Lesson Notes

Lesson 9.1a  Theoretical Issues: Ongoing Debates

In this lesson you will learn about the three most important debates when deciding your theoretical view of conducting developmental research:

          Nature versus Nurture

          Continuity versus Stages

          Stability versus Change

There is no one way position that is correct. But rather, researchers generally look at a combination of all of these perspectives to help guide their research.

Lesson 9.1b  Research Methods: Two Basic Approaches

This lesson focuses on two main research methods used in conducting developmental studies: Cross-sectional and Longitudinal methods. Each of these research methods has pros and cons…it all depends on what type of data, and time, you have.

The last part of this lesson examines the role of culture when studying development. It is important to give emphasis to the effects of culture on how a person develops. This lesson provides four key factors researchers need to be aware of when conducting research that involves different cultures.