Exam 1: A: The Science of Child Development

In cross-sectional studies, children are tested repeatedly over the course of months or years.

Converging evidence from many research studies leads to increased confidence in research findings.

Inferential statistics allow researchers to draw conclusions.

In order to avoid observer bias, researchers establish firm behavioural definitions and observation guidelines prior to the observations.

A correlation coefficient of -.85 indicates that there is no relationship between two variables (e.g., children's aggressive behaviour and watching violent TV shows are not related).

Applied developmental science uses developmental research to promote healthy child development.

Reliability refers to whether or not a test is really measuring what it is supposed to measure.

A strength of correlational research is that it can be used to determine cause and effect.

One disadvantage of cross-sectional studies is that repeated testing may change participants' behaviours.

In structured observation, the researcher goes out of his/her way to create a situation where they are unlikely to observe the behaviour they are studying.

Observer bias is the tendency for people to notice new things when they look at familiar situations.

Systematic observation involves watching children and carefully recording what they do or say.

Self-reports are children's answers to questions about a topic of interest.

When investigators can't observe a behaviour directly in a natural context, they are unable to study that behaviour.

A microgenetic study is a particularly long type of longitudinal study.

Children can "get used to" the presence of a researcher observing them, and exhibit their usual behaviour patterns.

A researcher wants to study children's behaviour in the playground, so he follows children around with a camera crew, recording their behaviour. This research is likely to suffer from an observer influence.

Response bias occurs when children change their answers to questions based on what they believe is more socially acceptable.

Gregory knows that hitting his sister is wrong. When a researcher asks Gregory how many times he has ever hit his sister, Gregory's answer is much lower than the real number. This is an example of response bias.

A variable is a factor which may be different from person to person.