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Lesson 7

The document discusses various research methods used in child development research, including observation, interviews and surveys, standardized tests, clinical methods, case studies, and physiological methods. Observation methods can be done in laboratories or natural settings and each have advantages and disadvantages. Interviews and surveys allow collection of information through structured tools but have limitations. Standardized tests enable comparison but may not predict real-world behavior. Clinical and case study methods provide an in-depth look at individuals. Physiological methods involve measuring bodily functions. Ensuring valid, reliable data is important for impactful research in fields related to child development.

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131 views20 pages

Lesson 7

The document discusses various research methods used in child development research, including observation, interviews and surveys, standardized tests, clinical methods, case studies, and physiological methods. Observation methods can be done in laboratories or natural settings and each have advantages and disadvantages. Interviews and surveys allow collection of information through structured tools but have limitations. Standardized tests enable comparison but may not predict real-world behavior. Clinical and case study methods provide an in-depth look at individuals. Physiological methods involve measuring bodily functions. Ensuring valid, reliable data is important for impactful research in fields related to child development.

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Domer Regis
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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RESEARCH

METHODS IN CHILD
DEVELOPMENT
INTRODUCTION
Ensuring the quality of data generated through the various research methods is just as
important as the other aspects of the whole research process, such as research design and
data analysis among many others.

As research in child development greatly impacts fields, such as education, clinical


psychology, and child social welfare among many others, it is essential that the evidence we
unearth from these studies be as valid and reliable as possible. Hence, employing the correct
research methods used in these studies is of paramount importance.
CONTENT
Research design enables the study to be made, the method of data collection deals
with how the data can be collected from the respondents, the environment, and the
subjects of the study. A study using a specific research design may use multiple
collection methods or procedure. This section will tackle various observations,
interview and survey, standardized tests, clinical method, case study, and
physiological method.
OBSERVATION
To be a good observer, you need a certain set of abilities. And it takes constant
practice to become a proficient and methodical observer. The dynamism of the
respondents and the environment may present a challenge for a researcher who
wants to be an effective observer if they are unsure of what to look for.

There are two choices as to where the researcher should observe. The Laboratory
Observation and the Natural Setting.
Laboratory Observation
Laboratory observation, as opposed to
naturalistic observation, refers to observing
the behavior of subjects that are in a
controlled environment.
Some studies require certain parameters to
be controlled or regulated, and some
researches about life span development are
done in the laboratory setting for
observation.
Though laboratory setup is a good method, it also has its drawbacks. These include
the following:

1. It is difficult, or sometimes even impossible, to implement this type of researd


without the knowledge of the participant/s being studied.
2. Laboratory settings are unnatural, causing the participants to act and beha
unnaturally, too.
3.People who participate in a laboratory setting studies usually have comm
backgrounds, making the participants less diverse.
4. The laboratory setting may, at some point, cause intimidation to people are not
familiar with these types of studies.
5. A laboratory setting has limitations in examining and exploring other aspects
and areas of child development that an observation in the natural environment may
capture.
6. Sometimes, there are ethical issues in conducting specific types of studies
under laboratory conditions.
Naturalistic Observation
Naturalistic observation is a qualitative
research method where you record the
behaviors of your research subjects in real
world settings.
Naturalistic observation is the least intrusive
form of observation which enables the
researcher to observe the respondent doing
everyday activities in the natural setting,
such as the school, home, or community
(Pellegrini, Symons, & Hoch, 2012).
A researcher, for instance, wants to study toddlers' responses with a stranger
who comes to visit every week in the day care. The drawback may be that
because the researcher or other people are present, unusual or undesirable
behaviors are less likely to be noticed, leading to inaccurate data.
This makes it challenging to identify the motivations behind the developing
actions and behaviors. The researcher has little to no control over external
variables that might impact the participants. Naturalistic observations can be
made of children's development in a variety of settings, including homes,
daycare facilities, play schools, neighborhoods, and streets.
INTERVIEW AND SURVEY
Asking for the information you need, which you can do through an interview, is one
of the best ways to gather relevant data.

Like interviews, surveys employ structured tools, or what is referred to as a


questionnaire.
INTERVIEW
It enables the researcher to freely engage the
participant in conversation and ask questions while
simultaneously recording their responses (Shaffer &
Kipp, 2010). If the researcher uses this method and
wants to get more in-depth information, they can
conduct an in-depth interview. Since structured
instruments cannot be used to explore or measure
richer data, this method may be able to do so. Like
other techniques, interviewing has its limitations,
including the inability to compare individuals and the
propensity of participants to give information that is
socially acceptable rather than their true feelings and
thoughts.
SURVEY
Unlike methods, structured instruments like
questionnaires enable concise and quick data
gathering since they have a standardized format,
making it easy for the researchers to compare data.
As they follow a format, they also have a structured
schedule to follow, allowing only limited and on-point
responses from respondents.
The advantages of using survey and interviews include:
(1) practicality;
(2) the amount of information that can be collected;
(3) the wide range of topics that can be gathered;
(4) ease of conduct with little or minimal effect on reliability and validity of the study;
and
(5) availability of software packages that can be used to process and analyze the data,
to name a few.

Another advantage is the variety of modes by which they may be implemented: it may be
conducted in person, via telephone, e-mail, or postage.
There are also disadvantages in using these methods.
Among them are inaccuracy or variety of responses depending on the level of
understanding of the participants or verbal skills of the researcher. Another limitation is
the difficulty in their utility among young children as there is no way of telling whether
the responses are truthful or the ideal.
STANDARDIZED TEST
In using this data collection procedure, uniformity in administering and scoring is
observed. Through this method, the researcher can compare one's performance
with another. The information collected can be used to compare and show
differences among the people (Drummond & Jones, 2010).
The use of this procedure has three drawbacks, though.

First, this test cannot predict or evaluate behavior in situations that are not test
situations;

Another is based on the idea that while intelligence and personality, which are the
main subjects of these tests, are variable, behavior is constant and unchanging.

The third is that because standardized tests were created in western cultures, they
are ineffective when used in other cultures (Hall, 2010).
CLINICAL METHOD
A clinical method is a flexible approach that allows the researcher to probe deeper
into a participant's psyche, as well as provides for greater interaction, treating
him/her as a unique individual as compared to a sample group similar to the
interview technique (Shaffer & Kipp, 2010).
CASE STUDY
This method gives an in-depth look at a single individual. This procedure is done by
mental health practitioners. It aims to provide information on various aspects of an
individual such as fears, traumatic experiences, health, and relationships among
others.
This method allows psychologists to understand the mind and behavior of a
person. Case studies are performed mainly by mental health professionals.
This method is also useful for guidance counselors who deal with children's
disturbing or problematic behaviors. They can observe a particular child in class,
conduct parent conferences, and directly talk to the child. Information gathered
may serve as guide for significant adults in terms of dealing with the child's
behavior.
Case studies show portrayals of people's lives. But in using this method, the
researcher should be sensitive in generalizing the information obtained (McMillan
& Wergin, 2010).
PHYSIOLOGICAL
This method involves the direct or indirect observation of variables that are related
METHOD
to the normal function of the human body. Examples of what variables are
measured are blood pressure, heart rate, brain activity, and others. Nowadays,
researchers in Child Development are using physiological measures to understand
and explore child development.

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