1. CHAPTER ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS
“It is the growth of consciousness which we must thank for the existence of problems; they are the dubious gift of civilization”
- C.G. Jung
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2. Developmental Stages & Domains
INFANCY: (Birth to age 2) Task is to develop a sense of trust in self, others, and the environment
EARLY CHILDHOOD: (Ages 2 to 6) Task is to begin the journey toward autonomy
MIDDLE CHILDHOOD: (Ages 6 to 12) Task is to achieve a sense of industry
ADOLESCENCE: (Ages 12 to 19) Task is to search for an identify and find one’s voice
Physical
Cognitive
Social
Personality
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3. Developmental Stages & Domains
EARLY ADULTHOOD: (Ages 20 to 40) Task is to form intimate relationship
MIDDLE ADULTHOOD: (Ages 40 to 60) Task is to learn how to live creatively with ourselves and others
LATE ADULTHOOD: (Age 60+) Task is to decide what we want to do with the rest of our lives , to complete a life review and put life into perspective
Physical
Cognitive
Social
Personality
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4. I. THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS
I. THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Developmental psychology is the scientific study of age-related changes in behaviour, thinking, emotion, and personality
Many Western beliefs about human development are based on philosophers' explanations for differences they observed in individuals of different ages
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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada

5. CHAPTER ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS
A. Philosophical Roots
Fill in the following (p.3):
Philosophy
Original Sin
Christian notion of fallen, selfish state
Explanation
Innate Goodness
Jean-Jacques Rousseau Born complete, whole-good, environmental
factors corrupt
John Locke proposed that the mind of a child is a blank slate
Blank Slate
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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada

6. B. The Study of Human Development Becomes a Science
CHAPTER ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS
B. The Study of Human Development Becomes a Science
Charles Darwin understood the development of the human species by studying child development
G. Stanley Hall identified norms, the average ages at which milestones happen
Freud proposed stages of personality development that focussed on sexual feelings and behaviour in childhood
(continued)
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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada

7. The Study of Human Development Becomes a Science (continued)
CHAPTER ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS
The Study of Human Development Becomes a Science (continued)
John Watson coined the term ‘behaviourism’ which defines development in terms of behaviour changes caused by environmental influences
Arnold Gesell suggested the existence of a genetically programmed sequential pattern of change
Jean Piaget described 4 stages in the development of logical thinking between birth and adolescence
Piaget’s theories became the foundation of modern cognitive-developmental psychology
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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada

8. Milestones in the History of Modern Developmental Psychology
CHAPTER ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS
Milestones in the History of Modern Developmental Psychology
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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada

9. C. A Brief History of the Roots of Psychology in Canada
CHAPTER ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS
C. A Brief History of the Roots of Psychology in Canada
The first psychology courses (moral philosophy) in Canada were taught at Dalhousie University in 1838
In 1925 William Blatz opened the St. George’s School for Child Study in Toronto which is now a part of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE)
The Canadian Psychological Association was founded in 1939
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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada

10. Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada
Class Survey
Where would you go for advise on raising children?
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11. Development in the Information Age: Child-Rearing Experts
CHAPTER ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS
Development in the Information Age: Child-Rearing Experts
Generations of Canadians relied on government publications-Canadian Mother’s Book and The Canadian Mother and Child, for child-rearing guidance
Dr. Benjamin Spock, predominant in the 1950s, urged parents to openly display affection towards their children, and to avoid too much conflict about achieving milestones such as toilet training
The latest trend is to use the internet as a source of expert advice
The internet can also be used to build social networks via such real-time communication methods as chat rooms and blogs
The notion of “who is an expert” seems to have come full circle. Prior the information age, grandparents and other relatives were considered the experts on child rearing. Currently, use of the internet seems to be returning us to the idea that real-life experience is the best way to become a child-rearing expert.
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada

12. II. CONTEMPORARY DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
CHAPTER ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS
II. CONTEMPORARY DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
Developmental psychology has changed in the following three ways since the early days:
Developmentalists have come to understand that inborn characteristics interact with environmental factors in complex ways
The pioneers thought of change almost exclusively in terms of norms, while today’s developmentalists view norms as representing only one kind of change
The term development now encompasses the entire human lifespan
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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada

13. A. The Lifespan Perspective
CHAPTER ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS
A. The Lifespan Perspective
Psychologists’ views of adulthood have changed for the following reasons:
Adults more commonly go through major life changes, like divorce and career shifts, resulting in stage models of development that include adult phases
Stage models view development as comprising periods of stability punctuated by periods of transition throughout the lifespan
Significant increases in life expectancy have occurred in the industrialized world
Developmental psychology has become more interdisciplinary, incorporating research in other sciences such as anthropology, sociology, and biology
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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada

14. C. Nature and Nurture Interact in Development
CHAPTER ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS
C. Nature and Nurture Interact in Development
Early developmentalists thought of change as resulting from inside the person (nature) or outside the person (nurture)
This view of internal verses external influences on development was termed nature vs. nurture
Today an interactionist model, respecting the complex interactions of nature and nurture, is more common
(continued)
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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada

15. Nature and Nurture Interact in Development (continued)
CHAPTER ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS
Nature and Nurture Interact in Development (continued)
Vulnerability versus Resilience
Vulnerabilities and protective factors interact with the child’s environment
The same environment can have quite different effects
The effect depends on the qualities the child brings to the interaction
Combining a highly vulnerable child and a poor environment produces the most negative outcome
Either condition alone – a vulnerable child or a poor environment – can be overcome
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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada

