1. Scientific Research
Hypothesis: prediction drawn directly from a theory
Research methods: activities of participants
Research designs: overall plans for research studies

2. Research Methods Used with Infants
Infants can be notoriously hard to study!
Don’t talk
States change
Get side-tracked with latest developmental achievements
Experimental Methods
Experimental and control group
Random assignment
Independent/Dependent variables (IV/DV)

3. Research Methods Used with Infants
Paradigms: paired preference (record looking time to each side) based on Habituation/recovery
Response-contingent procedure (do a behavior; get a response)
Physiological recordings
  Observational Methods: study natural variation in behavior
Laboratory Observation (usually structured setting)
Home Observation (done with typical setting)

4. Research Methods Used with Infants
Qualitative Methods (researcher is participant observer)
Verbal narratives (baby biographers): observe/record behavior
Additional techniques
Maternal/Paternal report
Day care teacher report
Examiner global ratings (eg: how sociable was infant?)

5. Systematic Observation
Naturalistic Observation
In the “field” or natural environment where behavior happens
Structured Observations
Laboratory situation set up to evoke behavior of interest
All participants have equal chance to display behavior

6. Interviews Clinical Interview Structured Interview
Flexible, conversational style
Probes for participant’s point of view
Accurate?
Structured Interview
Each participant is asked same questions in the same way.
May use questionnaires, get answers from groups
Not as in-depth

7. Case Study
Brings together wide range of information, including interviews, observations, test scores
Best used to study unique types
May be subjective
© Ami Beyer | Dreamstime.com

8. Correlational Design
Researchers gather information and make no effort to alter their experiences.
Correlation does NOT mean causation

9. Correlation Coefficients
The magnitude of the number indicates the strength of the relationship.
The sign of the number (+ or –) indicates the direction of the relationship.
Figure 1.6

10. Correlation Coefficients
Magnitude
Size of the number between 0 and 1
Closer to 1 (positive or negative) is a stronger relationship
Direction
Indicated by + or – sign
Positive (+) means as one variable increases, so does the other.
Negative (–) means as one variable increases, the other decreases.

11. Independent and Dependent Variables
Experimenter changes or manipulates
Expected to cause changes in another variable
Dependent
Experimenter measures but does not manipulate
Expected to be influenced by the independent variable

12. Can Musical Experience Enhance Intelligence?
“Mozart effect”
Must be long-lasting and participatory to provide lasting gains
Figure 1.9

13. Laboratory Experiment Using Independent and Dependent Variables
4-5 yos
Witness 2 adults arguing then tested for distress midway thru a 3rd argument
Figure 1.7

14. Modified Experiments Field Experiments Natural Experiments
Use rare opportunities for random assignment in natural settings
Natural Experiments
Compare differences in treatment that already exist
Groups chosen to match characteristics as much as possible

15. Designs for Studying Development
Longitudinal
Same participants studied repeatedly at different ages
Cross-sectional
Participants of differing ages all studied at the same time
Sequential
Several similar cross-sectional or longitudinal studies are conducted at varying times.
Microgenetic
Participants are presented with a novel task, and their mastery is followed over a series of sessions.

16. Sequential Designs
Figure 1.8

17. Children’s Research Rights
Protection from harm
Informed consent/assent
Privacy
Knowledge of results
Beneficial treatments
Photodisc Education 2 Royalty Free