10/21/09- Choose one of the following essay questions and write a 5 paragraph essay answering the question. Please use information from your notes and/or the text to back up your response. The essay is due in class on Monday morning 10/26/09.
1. With which approach to psychology do you most agree? Why?
2. Using the ethical principles presented in the book answer the following question:
Is there ever an acceptable reason for violating the principles?
3. Do you think psychologists can learn everything they need to know about a person by observing only their behaviors? Why or why not?
4. What are the ethical implications of using placebos in research studies. (You may extend your research to medical research in addition to psychological.)
Monday:10/26/09- Please read ALL of chapter 3 and chapter 4: section 1 and do the worksheets provided you in class. The worksheets are due on Wednesday: 10/28/09.
10/28/09- Please consider the following questions and be ready to discuss your answers in class on 10/29/09. I would like to see at least 3 bullets for each question written in your notebooks. (they will be checked on thursday)
1. Learning begins from the moment of birth, as newborns direct their gazes toward bright patterns and faces. What sensations do you think a typical newborn might experience in the first few DAYS of life?
2. What do you think some of the psychological drawbacks of pushing a small child to master new skills too soon might be?
3. Should parents say and do only things that promote a positive self-image?
4. Can a child affect his or her own self-image? How?
5. How do you feel imitation plays a part in violent acts committed by young children? (children under 13 years of age)
11/2/09- Please consider the following questions and be ready to discuss your answers in class on 11/4/09. I would like to see at least 3 bullets for each question written in your notebooks. (they will be checked on wednesday)
1. A child's mental and emotional developement can be seriously affected by the mother's lifestyle, even before the child is born. Children born to women who drink large amounts of alcohol during pregnancy may suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome. These children may suffer from mental retardation, poor motor development, and unusual facial features. The use of crack cocaine or other psychoactive drugs can also cause a wind range of developmental problems. A major problem for babies born to drug users is that they may be addicted to the drug at the time they are born. What should society do to protect children from such developmental and emotional consequences?
2. Surrogate mothers can be beneficial in a child's development - up to a point. Consider other kinds of surrogate attachments that children form. To what extent are a child's attachment to pets, dolls, and stuffed animals, for example, a replacement for interactions between the child and other humans? Do you see any danger in the child's preferring the company of a doll over that of a peer? Give reasons to support your opinion.
3. Consider the following situation: A 3-year-old child has an almost exclusive attachment to her mother. When the mother tries to leave the girl for a while to play alone or with other children, the girl either cries or tries to go after the mother. The mother usually gives in and allows the girls to stay at her side. In fact, the mother has quit her part-time job because whenever the girl was left at day care or at her grandmother's house, she threw tantrums or remained withdrawn. Which theory of social development addresses the behavior of the mother and the child? What advice would you give to the mother?
11/3/09- Tonight I would like you to think about the stages of child development that we have talked about and the different experiences a child may go through. Please choose a childrens book or story and identify the moral that is being taught. Either in an email or on a sheet of paper please write the following information: 1. Title and Author or the book/story 2. The moral being addressed 3. Why is this moral important in the development of a child. Work must be recieved by me no later then 12:00 AM on 11/4/09.
11/5/09- For the long weekend I would like you to read and take notes on Chapter 4. While you are reading I would like you to think about the following questions and be prepared to discuss them in class on Monday 11/9/09.
1. What physical, intellectual, and emotional "firsts" or changes do most teens experience?
2. What stereotypes does the media hold in terms of body image? Do these stereotypes place any pressure on adolescents? If not, why not?
3. Why do you think conformity to peer pressure tends to decline from the ninth to the twelfth grade?
4. How do you think parent-adolescent relationships might differ in extended families? What other stresses might develop within families?
11/9/09- For homework please choose an ad in either a magazine or a newspaper that you think has an impact on adolescent development. Be ready to discuss your reasons why you think that it has such an impact and if you feel that it is a good or bad thing for them to have this impact. This is due on Wednesday 11/11/09.
11/24/09- For the next few weeks we are going to be reading a book. I ask that you purchase the book and bring it to class by Thursday December 3. If you have any questions or issues please let me know.
The book is Blink by Malcolm Gladwell