Question 1

Imagine that a researcher is interested in developmental changes in children's ability to cooperate when working on school projects together. Briefly describe how the researcher could examine this issue using each of these designs: (a) cross-sectional, (b) longitudinal, and (c) microgenetic. For each design, also indicate what a likely research question would be.

Accepted Answer

(a) Cross-sectional design: The researcher could examine developmental changes in children's ability to cooperate by comparing different age groups of children at a single point in time. The researcher could gather data from children in different grade levels and assess their ability to cooperate on school projects. A likely research question for this design could be: "How does children's ability to cooperate on school projects vary across different age groups?"

(b) Longitudinal design: In a longitudinal design, the researcher would follow the same group of children over an extended period of time, assessing their ability to cooperate on school projects at multiple points throughout their development. This would allow the researcher to track individual changes in cooperation over time. A likely research question for this design could be: "How does children's ability to cooperate on school projects change as they progress through different grade levels?"

(c) Microgenetic design: A microgenetic design involves closely observing a small group of children over a short period of time as they engage in a specific task, in this case, working on a school project together. The researcher would focus on capturing the moment-to-moment changes in cooperation as the children work on the project. A likely research question for this design could be: "How do children's cooperative behaviors evolve and change during the process of working on a school project together?"

Question 2

The text describes several reasons for the importance of studying child development. Why is studying child development of interest or importance to you personally?

Accepted Answer

Not Answer

Question 3

Katie and Natasha are sisters. Natasha has a lot of friends and is well-liked by her peers. Katie, in contrast, has few friends and is constantly the target of her peers' teasing. Using the four factors Scarr identified as involved in differences among siblings, describe why these sisters might be so different when it comes to their peer relations. For each of the four factors, provide a specific example.

Accepted Answer

Not Answer

Question 4

Using information about the interaction between nature and nurture and about children's active participation in their own development, discuss the meaning of the statement: "Children grow up in spite of their parents." Do you agree or disagree with the statement? Why?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Using information about the interaction between nature...

Question 5

Imagine that a researcher is interested in the extent to which parents help children when children are faced with a difficult task. Which data collection context would the researcher choose, and why? Be sure to explain why the other contexts would not be appropriate.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Imagine that a researcher is interested in...

Question 6

The managers at a charitable organization are trying to decide how to spend money in order to have the largest impact on the future mental health of children in poverty. They know that children who spend time in poverty are more likely than other children to develop mental health problems in adolescence. Since the organization's funds are limited, they can assist only a small group of families to escape poverty. Therefore, they would like to know whether the age that the child is in poverty or the length of time the child is in poverty more heavily impacts the likelihood of developing mental health problems in adolescence. Design a study to examine this issue. What evidence would be needed to advise the managers at this charity that they should help younger children rather than older children? To advise them to help children who have been in poverty a long time rather than children who have been poor a shorter time?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The managers at a charitable organization are...

Question 7

Describe in detail four differences between the sociocultural context of a child growing up in rural Manitoba on a family farm and the sociocultural context of a child growing up in urban Toronto in a high-rise apartment. How might these differences affect the development of these children?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe in detail four differences between the...

Question 8

What do developmental psychologists mean when they say that children play an active role in their own development? Provide a detailed example of this concept.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What do developmental psychologists mean when they...

Question 9

Suppose a journal article indicated that there is a strong positive correlation between the number of friends a child has and a child's level of school satisfaction (i.e., how much a child likes school). Would that association be correlation or causation? Make an argument that the association is a causal one, being sure to explain the direction of causation. Then make an argument that the association is merely correlational, being sure to explain other potential sources of the association.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Suppose a journal article indicated that there...

Question 10

Choose three of the following philosophers: Aristotle, Locke, Plato, and Rousseau. For the philosophers in each pair (with three philosophers, you'll be able to create three pairs: A with B, B with C, and A with
C), describe one similarity and one difference between the two philosophers.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Choose three of the following philosophers: Aristotle,...

Question 11

Describe one advantage and one disadvantage of each of these designs: (a) cross-sectional, (b) longitudinal, and (c) microgenetic.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe one advantage and one disadvantage of...

Question 12

A group of researchers is interested in children's reactions when they are faced with difficult tasks. Describe at least one advantage and one disadvantage of each of these contexts for gathering data: interview, naturalistic observation, structured observation.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A group of researchers is interested in...

Question 13

Describe the biological and environmental factors that are likely to be involved in the development of intelligence. In the discussion, be sure to consider these questions: Are there any biological factors that are unaffected by environment (that is, that exert their influence regardless of the environment)? Are there any environmental factors that are unaffected by biology (that is, that exert their influence regardless of biology)? In contrast, are there biological factors that can exert influence only in particular environments? Are there environmental factors that can exert influence only when particular biological characteristics are present?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the biological and environmental factors that...

Question 14

Imagine that a researcher is interested in differences between boys' and girls' television-viewing habits. State a hypothesis that the researcher might test, and describe the method the researcher would use. Then answer these questions: (1) Why would that particular method be suited to the hypothesis? (2) What issues would the researcher need to consider in terms of reliability and validity?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Imagine that a researcher is interested in...

Question 15

Define random assignment and provide an example of a study that would use random assignment. Why is random assignment considered to play a crucial role in an experimenter's ability to demonstrate cause and effect?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Define random assignment and provide an example...

Question 16

Explain what effortful attention is and describe its components. Explain how the experience of being in school may be different for a child with poor effortful attention than for a child with strong effortful attention.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain what effortful attention is and describe...

Question 17

Think about the different beliefs about intelligence that individuals can hold. Imagine that a teacher were asked by the school principal to try to help children whose beliefs about intelligence were interfering with their school achievement. How would the teacher decide which children to select for the intervention, what would her intervention be, and what effect would she hope that her intervention would have?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Think about the different beliefs about intelligence...

Question 18

Considering the research on child testimony discussed in the text, what instructions should be given to an interviewer who is preparing to interview a young child to ensure the most accurate testimony possible? Make sure the instructions are sufficiently detailed.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Considering the research on child testimony discussed...

Question 19

A researcher is interested in the impact of a new morality education program on children's aggression. To test the effectiveness of the program, the researcher chooses a group of elementary school children who have had problems with aggression. Each week for 6 months, the participating children spend an hour with a school psychologist who teaches them the morality program. At the beginning and at the end of the 6 months, their classroom teachers rate each child's level of aggression. The researcher determines that the training program has been effective, as there has been a decrease in aggression following the program. Describe three potential sources of invalidity.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A researcher is interested in the impact...

Question 20

Choose a developmental progression (e.g., learning to do puzzles, beginning to talk, going from crawling to walking) that may appear at first glance to be discontinuous. Describe in what ways the progression is continuous and in what ways it is discontinuous. From what perspective would it look continuous, and from what perspective would it appear discontinuous?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Choose a developmental progression (e.g., learning to...

Exam 1: Section 1: An Introduction to Child Development