Topic One Resources

Site: TCOnline
Course: Lifespan Growth & Development (PSYC2314) DUAL CREDIT
Book: Topic One Resources
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Date: Wednesday, August 20, 2025, 3:38 AM

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Introduction to Lifespan Growth and Development

Watch Introduction to Lifespan Growth and DevelopmentRespond to the following questions in your notebook as you watch the video.  

  • What is nature?
  • What is nurture?
  • What is a theory?
  • Compare psychodynamic theories, cognitive theories, and socio-cultural theories
  • Describe the three general areas that influence development.
  • Describe case studies.
  • Describe experiments.
  • What is a control group?  What is the experimental group?
  • What is naturalistic observation?
  • What is laboratory observation?
  • What are the challenges of self-report instruments?
  • Explain correlation vs causation.
  • What is a confounding variable?

Here is the direct link: http://mediaplayer.pearsoncmg.com/assets/20140523_f3e_059_lifespan_development

Comparing Lifespan and Life Expectancy

Below you see an image of life expectancy.  How does life expectancy compare with the text definition of lifespan?

Lifespan, or longevity, refers to the length of time a species can exist under the most optimal conditions.

Life expectancy is the predicted number of years a person born in a particular time period can reasonably expect to live.

Refer to page 12 of your text.

world life expectancy map


The Basics of Scientific Research Methods

Watch The Basics of Scientific Research.  Respond to the following questions while watching.

  • What is an independent variable?
  •  What is a dependent variable?
  •  What is a control group?
  •  What is an experimental group?
  •  Use the examples in the video to define independent variable, dependent variable, control group, and experimental group.

Here is the direct link Smart Pearson Player (pearsoncmg.com)

Independent and Dependent Variables

Directions: Given the following hypothesis, pick out the independent variable, and the dependent variable.

________________________________________________________________________

Independent Variable: This is the variable that the experimenter controls.

 Dependent Variable: This is what results from the experimenter varying or changing the independent variable.

________________________________________________________________________

Example:  X amount of sleeping pills helps the otherwise healthy person with insomnia to sleep better.

      • Independent: the medicine/sleeping pills
      • Dependent: # of people that slept better with/without sleeping pills  
  1. Individuals will respond more to a person in uniform than to a person not in uniform.
  2. Violent behavior observed in early childhood will cause individuals to become violent as adults.
  3. Tylenol will improve lower back pain in individuals more than a placebo.
  4. Men who lift weights are less likely to suffer sports related injuries than those who do not.
  5. Females that take a multivitamin are less likely to have children with birth defects than females that do not take a multivitamin.

Naturalistic Observation

Watch Naturalistic Observation and respond to the following questions.

  • Define naturalistic observation. 
  • What are the advantages of naturalistic observation?
  •  What are the disadvantages of naturalistic observation?

Here is the direct link Smart Pearson Player (pearsoncmg.com)


The Tuskegee Syphilis Study


Tuskegee Study Timeline


Ethics and Psychological Research

Watch Ethics and Psychological Research respond to the following questions in your notebook as you watch.

  • Why is ethics of nonhuman animals an important dimension in psychology?
  • Why did ethical standards in psychology become stricter over time?
  • What unethical issue happened in the Tuskegee experiment?
  • What is the Belmont Code?

Here is the direct link Smart Pearson Player (pearsoncmg.com)

How Ice Cream Kills! Correlation vs. Causation

Watch the video below.  Compare and contrast correlation and causation.



Understanding Correlations

Complete the following in your notebook.  

Correlational studies show relationships between variables. If high scores on one variable predict high scores on the

other variable, the correlation is positive. If high scores on one variable predict low scores on the other variable, the

correlation is negative.

If Variable 1 increase Variable 2 increase this is a positive correlation .If Variable 1 increase Variable 2 decreases this is a negative correlation .

Showing that two variables are related does not justify claiming that a causal relationship exists. There may be a

causal relationship, but other explanations usually exist. For example, the variables may be related because both

have a causal relationship with a third variable.

A causes B, B causes A, C causes A and B

For each of the correlational studies described below, decide whether the correlation is positive or negative and give an explanation for each finding.

1. A study of married couples showed that the longer they had been married, the more similar their opinions on social and political issues were.  Positive or negative correlation?  Explanation.

2. An intelligence test was given to all the children in an orphanage. The results showed that the longer children had lived in the orphanage, the lower their IQ scores.  Positive or negative correlation?  Explanation.

3. In a study of American cities, a relationship was found between the number of violent crimes and the number of stores selling violence-depicting pornography.  Positive or negative correlation?  Explanation.

4. A college professor found that the more class absences students have, the lower their grade in the course tends to be.  Positive or negative correlation?  Explanation.

5. A politician running against a candidate who had been in office for eight years pointed out that violent crime had increased steadily during those eight years even though the administration appropriated more and more money to fight crime.  Positive or negative correlation?  Explanation.

6. It was found that elementary-school children who made high scores on a vocabulary test also tended to make high scores on a test of physical strength and muscular coordination.  Positive or negative correlation?  Explanation.