1. Developmental Psychology
Logo Green is R=8 G=138 B= Blue is R= 0 G=110 B=184
Border Grey is R=74 G=69 B=64
Essential Task: Detail how psychologists study development including longitudinal studies, cross-sectional studies, and autobiographical studies.

2. We are here Developmental Psych Social Adulthood Types of Studies
Adolescence
Adulthood
Prenatal
Development
Aging
Developmental
Psych
Cognitive
Development
Moral
Development
Piaget’s
Stages
Vygotsky’s
Theory
Kohlberg
Gilligan
Social
Development
Erikson
Gender
Parenting
Styles

3. Developmental Psychology is Study of humans from womb to tomb.
Mental and Moral
Physical – Pre and Post Natal
Social

4. Questions of Development
Issue
Details
Nature/Nurture
How do genetic inheritance (our nature) and experience (the nurture we receive) influence our behavior?
Stability/Change
Do our early personality traits persist through life, or do we become different persons as we age.
Continuity/Stages
Is developmental a gradual, continuous process or a sequence of separate stages?

5. Continuity vs. Stages
Continuity
Stages

6. How Do We Study Development
Cross Sectional Study
Longitudinal Study
Biographical Study

7. Cross-Sectional Study
Study people of different ages at the same point in time
Advantages
Inexpensive
Can be completed quickly
Low attrition
Disadvantages
Different age groups are not necessarily much alike
Differences may be due to cohort differences rather than age

8. Longitudinal Study Study the same group of people over time Advantages
Detailed information about subjects
Developmental changes can be studied in detail
Eliminates cohort differences
Disadvantages
Expensive and time consuming
Potential for high attrition
Differences over time may be due to assessment tools and not age

10. Biographical or Retrospective Study
Participant’s past is reconstructed through interviews and other research about their life.
Advantages
Great detail about life of individual
In-depth study of one person
Disadvantages
Recall of individual may not be accurate
Can be expensive and time consuming