Life Span Psychology Unit 1

Eriksons Psychosocial Theory

Social interactions and common social challenges

How others care for us and teach us

Psychosocial Crises

Each period of life has a unique challenge or crisis that the person who reaches it must face.

Learning/Behavioral Theory

Environments rewards and punishes

Everyone naturally seeks rewards and avoids punishment

Social Learning Theory

Observation, modeling, and imitating others

We learn what to think feel, and do, by watching others

Reciprocal Determinism

Interplay between our personality and the way we interpret events and how they influence us

Bandura’s Bobo doll study

The impact of violence on young children via. media.

Cognitive Theory

Focuses on how our mental processes or cognitions change over time.

Mental processes, live language and problem solving.

How we think shapes how we understand ourselves and the world

Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory

Provides a framework for understanding and studying the many influences on human development.

Correlation coefficient

Reveals how strong the relationship is. (+1.0 to -1.0)

Third Variable

Is a variable that is not part of the research hypothesis but produces the observed correlation between them.

Correlation vs Causation

Correlation does not demonstrate causation

Correlational Research

Research designed to discover relationships among variables and allow the prediction of future events from present knowledge

Hypotheses

Specific statements about the relationship between variables

Independent Varible

In an experiment is the causing variable that is created or manipulated by the experimenter

Dependent Variable

A measured variable that is expected to be influenced by the experimental manipulation

Experimental Group

Receives the treatment under investigation

Control group

Does not receive treatment and the experimenter is studying as a comparison.

Design Control For Extraneous Variables

Variables that are not part of the experiment that could inadvertently affect either the experiment or control group

Limitations of experimental research

Often conducted in a laboratory rather than everyday life. Ethics in experiments

Cross-sectional research

Compares samples that represent a cross section of the population who vary in age

Multiple age groups measured 1 time

Cohort effects concerns

Different people born in different times have different experiences

Longitudinal Research

One group measured repeatedly overtime.

Most accurate data on impact of aging, expensive

Sequential Research Strengths and Limitations

Multiple groups of different ages, and measured multiple times