Assignment 1 Child Development

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ASSIGNMENT 1 Topic 1 Question 1.1 GLOSSARY OF COGNITIVE VOCABULARY WORD OR PHRASE | FORMAL DEFINITIONS FROM REFERENCES | MY DEFINITION | Naturalistic Observation | A research technique which involves observing people in their natural habitat with minimal intrusion by the investigator (Peterson 2010, p.656).Observation of behaviour in natural contexts (Berk 2005, p.34). | With naturalistic observation the researcher allows the subjects behaviour to occur without any interference or intervention. | Self-Reports | A method of investigation in which the subjects supply their own accounts of phenomena of interest in face-to-face interviews or on written questionnaires (Peterson 2010, p.659).Flexible interviewing procedure in which the investigator obtains a complete account of the participant’s thoughts (Berk 2005, p.34). | Gathering data by having the participant reporting what happened or how they feel, through written or verbal questionnaires. | Question 1.2 1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of case studies when researching child development? An advantage of a case study, allows the child to freely display their thoughts as close as possible to the way they think every day (Berk 2005, p.37). Another advantage includes a large amount of information that can be obtained in a short period of time, with the potential for the researcher to develop a hypothesis for later testing. Thirdly, the detailed accounts often produced in case studies not only help to explore or describe the data in real-life environment, but also help to explain the complexities of real life situations which may not be captured through experimental or survey research. Major disadvantages include the accuracy in which children report their feelings, thoughts and experiences. Some children going through a case study try to please their interviewer by making up their
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