1 / 33

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 1: Introduction. Dr. M. Davis-Brantley. Life Span. Scientific Study of Human Development Seeks to understand how and why people (all kinds of people) change, and how they do not change, from conception until death Keep in mind Study of Development should be approached as a science

ward
Download Presentation

Chapter 1: Introduction

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Chapter 1: Introduction Dr. M. Davis-Brantley

  2. Life Span • Scientific Study of Human Development • Seeks to understand how and why people (all kinds of people) change, and how they do not change, from conception until death • Keep in mind • Study of Development should be approached as a science • Involves all types of people and observes generalities and specifics • Focus is on all the changes of life from conception to death

  3. Life-Span Perspective • The view of human development that takes into account all phases of life, not simply in terms of childhood and adulthood • This perspective takes into account every moment of life from conception to death

  4. Life-Span Perspective This perspective emphasizes 5 distinct characteristics for examining life • Multidirectional • Multicontextual • Multicultural • Multidisciplinary • Plasticity

  5. Life is Multidirectional • Change occurs in every direction • Predictable growth and unexpected transformations are all part of the human experience evident at every age and every step of development • Development is a result of Dynamic Systems • Dynamic refers to the continual change within each person and each social group • Systems refers to the systematic connection of each change to other developments in every individual and every society

  6. Life is Multidirectional • Ex: Physical Growth

  7. Life is Multidirectional • All change is a part of a dynamic system • The Butterfly Effect • Idea that a small action or event may set off a series of changes that culminate in a major event • I.E., Can the breeze created by the flap of a butterfly’s wings result in trigger a hurricane 100’s of miles away

  8. Life is Multicontextual • Life is not restricted and occurs in many contexts such as historical conditions, economic constraints, and cultural conditions

  9. Life is Multicontextual: Historical Context • Cohort is a group of people who are born within years of one another and travel through life experiencing the same major historical changes and events • These individuals are subject to the same important public events, technologies, and popular trends • Social Construction exists in that an idea is built more on shared perceptions of social order than on objective reality • Ex: Role of Computers • Older cohort: Computers are complicated, filled with trouble (social isolation, pornography, etc…) • Middle cohort: Powerful tools to be mastered • Youngest cohort: Computers are necessary appliances, no more remarkable than toothbrushes

  10. Life is Multicontextual: Socioeconomic Context • Focus is on a person’s SES (Socioeconomic Status) • SES is often used with or called “social class” (Wrong!) • SES is not solely determined by annual income; however, also education, income, neighborhood, and occupation • Ex: $12,000 earnings for an illiterate dishwasher with a family vs. postdoctoral student • Money is not enough. Consider the associated advantages/disadvantages, opportunities/limitations, and past history/future prospects

  11. Life is Multicontextual: Socioeconomic Context • Neighborhood as an indicator of poverty • Low-income neighborhoods can be an indication of poverty, abuse, sickness, drug addiction • Low-income neighborhoods can also be an indication of just lower-income • Usually determined by the upkeep of the area (I.e.; keeping trash out of the streets, not storing cars, keeping up home repairs, watching to keep) • This often occurs as a result of collective efficacy • Religious institutions often enhance collective efficacy

  12. Life is Multicontextual: Cultural Context • Culture—the specific manifestations of a social group’s design for living, developed over the years to provide a social structure for the group members’ life together • A social group can consist of: citizens of a nation, members of an ethnic group, residents within a region of a nation, etc… • Culture can include values, technologies, customs, clothes, dwellings, cuisine, and patterns of behavior

  13. Life is Multicontextual: Cultural Context • Culture is dynamic and effects decisions that we make from what is culturally acceptable socially to what we decided to eat for breakfast • Ex: Who sleeps with whom? • Asian or African cultures: Males sleep in one bedroom and females sleep in another or everyone sleeps in the same room • Westerners: Believe in ritualized isolation of children during the night, the institution of “bedtime”, and the protection of the privacy of the “sacred couple”

  14. Life is Multicultural • Development occurs within cultures and there are many cultures-not just internationally, but within each nation • Ex: Rich providers & Good homemakers • How standard is our culture in terms of marriage? • Study of Japan, U.S., and Sweden • Higher income reduced marriage prospects for women in Japan • Higher income slightly increased marriage prospects for women in the U.S. • Higher income significantly increased prospects for women in Sweden

  15. Life is Multicultural • Ethnic Group is a collection of people who share certain attributes, typically including ancestral heritage, national origin, religion, customs, and language • Heritage refers to customs and traditions passed down to the present members • National origin means country of birth or ancestors country of birth • Individuals can be multiethnic • Term coined African American, Cuban American, Jamaican Brazilian • Why might it be unwise to completely assimilate or abandon your own culture?