16. D. Continuity and Discontinuity in Development
CHAPTER ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS
D. Continuity and Discontinuity in Development
Continuity
Age-related change (development) is quantitative (a change in amount or degree)
Discontinuity
Age-related change (development) is qualitative (changes in type or kind)
Development involves reorganization
Emergence of wholly new strategies, qualities, or skills
Stage theories
(continued)
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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada

17. Continuity and Discontinuity in Development (continued)
CHAPTER ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS
Continuity and Discontinuity in Development (continued)
Universal changes are common to every individual in a species and are linked to specific ages.
Social clock is a set of age norms
Ageism can lead to prejudicial behaviour directed toward older adults
Note: Canadian Oxford dictionary defines ageism as “prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of age” so students may find this term used elsewhere to describe discrimination against ANY age.
(continued)
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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada

18. Continuity and Discontinuity in Development (continued)
Group-specific changes are shared by all individuals in a particular group growing up together
Cohort describes groups of individuals born within some fairly narrow band of years who share the same historical experiences at the same times in their lives
(continued)
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19. Continuity and Discontinuity in Development (continued)
CHAPTER ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS
Continuity and Discontinuity in Development (continued)
Individual Changes result from unique, unshared events
Critical period: there may be specific periods in development when an organism is especially sensitive to the presence (or absence) of some particular kind of experience
Sensitive period: a span of months or years during which a child may be particularly influenced by the presence (or absence) of some particular kind of experience
Atypical development - deviation from a typical, or “normal,” developmental pathway in a direction that is harmful to an individual
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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada

20. A. Relating Goals to Methods
CHAPTER ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS
A. Relating Goals to Methods
Developmental psychology uses the scientific method to achieve the following four goals to study human development from conception to death:
To describe development is simply to state what happens.
To explain development involves telling why a particular event occurs.
To predict development, researchers test hypotheses.
To influence development is to modify the behaviour in some way.
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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada

21. B. Studying Age-Related Changes
CHAPTER ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS
B. Studying Age-Related Changes
In cross-sectional designs, groups of subjects are selected at each of a series of ages.
Longitudinal designs follow the same individual over a period of time.
A sequential design begins with at least two age groups. Investigators then test each group over a number of years with two types of comparisons:
age-group comparisons
comparisons of each group to itself at an earlier testing point
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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada

22. C. Identifying Relationships between Variables
CHAPTER ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS
C. Identifying Relationships between Variables
Variables are characteristics that vary from person to person such as physical size, intelligence, and personality. When two or more variables vary together, we say there is a relationship between them
Case studies are in-depth examinations of single individuals
When psychologists use the naturalistic observation method, they observe people in their normal environments
(continued)
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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada

23. Identifying Relationships between Variables (continued)
CHAPTER ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS
Identifying Relationships between Variables (continued)
Correlations
A correlation is a number ranging from to that describes the strength of a relationship between two variables
A correlation of zero indicates that there is no relationship between those variables
A positive correlation means that high scores on one variable are usually accompanied by high scores on the other. The closer a positive correlation is to +1.00, the stronger the relationship between the variables
Positive
Stress Illness
(continued)
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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada

24. Identifying Relationships between Variables (continued)
CHAPTER ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS
Identifying Relationships between Variables (continued)
Correlations (continued)
Two variables that move in opposite directions result in a negative correlation, and the nearer the correlation is to -1.00, the more strongly the two are connected
Correlations have a major limitation:
they do not tell us about causal relationships. In order to identify causes, we have to carry out experiments
Negative
Cigarettes Life
Expectancy
(continued)
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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada

25. Scatter Plots of Three Correlations
CHAPTER ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS
Scatter Plots of Three Correlations
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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada

26. Identifying Relationships between Variables (continued)
CHAPTER ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS
Identifying Relationships between Variables (continued)
Experiments
An experiment is a study that tests a causal hypothesis—something causes something to happen
subjects are assigned randomly to participate in one of several groups
Reliability- the ability of a test to yield nearly the same results.
Validity- the ability of a test to measure what it is intended to measure.
(continued)
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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada

27. Identifying Relationships between Variables (continued)
CHAPTER ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS
Identifying Relationships between Variables (continued)
Experiments (continued)
Subjects in the experimental group receive the treatment the researcher thinks will produce a particular effect, while those in the control group receive either no treatment or a neutral treatment
The introduced element in the experiment is called the independent variable (treatment) and the behaviour on which the independent variable is expected to show its effect is called a dependent variable (problem or condition).
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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada

28. D. Cross-Cultural Research
CHAPTER ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS
D. Cross-Cultural Research
Studies comparing cultures or contexts
An ethnography is a detailed description of a single culture or context based on extensive observation
Compare two or more cultures (or subcultures) directly by testing children or adults in each of several cultures with the same or comparable measures.
Cross-cultural research is important to developmental psychology for the following two reasons:
It identifies universal changes
It identifies specific variables that explain cultural differences
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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada

29. CHAPTER ONE: BASIC CONCEPTS AND METHODS
E. Research Ethics
Guidelines researchers follow to protect the rights of animals and humans who participate in studies. Some common guidelines include:
Protection from harm
Informed consent
Confidentiality
Knowledge of results
Deception, if used, must be explained fully
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education Canada