ABSC 160 Final Study Guide with Complete Solutions!

Quantitative vs qualitative changes - ANSWER-o Quantitative changes: changes in the amount or quantity of what you are measuring o Qualitative changes: changes in the overall nature of what you are examining Concepts of multifinality and equifinality - ANSWER-o Multifinality-the principle by which the same pathways may lead to different developmental outcomes o Equifinality- the principle by which different developmental pathways may result in the same outcome skepticism - ANSWER-judging the validity of a claim based on objective empirical evidence pseudoscience - ANSWER-A collection of beliefs or practices mistakenly regarded as being based on scientific method The activities of a "good" consumer of developmental information - ANSWER-o Know the source of your information o Examine the evidence- question authority o Become a critical thinker o Beware of making generalizations o Be aware of perceptual bias o Question "common sense" - Define theory and its relationship to scientific research - ANSWER-o Developmental theory- a moral of development based on observations that allows us to make predictions - Describe the criteria for judging developmental theories (that is, how to tell a good theory from a bad theory) - ANSWER-o Accuracy: does the theory describe actual events - Takes place through observation and elements o Clarity: does the theory provide a clear explanation, such that a competent person would understand it? o Predictability: does the theory accurately predict future events?/ how specific are the predictions? o Practicality: does the theory provide useful information?/ how applicable is this to everyday life o Internal consistency: does the theory use the same principles to explain multiple situations?/ does the theory build on itself, rather than create new explanations? o Parsimony: does the theory use the simplest explanation possible?/ what does the theory assume that hasn't been proven? -Occam's razor: the simplest explanation is usually the correct one o Testability: can you demonstrate that the theory does or doesn't work?/ what makes it so the theory can or can't be tested o Productivity: does the theory result in additional questions about the explanations? o Self satisfying: does the theory make sense