longitudinal approach
• Studies a group over a period of time
• Sequential approach
• Combines longitudinal and cross-sectional
  approaches
• Cohort effects
• Due to time or era of birth but not due to ones
  actual age

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Research Methods

• Theory General principle proposed to explain how
  a number of separate facts are related. An idea
  about a relationship. Research is necessary in
  order to validate or invalidate a theory.
• Experiment Manipulate a situation in order to
  prove/disprove a hypothesis.
• Meta-Analysis Summary of past research on a
  given topic.
• Placebo No treatment given, participant assumes
  treatment is present.
• Confederate Experimenter assumes the role of a
  participant or antagonist.

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Basic Research Process Too many cookies make
penguins go crazy.

• Have a question or idea about a relationship.
• Develop a Null Hypothesis (H0)
• The reverse of what the experimenter believes
• will happen.
• Cookies dont make penguins go crazy.
• Very easy to test this, all you have to do is
  find one
• case where this is not so.
• Develop an Alternative Hypothesis (H1)
• Statement that attempts to describe or explain a
  given behavior.
• Leads to specific predictions of what will happen
  in very specific situations.
• Certain types and quantities of cookies may make
  specific penguins go crazy.

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Basic Research Process Too many cookies make
penguins go crazy.

• 4. Conduct the Experiment
• Variable Anything that can be measured or is
  changed.
• Independent Variable Input variable.
• Dependent Variable Outcome variable.
• Empirical Evidence Can be measured and observed.
• Control Condition No manipulation added.
• Operational Definition How the phenomenon is to
  be observed and measured.
• Principal of Falsifiability Hypotheses could be
  disproved if contradictory evidence were
  observed/introduced.
• 5. Complete the Result Section
• Collected data from experiment, prove or disprove
  the null
• Statistical Significance Results are probably
  true, not due to chance.
• Occams Razor When conflicting results/solutions
  to a given problem occur, the shortest and least
  complex one is the correct choice

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Types of Research

• Naturalistic Observation Observing behavior in
  its natural environment. Can involve counting
  specific behaviors.
• Advantage Provides more qualitative information
  than the other methods.
• Disadvantage Presence of an observer modifies
  the participants behavior. No two observers
  produce the same results.
• __________________________________________________
  ______
• Case Study Following a single case for an
  extended period of time.
• Advantage Gather extensive information, both
  qualitative and quantitative and can be helpful
  in better understanding rare cases or very
  specific interventions
• Disadvantage Only one case is involved severely
  limiting generalization

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Types of Research

• Survey Questionnaires gather info from asking
  people directly.
• Advantage Can gather large amounts of
  information in a relatively short time, cost
  effective.
• Disadvantage Based solely on subjects responses
  which can be inaccurate due to outright lying,
  misunderstanding of the question, placebo effect,
  and even the manner in which the question is
  asked.
• __________________________________________________
  _____________________
• Correlational Study Determine if a relationship
  exists, what direction the relationship is, and
  how strong it is.
• Positive Correlation As one increases the other
  increases, as one decreases the other decreases.
• Negative Correlation As one increases the other
  decreases, as one decreases the other increases.
• Advantage Measures the strength of a
  relationship between two groups.
• Disadvantage Cant make any assumptions of cause
  and effect. No knowledge of effect of a third
  variable.

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Twin Studies

• Defined Studying identical twins separated near
  birth is one behavioral genetic method.
• Example Gerald and Mark
• Met at age 31 after being separated at birth.
• Both
• Are volunteer firefighters
• Like to hunt, eat Chinese food, and watch John
  Wayne movies
• Drink the same brand of beer, with their hands
  held the same way (pinky curled)
• Evaluating Genetic Theories
• Reasons for caution
• Not all traits are equally heritable or
  unaffected by shared environment.
• Some studies may underestimate the impact of the
  environment.
• Even traits that are highly heritable are not
  rigidly fixed.
• Genetic predisposition does not imply
  inevitability.

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Research Focus

• Development of
• Motor Skills
• Problem Solving
• Conceptual Understanding
• Moral Reasoning
• Identity Formation

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Research Focus

• Stages of Development
• Prenatal
• Infancy
• Toddler
• Early Childhood
• Childhood
• Adolescence
• Early Adulthood
• Middle Age
• Old Age
• Death
• Is age static?