CHS AP Psychology Unit 9 Developmental Psychology Essential

CHS AP Psychology Unit 9: Developmental Psychology Essential Task 9. 1: . Detail how psychologists study development including longitudinal studies, crosssectional studies, and autobiographical studies.

Developmental Psychology Issue Details Nature/Nurture How do genetic inheritance (our nature) and experience (the nurture we receive) influence our behavior? Stability/Change Do our early personality traits persist through life, or do we become different persons as we age. Continuity/Stages Is developmental a gradual, continuous process or a sequence of separate stages? 2

Continuity vs. Stages Continuity Stages

How do we study development? • Best Choices 1. Cross-Sectional Study 2. Longitudinal Study 3. Biographical or Retrospective Study

Cross-Sectional Study • Study people of different ages at the same point in time • Advantages – Inexpensive – Can be completed quickly – Low attrition (loss of numbers) • Disadvantages – Different age groups are not necessarily much alike – Differences may be due to cohort differences rather than age 5

Longitudinal Study • Study the same group of people over time • Advantages – Detailed information about subjects – Developmental changes can be studied in detail – Eliminates cohort differences • Disadvantages – Expensive and time consuming – Potential for high attrition – Differences over time may be due to assessment tools and not age 6

Biographical or Retrospective Study • Participant’s past is reconstructed through interviews and other research about their life • Advantages – Great detail about life of individual – In-depth study of one person • Disadvantages – Recall of individual may not be accurate – Can be expensive and time consuming