SUBJECT

Title

Research of Socialization and Child Development. Research in Childhood Development

Code

DPSY16-SED-102:2

Type of instruction

practice

Level

Doctoral

Part of degree program
Credits

7

Recommended in

Semester 1-4

Typically offered in

Autumn/Spring semester

Course description

Changing image of childhood in the history of developmental psychology. Specific methodological problems of developmental research. The major sources of data in developmental research: observation, experiment, and quasi-experiment. The prominent role of observation in developmental psychology – requirements of observation as a scientific technique. Techniques of coding behaviour. Specific problems of conducting experiments with infants and young children. The parent as the source of information. Typical mistakes in the attempts to reveal the causes of development. Age as a variable; the change of the meaning of time units with age. Age matching. The cohort-effect. Research designs to study development: cross-sectional comparison, longitudinal strategy, time-lagged design – strengths and weaknesses, sources of errors. Complex (sequential) designs – combinations of the above. Tackling moderation and mediation using multivariate analyses.

Current issues in the research into perceptual and cognitive development, language acquisition, temperament, emotional development, attachment, and peer interactions. The role and development of play. Diagnostics of development – the meaning of measures of early development. Biological and social-environmental hazards of early development. The role of early experiences. Protective factors and mechanisms; resilient children.

Readings
  • Bakeman, R.: Reflections on measuring behavior: Time and the grid. In G. Walford, E. Tucker, M. Viswanathan (eds): The Sage Handbook of Measurement, Newbury Park: Sage Publ., 2010.
  • Danis, I., Farkas, M, Herczog, M., Szilvási, L. (szerk.): A génektől a társadalomig: a koragyermekkori fejlődés színterei. Biztos Kezdet Kötetek I. Nemzeti Család- és Szociálpolitikai Intézet – Gyerekesély projekt, Budapest, 2011.
  • Hartmann, D.P.: Design, measurement, and analysis: Technical issues in developmental research. In M.H. Bornstein & M.E. Lamb (Eds.), Developmental Psychology. New Jersey: LEA, 1991, 3-58. Sameroff, A. J., Fiese, B. H.: Models of development and developmental risk. In Zeanah, C.H. (ed.) Handbook of infant mental health. 2nd Ed. New York, The Guilford Press, 2005.