chapter 2: research in child development
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Chapter 2: Research in Child Development
Module 2.1 Doing Child-Development Research
Module 2.2 Child-Development Research and Family Policy
Children and Their Development, 3/e by Robert Kail
2.1 Doing Child-Development Research
Measurement in Child-Development Research
General Designs for Research
Designs for Studying Development
Ethical Responsibilities
Communicating Research Results
2.1 Measurement in Child-Development Research
• Systematic Observation: naturalistic observation and structured observation
• Sampling behavior with tasks • Self reports include questionnaires and
interviews• Measures should be both valid and reliable• Samples of children who participate in
research should be representative of the population of interest
2.1 General Designs for Research
• Correlational studies look at relations as they exist in the real world
• These real-world relations are expressed as a correlation coefficient, r, that ranges from -1 to 1
• Experiments involve manipulating key factors that an investigator thinks are important
• The manipulated factor is the independent variable; the behavior measured is the dependent variable
• In field experiments, the researcher manipulates independent variables in a natural setting
2.1 Designs for Studying Development
• Longitudinal study: the same individuals are tested repeatedly
• Microgenetic study: children are tested repeatedly over a span of days or weeks
• Cross-sectional study: children of different ages are tested
• Longitudinal-sequential studies are hybrids of longitudinal and cross-sectional studies
2.1 Ethical Responsibilities
• Minimize risks to research participants• Describe the research to potential participants• Avoid deceiving the participants• Keep results anonymous or confidential
2.1 Communicating Research Results
• Research results are reported in scientific journals
• Results of individual studies will be reported in the Focus on Research features
• Converging evidence from many studies is necessary
2.2 Child-Development Research and Family Policy
Why Link Research to Policy?
Ways to Influence Family Policy
An Emphasis on Policy Implications Improves Research
2.2 Why Link Research to Policy?
• Results of child-development research can improve children’s lives
• Research can help changing families decide what is best for their children
• Research can help children who face hurdles to healthy development
2.2 Ways to Influence Family Policy
• Build understanding of children’s development • Be advocates for children• Evaluate policies and programs• Develop a model program
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