Child Development: Chapter 2 (Studying Child Development)

Front 1

Age-history confound

Back 1

In longitudinal studies, the co-occurrence of historical factors with changes in age; affects the ability to interpret results.

Front 2

Case study

Back 2

In-depth description of psychological characteristics and behaviors of an individual, often in the form of a narrative.

Front 3

Clinical method

Back 3

Flexible, open-ended interview method in which questions are modified in reaction to the child’s responses.

Front 4

Cohort effects

Back 4

Characteristics shared by individuals growing up in a given sociohistorical context that can influence developmental outcomes.

Front 5

Correlation coefficient
(r)

Back 5

Statistical measure, ranging from +1.00 to -1.00, that summarizes the strength and direction of the relationship between two variables; does not provide information about causation.

Front 6

Correlational study

Back 6

Study that assesses whether changes in one variable are accompanied by systematic changes in another variable.

Front 7

Cross-cultural study

Back 7

Study that compares individuals in different cultural contexts.

Front 8

Cross-sectional study

Back 8

A study in which individuals of different ages are examined at the same point in time.

Front 9

Debriefing

Back 9

Providing research participants with a statement of the true goals of a study after initially deceiving them or omitting information about its purposes.

Front 10

Dependent variable

Back 10

Dependent variableBehavior that is measured; suspected effect of an experimental manipulation.

Front 11

Ethnography

Back 11

Set of methods, including observations and interviews, used by researchers to describe the behaviors and underlying meaning systems within a given culture.

Front 12

Experimental design

Back 12

Research method in which one or more independent variables are manipulated to determine the effect on other, dependent variables.

Front 13

Field experiment

Back 13

Experiment conducted in a "natural," real-world setting such as the child’s home or school.

Front 14

Independent variable

Back 14

Variable manipulated by the experimenter; the suspected cause.

Front 15

Informed consent

Back 15

Participant’s formal acknowledgment that he or she understands the purposes, procedures, and risks of a study and agrees to participate in it.

Front 16

Longitudinal study

Back 16

Research in which the same participants are repeatedly tested over a period of time, usually years.

Front 17

Meta-analysis

Back 17

Statistical examination of a body of research studies to assess the effect of the common central variable.

Front 18

Naturalistic observation

Back 18

Study in which observations of naturally occurring behavior are made in real-life settings.

Front 19

Negative correlation

Back 19

Relationship in which changes in one variable are accompanied by systematic changes in another variable in the opposite direction.

Front 20

Observer bias

Back 20

Tendency of researchers to interpret ongoing events as being consistent with their research hypotheses.

Front 21

Operational definition

Back 21

Specification of variables in terms of measurable properties.

Front 22

Participant reactivity

Back 22

Tendency of individuals who know they are under observation to alter natural behavior.

Front 23

Positive correlation

Back 23

Relationship in which changes in one variable are accompanied by systematic changes in another variable in the same direction.

Front 24

Quasi-experiment

Back 24

Study in which the assignment of individuals to experimental groups is determined by their natural experiences.

Front 25

Questionnaire

Back 25

Set of standardized questions administered to individuals in written form.

Front 26

Random assignment

Back 26

Use of principles of chance to assign participants to treatment and control groups; avoids systematic bias.

Front 27

Reliability

Back 27

Degree to which a measure will yield the same results if administered repeatedly.

Front 28

Scientific method

Back 28

Use of objective, measurable, and repeatable techniques to gather information.

Front 29

Sequential study

Back 29

Study that examines groups of children of different ages over a period of time; usually shorter than a longitudinal study.

Front 30

Single-case design

Back 30

Study that follows only one or a few participants over a period of time, with an emphasis on systematic collection of data.

Front 31

Structured interview

Back 31

Standardized set of questions administered orally to participants.

Front 32

Structured observation

Back 32

Study in which behaviors are recorded as they occur within a situation constructed by the experimenter, usually in the laboratory.

Front 33

Temperament

Back 33

Stable, early-appearing constellation of individual personality attributes believed to have a hereditary basis; includes sociability, emotionality, and activity level.

Front 34

Validity

Back 34

Degree to which an assessment procedure actually measures the variable under consideration.

Front 35

Variable

Back 35

Factor having no fixed or constant value in a given situation.