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Module 2 - Research Methods in Dev Psych.ppt
- 1. MODULE 2 Research Methods inDevelopmental Psychology
- 2. METHODS FOR COLLECTINGDATA Scientific Observation • requires the researcher to record behavior systematically and objectively. • May be done in a naturalistic setting such as a home, school, or other public place. • May be done in a laboratory.
- 3. The Survey andInterview • Information is collected from a large number of people by interview, questionnaire, or some other means. • Acquiring valid survey data is not easy. METHODS FOR COLLECTING DATA
- 4. Standardized Test • Astandardized test has uniform procedures for administration and scoring. • One criticism of standardized tests is that they assume a person’s behavior is consistent and stable, yet personality and intelligence—two primary targets of standardized testing—can vary with the situation. METHODS FOR COLLECTING DATA
- 5. Case Study • Acase study is an in-depth look at a single individual. • A case study provides information about one person’s experiences; it may focus on nearly any aspect of the subject’s life that helps the researcher understand the person’s mind, behavior, or other attributes. METHODS FOR COLLECTING DATA
- 6. Physiological Measures • Researchersare increasingly using physiological measures when they study development at different points in the life span. METHODS FOR COLLECTING DATA
- 7. RESEARCH DESIGNS Descriptive Research •In descriptive research, the goal is to observe and record behavior.
- 8. RESEARCH DESIGNS Correlational Research •In correlational research, the goal is to describe the strength of the relationship between two or more events or characteristics. • A correlation exists between two variables if one variable is more (or less) likely to occur when the other does.
- 9. RESEARCH DESIGNS Correlational Research(cont.) Correlation and Causation • A correlation is positive if both variables tend to increase together or decrease together. • A correlation is negative if one variable tends to increase while the other decreases. • A correlation is zero if no connection is evident. • Correlation is not causation
- 10. Experimental Research The Experimentestablishes causal relationships among variables. • independent variable- the variable that is introduced to see what effect it has on the dependent variable. • dependent variable- the variable that may change as a result of whatever new condition or situation the experimenter adds. RESEARCH DESIGNS
- 11. USING THE SCIENTIFICMETHOD Experimental & Control Groups •experimental group- gets a particular treatment (the independent variable). •comparison group (also called a control group), which does not get the treatment.
- 12. TIME SPAN OFRESEARCH Cross-sectional Research • Groups of people of one age are compared with people of another age. Longitudinal Research • Collecting data repeatedly on the same individuals as they age. Cross-sequential Research • Study several groups of people of different ages (a cross-sectional approach) and follow them over the years (a longitudinal approach).
- 13. USING THE SCIENTIFICMETHOD
- 14. CONDUCTING ETHICAL RESEARCH Eachacademic discipline and professional society involved in the study of human development has a code of ethics. APA’s guidelines address four main ethical issues: • Informed Consent • Confidentiality • Debriefing • Deception
- 15. CONDUCTING ETHICAL RESEARCH APA’sguidelines address four main ethical issues: • Informed Consent – All participants must know what their research participation will involve and what risks might develop.
- 16. CONDUCTING ETHICAL RESEARCH APA’sguidelines address four main ethical issues: • Confidentiality – Participants, and the data gained from them must be kept anonymous unless they give their full consent. No names must be used in a lab report.
- 17. CONDUCTING ETHICAL RESEARCH APA’sguidelines address four main ethical issues: • Debriefing – “The purpose of debriefing is to remove any misconceptions and anxieties that the participants have about the research and to leave them with a sense of dignity, knowledge, and a perception of time not wasted” (Harris, 1998).
- 18. CONDUCTING ETHICAL RESEARCH APA’sguidelines address four main ethical issues: • Deception – This is where participants are misled or wrongly informed about the aims of the research. Types of deception include • (i) deliberate misleading, e.g. using confederates, staged manipulations in field settings, deceptive instructions; • (ii) deception by omission, e.g., failure to disclose full information about the study, or creating ambiguity.