Bronfenbrenners Four Ecological Settings for Development Change MACROSYSTEM
Bronfenbrenner's Four Ecological Settings for Development Change MACROSYSTEM Attitudes and ideologies of the culture EXOSYSTEM Extended family MESOSYSTEM Friends of family Family Health services Church group Mass media Neighbors MICROSYSTEM School Peers CHILD Neighborhood play area Daycare center Social welfare services Legal services
Lifespan Perspectives on Human Development Issue Key Question Continuity within change How do we account for underlying continuity in qualities, behaviors, and skills in spite of apparent change? Lifelong growth What is the potential for growth - emotional, cognitive, and physical - throughout the lifespan? Changing vantage points How do key life events change in meaning across the lifespan and as a result of changing roles and experiences? Development diversity What factors create differences in individuals' development across the lifespan?
THE WHOLE DEVELOPING PERSON DIVIDED INTO "PIES" PHYSICAL INTELLECTUAL EMOTIONAL SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT P I S E Created by C. E. Stull, Ph. D.
Philosophers on Nature vs. Nurture Genetics, Heredity, Biology Environment, Experience, Learning KANT: Early preformation theory. We are born LOCKE (1690): “tabula rasa” with potential that just unfolds. We have a priori understanding. Molds exist in e mind, integrating experiences ROUSSEAU: Children born with sense of right and wrong, just allow them to develop. J. S. Mill: A Child prodigy who attributed his genius to training. GALTON: Coined expression “nature vs. nurture. ” Believed “Hereditary Genius” eminence runs in families. Proponent of the Eugenics movement to improve human race. PAVLOV (1904): Classical conditioning PIAGET: Universal cognitive maturational stages J. B. WATSON: “Little Albert” behaviorist study FREUD: psychosexual stages B. F. SKINNER: operant conditioning CHOMSKY: prewired L. A. D. (language acquisition device) Behavioral geneticists
Scientific Method 1. Focus on a topic make careful observations and review literature. 2. Formulate a hypothesis. 3. Test the hypothesis via: · Laboratory experiments, which include • Operational definitions • Control groups • Cross-sectional, longitudinal, or sequential design · Naturalistic studies · Surveys · Interviews · Case Studies · Correlational Studies 4. Collect and analyze data 5. Draw conclusions 6. Make results available
Advantages and Disadvantages of Information-Gathering Approaches Design Description Advantages Disadvantages Naturalistic Observations of behaviors Can note antecedents and as they occur in children's consequences of real-life environments. behaviors; see real-life behaviors. Possibility of participant reactivity and observer bias; less control over variables; cause-and-effect relationships difficult to establish. Structured Observations of behaviors More control over in situations constructed conditions that elicit by the experimenter. behaviors. Children may not react as they would in real life. Interviews and Asking children (or Quick way to assess Children may not always Questionnaires parents) about what they children's knowledge or respond truthfully or know or how they behave. reports of their behaviors. accurately; systematic comparisons of responses may be difficult; theoretical orientation of researcher and interpretations of answers. Meta-analytic Studies Statistical analysis of other researchers' findings to look for the size of a variable's effects. Pool a large body of research findings to sort out conflicting findings; no participants are observed. Requires careful mathematical computation; variables may not have been defined identically across all studies.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Research Designs Design Description Strengths Weaknesses Correlational Design Researcher sees if changes in one variable are accompanied by systematic changes in another variable. Useful when conditions do Cannot determine causenot permit the and-effect relationships. manipulation of variables. Experimental Design Researcher manipulates one of more independent variables to observe the effects on the dependent variable(s). Can isolate cause-andeffect relationships. Field Experiment conducted in real-life, naturalistic settings. Can isolate cause-and. Less control over treatment effect relationships; conditions. behaviors are observed in natural settings. Quasiexperiment Assignment of participants to groups is determined by their natural experiences In-depth observation of one or a few children over a period of time. Takes advantage of natural separation of children into groups. Factors other than independent variables may be causing results. Do not require large pool of participants. Ability to generalize to the larger population may be limited. Single-Case Design May not yield information about real-life behaviors.
Strategies for Assessing Developmental Change Approach Longitudinal Study Description Repeated testing of the same group of children over an extended period of time. Advantages Disadvantages Can examine the stability Requires a significant of characteristics. investment of time and resources; problems with participant attrition; can have age-history confound. Cross. Comparison of children of Requires less time; less Sectional Study different ages at the costly than longitudinal same point in time. study. Cannot study individual patterns of development or the stability of traits; subject to cohort effects. Sequential Study Has same problems as longitudinal studies; but to a lesser degree. Observation of children of two or more different ages over a shorter period of time when in longitudinal studies. Combines the advantages of both longitudinal and crosssectional approaches; can obtain information about stability of traits in a short period of time.
Less More Exposure to violent TV ZERO CORRELATION More Crimes Acts of aggression More NEGATIVE CORRELATION Illnesses POSITIVE CORRELATION Less Low High Optimism scores New Full Phases of the moon
Dependent and Independent Variables Y = fx(x 1, x 2, x 3, … xn) Y is the dependent variable (such as test scores, number of errors, speed, muscle contractions, aggressive acts, etc. ) Xs are independent variables (such as age, sex, drug, intelligence, etc. , and the experimental treatment)
ETHICAL CONSTRAINTS ON STUDYING CHILD DEVELOPMENT • Confidentiality • Full disclosure of purposes • Respect for children's and parents' freedom to participate • Informed consent • In loco parentis
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