Developmental Psychology Terms From Chapter 2 Of Child Development

Front 1

scientific method

Back 1

use of objective, measurable, and repeatable techniques to gather information

Front 2

variable

Back 2

factor having no fixed or constant value in a given situation

Front 3

operational definition

Back 3

specification of variables in terms of measurable properties

Front 4

validity

Back 4

degree to whcih an assessment procedure actually measures the variable under consideration

Front 5

reliability

Back 5

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

Front 6

naturalistic observation

Back 6

study in which observations of naturally ocurring behavior are made in real-life settings

Front 7

participant reactivity

Back 7

tendency of individuals who know they are under boservation to alter natural behavior

Front 8

observer bias

Back 8

tendency of researchers to interpret ongoing eents as being consistent with their research hypothesis

Front 9

structured observation

Back 9

study in which behaviors are recorded as they occur within a situation constructed by the experimenter; usually in the laboratory

Front 10

structured interview

Back 10

standardized set of questions administered orally to participants

Front 11

questionnaire

Back 11

set of standardized questions administered to participants in written form

Front 12

clincial method

Back 12

flexible, open-ended interview method in which questions are modified in reaction to the child's responses

Front 13

meta-analysis

Back 13

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

Front 14

correlational study

Back 14

study that ssesses whether changes in on variable are accompanied by systematic changes in another variable

Front 15

positive correlation

Back 15

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

Front 16

negative correlation

Back 16

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

Front 17

correlation coefficient (<i>r</i>)

Back 17

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 18

experimental design

Back 18

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

Front 19

independent variable

Back 19

variable manipulated by the experimenter; the suspected cause

Front 20

dependent variable

Back 20

behavior that is measured; suspected effect of an experimental manipulation

Front 21

random assignment

Back 21

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

Front 22

field experiment

Back 22

experiment conducted in a "natural," real-world setting such as the child's home or school

Front 23

quasi-experiment

Back 23

study in which the assignmeent of participants to experimental groups is determined by their natural experiences

Front 24

case study

Back 24

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

Front 25

single-case design

Back 25

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

Front 26

longitudinal study

Back 26

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

Front 27

age-history confound

Back 27

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

Front 28

cross-sectional study

Back 28

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

Front 29

cohort effects

Back 29

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

Front 30

sequential study

Back 30

study that examines groups of children of different ages over a period of timel usually shorter than a longitudinal study

Front 31

cross-cultural study

Back 31

study that compares individuals in different cultural contexts

Front 32

ethnography

Back 32

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

Front 33

informed consent

Back 33

participant's formal acknowledgement that he or she understands the purposes, procedures, and risks of a study and agrees to participate in it

Front 34

debriefing

Back 34

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