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NEW TO THIS EDITION: • New topics expose students to current research issues in human development. Topics include: emotional development, bullying, early forms of moral understanding, the “replication crisis” in psychology, the role of gestures in cognitive development, the study of false belief in infancy, the “teenage brain” and its implications for adolescent behavior, the study of the “oldest old,” and the population of centenarians. • Key Terms lists now appear at the end of each chapter to help students master the vocabulary of research methods. • New boxes, exercises, glossary items, and tables and figures bring the book completely up to date. • Approximately 400 new references reflect recent scholarship in the field KEY FEATURES: • Flexible chapters provide instructors the ability to cover material in any order they prefer. • A student-friendly design and engaging approach provides extended coverage of especially interesting and important contemporary topics through chapter boxes, tables, figures, and photos. • Built-in study tools, including exercises, chapter-ending summaries, key terms lists, a glossary, citation of further sources, and relevant websites, help students master key content.

General Principles

Chapter 2 general principles

Having some specific studies to refer to will help to clarify the discussion that follows. Described next, therefore, are two examples of research in developmental psychology. Both studies have been simplified somewhat to make the points drawn from them easier to follow.

Brownell, Svetlova, and Nichols (2009) were interested in very early forms of sharing behavior in young children. The participants for their study were in fact quite young: one group of 18-month-olds and a second group of 25-month-olds. Each child in the study first learned a simple task: pulling a lever in order to receive a snack. A series of trials followed on which the child had to choose between two levers. Pulling one lever resulted in a snack ...

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