Download (1) Introduction 6113

Educational Psychology: Human
Development EDF 6113
Section 314 (M W)
Theory
What do we mean by theory:
Set of statements that attempt to describe
behavior.
As one increases the distance between
observable and inferred… less empirical
evidence can be used to vet the theory
What do we mean by
development?
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Moshman’s View (2005)
Extended: (time typically measured in
months and years rather than minutes and
seconds)
Self Regulated: (maturation not learning)
Qualitative: (changes in kind not amount)
Progressive: (changes build upon each
other)
The Big Three
Worldviews
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Mechanistic:
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Behavior can be explained like the workings of a machine
(broken into its constitute parts). External forces make the
system work.
Operant Conditioning Watson (1878-1958)
Social Learning Theory
Emphasis
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Reductionism, environment, continuous development, quantitative
change
The Big Three
Worldviews
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Organismic:
 Behavior can be explained like the blooming of a
flower. Change happens from within (inherent).
Psychological structures control development.
Strong nativism Chomsky
Constructivism Piaget (1896-1980)
Emphasis
 Holism, active role for organism, discontinuous
development, qualitative change
The Big Three
Worldviews
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Contextual:
 Behavior can be explained as the constant interaction
between person and environment (e.g., tapestry,
historical event). Change happens from within
(inherent). Psychological structures control
development.
Soviet Dialectical Theory Vygostky (1896-1934)
Ecological Urie Bronfenbrenner
Emphasis
 Super Gestaltism (see Miller introduction), child’s
behavior must be situated in the context in which
the child operates.
Bronfrenbrenner’s Model
Microsystems: people, activities in child’s
immediate surroundings (e.g., home, school,
friends)
Mesosystems: relationships between Microsystems
(e.g., parents involvement with school)
Exosystems: indirect systems that can influence
the child (e.g., parent’s workplace)
Macrosystem: underlying social and political
climate in a child’s own culture (e.g., emphasis
on individual or not, competition cooperation).
Theory
Research
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Principles vs. Theories vs. Hypotheses
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Principles describe well-known and
established relationships between events
Theories attempt to explain principles (explain
why things happen the way that they do).
Hypotheses are testable ideas that are used
to help us build Theories
Research
Descriptive Research
 Case Study
 Content Analysis
 Archival Studies
 Survey Research
 Correlational
 Quasi-Experimental
Research Issues
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Validity
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Generalizability
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Internal: ability of your design to adequately test your
hypotheses
External: the degree to which your findings extend
beyond the research setting and sample
Observational/Correlational vs. Experimental
Reliability
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Are your results replicable by others
Research
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Experimental Research
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Population/Sample
Random
 Subjects (participants)
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Experimental and Control Groups
I.V and D.V.
Statistical Significance