Discussion Topic:

The second part of chapter 1 focuses on research methods in lifespan psychology.

Scientists’ goal is to produce the most objective results possible but there are always challenges. The choices researchers make about what to study or not study, or the conclusions they drew from research findings can be quite subjective, which can dramatically affect our understanding of developmental phenomena. One such example is the study of the topic of race in relation to human development. As a related example, watch the short video from APA: Science in Action that features Dr. Jennifer Manly’s research on cognitive impairment and then answers the following questions.

Studying brains as we ageLinks to an external site.
Do you agree or disagree with her skepticism about attributing the link between race and Alzheimer’s disease to genetics? What are the implications of thinking about the race concept as solely biological rather than socially constructed?

Discuss by making references to the video and your textbook. Here is a further readingLinks to an external site. to get familiar with race as a social construct idea.

Do an online search and find another past research finding (which can be historical examples) that treated race, ethnicity, or gender as a biological construct in relation to some aspect of human cognition or behavior. Summarize the main goal and the findings of the study for your reader. What do you think have been the problematic implications of these conclusions to society (our attitudes, practices, and behaviors through the course of our development)?
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