PSY2071 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: B. F. Skinner, The Foundations, Behaviorism
15 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Week 1
The foundations of development across lifespan
Cohort
• Cohort is a group of individuals born at around the same time
•Biological and environmental influences associated with a specific time
•Geographic cohort is born is the sample place influences development
•Socio- cultural influences!
- Factors present at a particular time depending on things like ethnicity, social class,
subcultural membership
•Non-normative life events!
- events that do not happen to most people!
- e.g. being born premature, brain lesion, deprivation such as children growing up in
Romanian Orphanage
•Age influences:!
- biological and environmental influences similar for those in an age group !
- puberty, starting school, getting drivers license, cognitive development
Behaviorism - development can be understood through studying observable behaviour and
environmental stimuli (J.B Watson & B.F Skinner & A Bandura)
Behavioural Genetics
Research strategies used to examine the genetic contribution to the differences we
observe. explores the nature of individual differences: Contemporary approach
-The three major steps of the scientific method
•Identify research question of interest
•Formulate am explanation
•Carry out research to support or reject the explanation
Standard Research Strategies:
1. Correlational studies!
- Correlation coefficient indicates the strength and direction of an association between
two factors ranging from +1.0 to -1.0
2. Experiments!
- Is there a causal relationship between factors!
- change introduced in a carefully structured situation enables us to determine
consequences of that change
Independent Variable - researchers manipulate it
Dependent Variable - the outcome measure we expect to change
Germinal Fertilisation: to 2 weeks
Embryonic: 3 to 8 weeks
Foetal: 9 weeks to birth
Document Summary
Cohort: cohort is a group of individuals born at around the same time, biological and environmental in uences associated with a speci c time, geographic cohort is born is the sample place in uences development, socio- cultural in uences. Factors present at a particular time depending on things like ethnicity, social class, subcultural membership: non-normative life events. Events that do not happen to most people. E. g. being born premature, brain lesion, deprivation such as children growing up in. Biological and environmental in uences similar for those in an age group. Puberty, starting school, getting drivers license, cognitive development. Behaviorism - development can be understood through studying observable behaviour and environmental stimuli (j. b watson & b. f skinner & a bandura) Research strategies used to examine the genetic contribution to the differences we observe. explores the nature of individual differences: contemporary approach.