  16. Life is Multicultural • Race is a social construction by which biological traits (such as hair, skin color, facial features, and body type) are used to differentiate people whose ancestors came from various regions of the world • Keep in Mind: There are no clear-cut racial groups • Differences among people supposedly of the same race are greater than differences among people of different races

  17. Life is Multidisciplinary • Development can be examined in the light of many academic or disciplinary fields • These disciplines contribute data and insight to the science of development • These disciplines include, but are not limited to: • Psychology, Biology, Sociology, Education, Neuroscience, Economics, Religion, Anthropology, History, Medicine, Genetics, etc…

  18. Life is Multidisciplinary • Ex: Venus & Serena Williams • Biologist Perspective—Physical strength • Sociologist Perspective—Family drive and choice • Psychologist Perspective?

  19. Plasticity • A characteristic of development that indicates individuals change throughout their life span, including their personalities, bodies, and minds • Human beings use genes, families, cultures, and experiences to mold and shape their lives

  20. Person within the context • Five characteristics help us to keep in mind that no one is average and each person is guided in divergent directions by many other influences • Each person has unique genes and experiences which may defy the expectations scientists place on development

  21. Developmental Study as Science The Scientific Method

  22. The Scientific Method • Scientists ask questions and seek to understand life and answer questions • The Scientific Method • An approach to the systematic pursuit of knowledge that, when applied to the study of development involves Five basic steps

  23. The Scientific Method • Formulate the research question • Pose a question • Develop a Hypothesis • Reformulate the question as a hypothesis which is a specific question that can be tested • Test the Hypothesis • Design and conduct a research project • Draw Conclusions • Use the evidence to support or refute the hypothesis • Make findings available • Possibly for replication

  24. Research Methods • Scientific Observation • A method of testing hypotheses by unobtrusively watching and recording participants’ behavior • Natural Observation occurs in a naturalistic setting such as work, home, store, etc.. • Observation which occurs in a lab where scientists may sit behind a one-way mirror • Limitation: Does not indicate what causes the behavior or the why of the behavior • Ex: One child cheats on a test, another doesn’t=Why?

  25. Research Methods • Correlation vs. Causation • Scientists attempt to understand a relationship between two variables • Correlation Coefficient is a number indicating the degree of relationship between 2 variables expressed in terms of the likelihood that one variable will or will not occur when the other variable does or does not • Positive Correlation is a relationship between variables in which one variable increases as the other also increases • Ex: IQ scores and grades • Negative Correlation is a relationship between two variables in which one variable increases as the other decreases • Ex: Stress and Immune Function • Expressed in figures –1.00 to +1.00 • Ex: Churches and Liquor Stores

  26. Research Methods • Experiment • A research method in which the researcher tries to determine the cause and effect relationship between 2 variables by manipulating one variable (IV) and then observing and recording the resulting changes in the other variable • Independent Variable • The variable that is introduced or changed to see what effect it has on the dependent variable • Dependent Variable • The variable that may change as a result of the introduction of or changes made in the independent variable • Ex: Breakfast (IV) improves achievement (DV)

  27. Research Methods • How we justify this causal relationship? • Experimental Group is composed of the participants of an experiment are given a particular treatment • Comparison Group (Control Group) is composed of the participants who are not given special treatment but who are similar to the experimental group in other relevant ways

  28. Research Methods • Survey—research method in which information is collected from a large number of people by personal interview, written questionnaire, etc… • This method is quick and direct means of obtaining information • Limitations: Surveys are subject to bias • Ex: Type of person that participates in this kind of experiment is different from those who do not

  29. Research Methods • Case Study is the intensive examination of one particular individual (case) • Ex: Genie, Victor • Often called the bedrock of psychological research in that they provide a wealth of detail and information which makes them rich in possible insights • Two most important uses: • To understand an individual very well • To provide a provocative starting point for other research

  30. Research Over Time • Cross-sectional Research is a method in which groups of people who differ in age but share other important characteristics are compared • Ex: Educational Level, SES, or ethnic/cultural background • Ex: of Cross-sectional research=how much weight does a 6 year old gain over 4 years • Limitation: Cohort Differences

  31. Research over time • Longitudinal Research is a method in which the same individuals are studied over a long period of time • Helps scientists to identify if the reason for an apparent developmental change • This eliminates the effects of background variables • Ex: Adjustment to divorce, Role of fathers in child development, Prevention of teen delinquency (parenting)

  32. Research over time • Cross-sequential Research is a hybrid research method in which researchers first study several groups of people of different ages (cross-sectional approach) and then follow those groups over the years (longitudinal approach)

  33. Research over time • Ecological-systems approach is research that takes into consideration the relationship between the individual and the environment • Among the environmental influences include: • Microsystems-elements of the person’s immediate surroundings (family/friends) • Exosystems-local institutions such as school and church • Macrosystems-the larger social setting, including cultural values, economic policies, and political processes • Chronosystems-historical influences • Mesosystem-involves the connection between microsystems

More Related