Unit 3: Discussion- Design Your Own Experiment

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Introduction

As we have seen thus far, developmental psychology is steeped in scientific research. For this week’s discussion, you will choose a topic or concept that is currently popular in the literature for ages 6-12. Your text and the library, as well as the topics in your modules notes can guide your choice of concept or theory for this age group.

Directions

Determine which construct you think would be beneficial to study in children ages six to twelve in today’s society. Complete a search on your topic, and examine some of the current articles that have been published (in the last five years). Then, design your own experiment to examine the concept.

• Create your purpose statement for your experiment.
• Justify a need for your research (why is it important), and include references to current research on the same topic.
• Describe and justify an experimental design. Is your study descriptive, experimental, correlational? Why is this design most appropriate to use to study your topic?
• How would you recruit your subjects for the study, and how would you collect your data (observations, surveys, interviews, etc.)?
• Are their any ethical considerations in your study that are specific to this age group?
• In your responses to your peers, be sure and identify the strengths of their research and make suggestions for improvements, or factors they may have not considered.

Unit 3: Middle Childhood

DEVELOPMENT IN MIDDLE CHILDHOOD

The period of middle childhood (ages six to twelve) notes a decline in physical growth, but this does not mean development in other areas has declined. As you read through the materials for this week, you will need determine a topic for your own research experiment. Keep in mind that research ideas are often borne of observation. Have you had any recent interactions with children in this age group? If you have not, what about watching a movie or sitcom that includes someone this age? How would you describe, explain, or predict behaviors in children in middle childhood?

Some additional ideas regarding cognitive development might focus on educational techniques. Are children today learning differently, if so why? How might theory of mind be tested in a new way with children this age? How are we treating learning disabilities at this age? What are the impacts of standardized tests to measure achievement?

Some additional socioemotional topics might center around sibling and family relationships, social status impact, bullying, friendship, just to name a few.

EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH

Let’s take a look at some research that has been conducted on some of the constructs for this age group that are readily available on YouTube:

This was an observation conducted by a student for a class project that examines three concepts:

• Middle childhood Observation (Links to an external site.)
• Here is an example of Kohlberg’s moral reasoning using the Heinz’s dilemma with children in middle childhood: Middle childhood moral development. (Links to an external site.)
• A reenactment of Stanford’s Marshmallow Experiment: The marshmallow experiment-Instant gratification (Links to an external site.)
• An interesting use of the marshmallow experiment teaching to teach “character”: Resisting the marshmallow and the success of self-control (Links to an external site.)
• Another interesting site that can assist is the American Institutes for Research, (Links to an external site.) which gives recent topics in child development.
• Some recent projects on child development can also be found at the Child Development Institute (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.) as well.

Choose a topic that is of interest to you!

you can pick any topic i sent the class matrial below as long as it goes with this weeks topic thank you any questions let me know 

Zoie

Social Media’s Role in Disordered Eating

(*Interactive Technology Study extended not only to social media accounts but to all mobile platforms such as touch screen smartphones, tablets, and video games.)

We know that the physical growth of a child is important. The focus in Behavioral theories is on environmental interaction and how they influence behavior.

Social Media (SM) use and its connection to eating disorders have yet to be extensively explored. There seems to be a relationship between eating disorders and social media use in terms of the way children interact with social media and their eating behaviors. According to Wilksch et al. (2019) “having social media accounts was associated with increased disordered eating cognitions and behaviors” (pg. 97).

Method

This experimental study will measure the amount of time children spend on social media and how it affects their eating tendencies and health. The exploratory report will measure (SM) screen time and disordered eating such as meal skipping and psychological obsession with food and/or body weight.

Groups

Participants will be 10–12-year-olds from participating schools.

To establish the cause-and-effect relationship of eating behaviors and social media (SM) usage half of the participants will be asked to stop using (SM) for ten days. Those results will then be used to compare those in the control group who will be asked to continue regular (SM) usage.

Tracking Data

App Usage – Manage/Track used to track SM data and monitor both the experimental group and the control groups application history and usage. The experimental group will not qualify if they violate the usage agreement.

Ecology

All assessments and interviews will be in a controlled setting with the exception of the written account (eating journal) which will be completed at home by participants.

Validity

The control group within the study will be used to ensured internal validity.

Informed parental consent for assessment and experiment is required for the completion of the study. Informed consent will be presented to and signed by both parents and participants. Social media access evaluation also required in the form of a waver signed by parents (post interview to be given after the interview and assessment portion).

References

Wilksch, S. M., O’Shea, A., Ho, P., Byrne, S., & Wade, T. D. (2019). The relationship between social media use and disordered eating in young adolescents. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 53(1), 96–106. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23198 

Create your purpose statement for your experiment.

The purpose of this study is to test the power of reasoning. Reasoning is the process to make sense of things, be able to solve a problem, or settle a question.

Justify a need for your research (why is it important) and include references to current research on the same topic.

This study would not only prove an importance, but it will be fun and creative, and it will prove how younger children between the ages of 6-9 might not have developed reasoning compared to children between the ages of 10-12 years of age. As children get older their reasoning and their common sense starts to develop.

I have included an article that explains how in recent studies of children and adolescent, if they start training reasoning thought at a younger age, they will develop better reasoning and achieve academically as they get older.

Describe and justify an experimental design. Is your study descriptive, experimental, correlational? Why is this design most appropriate to use to study your topic?

My study would consist of two age groups. First group will consist of ages 6-9 and second group ages 10-12. I will ask both groups the same series of questions and observe their reaction and their answers. Their answers will let me now the level of reasoning they have. The following questions would be asked:

• IS A TON OF FEATHERS OR A TON OF BRICKS HEAVIER?
• MEGAN’S MOTHER HAS FOUR DAUGHTERS NAMED APRIL, MAY, JUNE, AND WHAT?
• IF A ROOSTER LAID AN EGG ON A ROOF, WHICH WAY WOULD IT ROLL?

This study would be a descriptive study. Descriptive study gathers data by observation and surveys. In my experiment, I would be using a similar method as a survey.

This study is relevant to cognitive development in children ages 6-12. According to The Encyclopedia of Children’s Health younger school-age children, six to 12 years old, should be at the “concrete operations” stage of Piaget’s cognitive development theory, characterized by the ability to use logical and coherent actions in thinking and solving problems. They understand the concepts of permanence and conservation by learning that volume, weight, and numbers may remain constant despite changes in outward appearance. These children should be able to build on past experiences, using them to explain why some things happen. Their attention span should increase with age, from being able to focus on a task for about 15 minutes at age six to an hour by age nine (Encyclopedia of Children’s Health).

How would you recruit your subjects for the study, and how would you collect your data (observations, surveys, interviews, etc.)?

My subjects for the study would be elementary and middle school students. I would gather my data by observation and interview. A series of questions would be asked, I would observe their answer, reaction, and explanation t their reasoning.

Are there any ethical considerations in your study that are specific to this age group?

There are no ethical considerations in my study.

Reference

Cognitive development. Encyclopedia of Children’s Health. (n.d.). http://www.healthofchildren.com/C/Cognitive-Development.html.

Guerin, J. M., Wade, S. L., & Mano, Q. R. (2021). Does reasoning training improve fluid reasoning and academic achievement for children and adolescents? A systematic review. Trends in Neuroscience and Education, 23, 100153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tine.2021.100153