The document outlines various research methods used in the scientific study of human development, including sampling techniques, measures such as observation and standardized tests, basic research designs like experiments and correlational studies, developmental designs like cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, and issues around research ethics. Key methods are sampling, measures, basic and developmental research designs, and consideration of research ethics.

1. Human Development
as a science: (II) Methods
Chapter 2 (Research Methods)

2. Lecture Outline
• Scien?fic Study of Human Development
• Sampling
• Measures
• Basic Research Designs
• Developmental Designs
• Research ethics

3. Scien?fic Study of Human Development

4. Scien?fic Study of Human Development

5. Scien?fic Study of Human Development
• Scien?fic method

6. Scien?fic Study of Human Development
• Scien?fic method
– iden?fy problem

7. Scien?fic Study of Human Development
• Scien?fic method
– iden?fy problem
– formulate hypothesis

8. Scien?fic Study of Human Development
• Scien?fic method
– iden?fy problem
– formulate hypothesis
– collect data

9. Scien?fic Study of Human Development
• Scien?fic method
– iden?fy problem
– formulate hypothesis
– collect data
– analyze data

10. Scien?fic Study of Human Development
• Scien?fic method
– iden?fy problem
– formulate hypothesis
– collect data
– analyze data
– disseminate findings

11. Sampling

12. Sampling
• Representa)ve sample: Group of par?cipants
from a general popula?on.
– Generaliza?on of findings: the best
• Convenient sample: Group of par?cipants
selected for convenience or accessibility.
– Generaliza?on of findings: not always

13. Sampling
• Representa)ve sample: Group of par?cipants
from a general popula?on.
– Generaliza?on of findings: the best
• Convenient sample: Group of par?cipants
selected for convenience or accessibility.
– Generaliza?on of findings: not always
• Selec)ve sample: Group of par?cipants selected
on the basis of
– Generaliza?on of findings: limited

14. Measures

15. Measures
• Observa)on: naturalis?c or laboratory (need
coding)

16. Measures
• Observa)on: naturalis?c or laboratory (need
coding)
• Interview: structured or open‐ended;
answers: pre‐scaled or open‐ended (need coding)

17. Measures
• Observa)on: naturalis?c or laboratory (need
coding)
• Interview: structured or open‐ended;
answers: pre‐scaled or open‐ended (need coding)
• Ques)onnaire: answers are pre‐scaled

18. Measures
• Observa)on: naturalis?c or laboratory (need
coding)
• Interview: structured or open‐ended;
answers: pre‐scaled or open‐ended (need coding)
• Ques)onnaire: answers are pre‐scaled
• Life‐history records: records of chronology of life
events or ac?vi?es (school records, reports of events)

19. Measures
• Observa)on: naturalis?c or laboratory (need
coding)
• Interview: structured or open‐ended;
answers: pre‐scaled or open‐ended (need coding)
• Ques)onnaire: answers are pre‐scaled
• Life‐history records: records of chronology of life
events or ac?vi?es (school records, reports of events)
• Diary

20. Measures
• Observa)on: naturalis?c or laboratory (need
coding)
• Interview: structured or open‐ended;
answers: pre‐scaled or open‐ended (need coding)
• Ques)onnaire: answers are pre‐scaled
• Life‐history records: records of chronology of life
events or ac?vi?es (school records, reports of events)
• Diary
• Standardized tests: standard procedures for
administra?on and scoring (intelligence test)

21. Measures
• Observa)on: naturalis?c or laboratory (need
coding)
• Interview: structured or open‐ended;
answers: pre‐scaled or open‐ended (need coding)
• Ques)onnaire: answers are pre‐scaled
• Life‐history records: records of chronology of life
events or ac?vi?es (school records, reports of events)
• Diary
• Standardized tests: standard procedures for
administra?on and scoring (intelligence test)
• Physiological indices (heart rate, EEG etc.)

22. Measures ‐ Informants

23. Measures ‐ Informants
• Self: interview, ques?onnaire, life history,
diary

24. Measures ‐ Informants
• Self: interview, ques?onnaire, life history,
diary
• Caregiver /family member: interview,
ques?onnaire, life history, diary

25. Measures ‐ Informants
• Self: interview, ques?onnaire, life history,
diary
• Caregiver /family member: interview,
ques?onnaire, life history, diary
• Teacher: interview, ques?onnaire, diary

26. Measures ‐ Informants
• Self: interview, ques?onnaire, life history,
diary
• Caregiver /family member: interview,
ques?onnaire, life history, diary
• Teacher: interview, ques?onnaire, diary
• Researcher: ques?onnaire, coding of obs. &
open‐ended interview answers

27. Basic Research Designs
(1) Descrip?ve design: to describe target behavior.
(2) Correla?onal design:to discover how target
behavior correlates with other variables
(3) Experiment: use controlled condi?ons to test
cause‐effect rela?onship
(4) Natural experiment: use naturally occurring
events as control to infer cause‐effect rela?onship

28. Experimental Designs
• laboratory or field experiments

29. Experimental Designs
• laboratory or field experiments

30. Experimental Design
• Confounding: Contamina?on of the effect of
experimental manipulated by unintended
differences between experimental and control
groups
9

31. Correla?onal Design

32. Developmental Designs

33. Developmental Designs
• Cross‐sec(onal study: people of different ages
are assessed on one occasion

34. Developmental Designs
• Cross‐sec(onal study: people of different ages
are assessed on one occasion
• Longitudinal study: people of the same age
are assessed over ?me

35. Developmental Designs
• Cross‐sec(onal study: people of different ages
are assessed on one occasion
• Longitudinal study: people of the same age
are assessed over ?me
• Sequen(al study: people of different ages are
assessed over ?me

36. Developmental Designs

37. Longitudinal Study:
Advantages & Disadvantages
• Advantages: Can truly access developmental
change and con?nuity
• discover developmental processes
• Iden?fy individual pathways Disadvantages:
Time consuming and expensive
• problems of biased aVri?on
• results may be valid only for the genera?on
studied.

38. Cross‐sec?onal Study:
Advantages & Disadvantages
• Advantages: Speedy, economical
• can show similarity and differences among age
groups.
• Disadvantages: Can’t access developmental
changes and con?nuity
• Developmental differences can be confounded
cohort differences‐differnces between the first
cohorts (nothing to do with developmental
differences).

39. Developmental Designs:
Advantages & Disadvantages

40. Sequen?al Design
Year
1996 1998 Age
Cohort IV: Age = 8 8
Cohort III: Age = 6 6
Cohort II: Age = 4 4
Cohort I: Age = 2

41. Sequen?al Study:
Advantages & Disadvantages
• Advantages: speedy and economical
• can assess developmental changes and
con?nuity within a certain period of
development
• Disadvantages: can’t inves?gate individual
pathways across several periods of
development.

42. Research Ethics
 Informed consent
 Avoidance of decep?on, harm, or undesirable
effect
 Right to

43. Readings
• Table 2‐3, p. 38 (45)
• Table 2‐4, p. 41 (48)
• Table 2‐5, p. 47 (53)
• P. 48 (pp. 55‐56) on Research Ethics