Exam 2: Theoretical Perspectives and Research

Shyanna wants to know whether shy children will become shy adults. She decides to ask a group of preschool teachers to select all the children they would consider to be shy. She then follows and periodically assesses these children until they reach adulthood. This is an example of a __________ research design.

Anna interviews a small group of fathers to learn about their parenting practices. This is called a __________.

Which theorist was a proponent of ethology?

How might developmental research be used to improve public policy?

Contrast theoretical research with applied research.

List the major stages of Piaget's theory of cognitive development. Identify the age ranges noted in each stage of cognitive development.

Explanations and predictions concerning phenomena of interest, providing a framework for understanding the relationships among an organized set of facts or principles, are known as __________.

Read over the description of the behavioral perspective in your text. Have you noticed any examples of classical or operant conditioning occurring with your child? If so, describe these. What is your role in providing reinforcement in relationship to various behaviors observed in the environment? Thinking back to the nature-versus-nurture issue, what position would the behavioral perspective reflect? Explain.

Which of the following psychophysiological methods measures electrical activity in the brain?

Approaches to the study of cognitive development that focus on how brain processes are related to cognitive activity are called __________ approaches.

Ten-month-old Cameron is interested in sucking and eating. According to Freud's stages of psychosexual development, Cameron is in the __________ stage.

Researchers conducted a study with Spanish-speaking kindergarteners. They were interested in learning whether young children would benefit from explicit test-taking training. The researchers randomly assigned students and taught half of the kindergarteners' test-taking strategies, while the other half of the kindergarteners drew pictures. They found that those who had received training in test taking received higher scores on a school readiness test compared to the children who had received no training. Thus, the researchers manipulated test-taking training, or the __________ variable, and saw the results of their manipulation in the __________ variable.

Which of the following basic ethical principles must be followed in child developmental research?

Mr. Zander gives students a few small candies every time they act appropriately during school assemblies. The candy is a form of __________, a stimulus that increases the likelihood that the preceding behavior will be repeated.

Which major theoretical perspective stresses the interrelatedness of development areas and the importance of broad cultural factors in human development?

If a cognitive psychologist is conducting a study to measure the capacity of human memory, the psychologist is conducting __________ research.

Dr. Kang studies the development of morality in children. In her latest study she followed and assessed 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds, and 5-year-olds for a period of time. The 3-year-olds were tested at ages 3, 4, and 5; the 4-year-olds at 4, 5, and 6; and the 5-year-olds at ages 5, 6, and 7. This is an example of a __________ research design.

The positive outcome of the industry vs. inferiority stage of Erikson's theory is the __________.

When Brian was 7 years old, a large black dog chased him and bit his ankle. He needed several stitches and used crutches for weeks. Since the attack, Brian has been terrified of dogs. This learned fear is an example of the __________ perspective.

According to the bioecological approach, the microsystem encompasses the everyday environment of the child. Describe the microsystem in relation to your virtual child. Name the individuals who make up the microsystem. In addition, provide an example of the connections between the individuals in the microsystem. What is this system called?