Human Dev

• Sequential research


  Studying multiple groups of individuals of different ages over an extended period of time
• Normative social clock influences

  • Going to college after high school
  • Getting married in your mid-twenties
  • Having children in your early thirties
• Sociocultural theory


  Emphasizes the role of social and cultural factors in human development
• Non-normative environmental influences


  • Natural disaster
• Behavioral theory


  Emphasizes the role of environmental factors in shaping behavior
• Longitudinal research


  Studying a single group of individuals over an extended period of time
• Normative age-graded influences


  • Puberty during adolescence
• Psychodynamic theory


  Emphasizes the role of unconscious processes in human development
• Surveys


  Involves asking individuals to report their own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
• Purpose of evaluating research methods

  • To determine the validity and reliability of the research findings
• Cross-sectional design


  Involves measuring variables at a single point in time
• Longitudinal design


  Involves measuring variables at multiple points in time
• Contextual perspective


  Emphasizes the importance of the interaction between individuals and their environments in shaping human behavior
• Contextual perspective


  • Proposes that human behavior is shaped by a complex interplay between individual factors (such as genetics, temperament, and cognition) and environmental factors (such as family, culture, and social norms)
  • Has been influential in understanding how individuals develop within different contexts, and how those contexts can shape their experiences and opportunities over time
• Qualitative research


  Involves the use of non-numerical data such as interviews, observations, and textual analysis to study human behavior
• Qualitative research


  • Often used to explore the meaning and context of behavior, and to generate new ideas and hypotheses for further research
  • Examples include ethnography, case studies, and grounded theory
• Sampling


  The process of selecting individuals or groups from a larger population to participate in a study
• Sampling


  • Important for ensuring that the sample is representative of the population and that the results can be generalized to the larger population
  • Many different sampling techniques can be used depending on the research question and the characteristics of the population
• Experiments


  Involve the direct observation of behavior in a naturalistic or laboratory setting
• Embryonic stage of prenatal development


  Conception to the end of the second week after conception
• The embryonic stage of prenatal development lasts from the end of the second week to the eighth week after conception
• During the embryonic stage, the major organs and systems begin to form, including the nervous system, digestive system, and cardiovascular system
• The embryo is most vulnerable to teratogens during the embryonic stage
• Teratogens


  • Alcohol
  • Tobacco smoke
  • Prescription drugs
• Folic acid is not an example of a teratogen
• Functions of the placenta

  • Provides oxygen and nutrients to the developing fetus
  • Removes waste products from the developing fetus
  • Acts as a barrier to protect the fetus from harmful substances
• Critical period for heart development

  Embryonic stage