Developmental Research Methods
Vocabulary:
Clinical Interview: A method of data collection, flexible and has follow up questions, give participants opportunities to share their thoughts. Feels very natural for participants, direction can change while it is happening. It can however be inaccurate, as participants can intentionally lie or inaccurately recall information that they are sharing. Responses are also hard to compare between participants (due to multidirectionality)
Structured Interview: A method of data collection, identical questions are asked to each participant, sometimes has limited answers (bubbled). Responses are able to be easily compared, though there can be inaccuracies if people lie or inaccurately recall information. There is also a lack of depth, as follow up questions aren’t permitted
Naturalistic Observation: A method of data collection, very common in developmental research. Happens in the natural environment in which a behavior is under gone, the researchers move to the location. Better shows natural, everyday behavior (to prevent observation biases). Lacks control, as the environment cannot be altered
Observer bias: Describes how people who are observing something are more likely to perceive data as belonging to their hypothesis, can be eliminated by blind observers
Blind observer: Someone who observes behavior without knowing the hypothesis, reduces observer bias
Structured Observation: A method of data collection, very common in developmental research. Takes place in a lab setting, allows for specific settings where certain behaviors are common (helping, conflict, etc.), all participants get equal treatment and there are less confounding variables. The lab setting can lead to atypical behavior unfortunately, and there can still be observer bias if not done blindly
Observer influence: Describes how when people know they are being observed they will act differently, reduced by blind experiments
Neurobiological measures: A method of data collection that focuses on brain activity and records it
Electroencephalogram (EEG): Measures electrical activity on the scalp (produced by the brain), can be short (ERP) or long periods of time, safe and appropriate for all age groups. Better for neurodiverse children that things like fMRIs
Event-related potentials (ERP): Examine brain activity over short periods of time with EEGs
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI): Produces 3D images of the brain, appropriate for all ages except young infacts and neurodiverse, though the subject cannot be moving. Detects changes in blood flow and oxygen (due to neural activity), usually performed as a task is being completed
Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS): Used almost exclusively for infants, measures blood flow and oxygen, set up similar to an EEG, emits light into the head that is received by nodes, differences are recorded, only really surface level, not movement sensitive
Case study: A method of data collection, follow one or a couple individuals very closely, personalized. They involve interviews, observations, test scores, and sometimes neurobiological testing. Done in unique situations (rare disorders/situations). Gives a complete picture of functioning for an individual. Used to make predictions about future cases and to get information about rare cases. Also used in scenarios where large scale investigation isn’t feasible, like long term in depth learning
Correlational design: Examines strength of relation between variables, ranges from -1 to 1 with a correlational value, cannot determine cause and effect
Experimental design: Tests cause and effect, manipulates an independent variable to see its effects on a dependent variable, holds many controls constant to prevent confounds
Matching: Used to eliminate a confound, records all participants in a value, may take the top two and split them into separate groups
Natural experiments (quasi-experiments): Looks at differences already present in the population, making it not possible or unethical to put people into groups (for example growing up in a city v rural area, malnutrition in childhood v nonmalnutrition). Has lack of control within already present group, difficult to approach. Still aims to claim cause and effect
Longitudinal study: One group of participants is followed over a long period of time. Gives ideas about patterns, allows individual differences to be seen. Unfortunately has biases sampling (who can sign up for long term studies), selective attrition, practice effects, and cohort effects
Selective attrition: In longitudinal studies, certain people are more likely to drop out of the study, and impact the data that is collected
Practice effects: When a participant is given the same task repeatedly, they will likely get better because of practice rather than external differences
Cohort effects: A group that is being studied has a unique factor that makes it different from the general population (studying drug use in high schools, but the group studied recently had a school shooting)
Biased sampling: When certain people are required to be recruited for a study, certain kinds of people may be more likely to participate. Can be reduced by lowering requirements. Has led to most developmental research to be from the middle/upper class
Cross-sectional study: Participants of different ages are studied at the same time, uses different groups of people (unlike longitudinal). This is more efficient, eliminates selective attrition and practice effects. Does not have individual data, cannot examine unique trends. Subject to cohort effects
Sequential study: Like a combination of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, different groups of participants are all studied as they age (multiple longitudinal studies, many age groups followed). Reveals cohort effects (when each group is a certain age, is there any unique data), efficient at tracking age-related changes. Has same disadvantages as sequential and longitudinal studies, though these are easily identified early on
Microgenetic study: The same participants are studied repeatedly over short periods of time as a task is mastered, studies how change occurs. Involves an intense study of moment by moment behaviors, though it can be hard to determine how long must be dedicated to data collection (learning to walk, 2 weeks v 2 months), strong impact of practice effects (coming into a lab to observe learning to walk might make them learn faster than they would if they weren’t dedicating lab time every week)
Research rights: Kids are protected from risk of harm, there is informed consent, data is kept private, results are shared
Learning about developmental research helps us evaluate information we hear about research methods and better understand studies done. It also helps build bridges across different kinds of research, applying aspects of other kinds of psychology to new ages
Children are sensitive to change, making them more susceptible to harm from research. This leads to research rights, with protection from risk of harm, informed consent (from parents, children don’t understand though if they throw a fit they can be excluded), privacy from data sharing, and knowledge of results (presented in a way that is easily understood) and all other normal research procedures. Exceptions exist to informed consent when there is naturalistic observation and no identifiable data (public park, school setting without intervention and teacher consent).