PSYC 1040: Developmental Psychology

1. PSYC 1040: Developmental Psychology Week 2: September 19, 2011 Introduction to Developmental Psychology: Concepts & Methods Chapter 1

2. Critical Thinking • Critical thinkers are flexible – they can tolerate ambiguity and uncertainty • Critical thinkers identify inherent biases and assumptions • Critical thinkers maintain an air of skepticism • Critical thinkers separate facts from opinions • Critical thinkers don’t oversimplify • Critical thinkers use logical inference processes • Critical thinkers examine available evidence before drawing conclusions (Study Guide pg. ix)

3. Critical Thinking Thinking vs. Critical Thinking • Thinking involves basic information processing; critical thinking involves understanding that information in such a way that the information is meaningful and usable; • Thinking is often based on emotion and supposition; critical thinking sets emotions aside and addresses a problem from the position of facts; • Thinking is based on the information that is known; critical thinking requires more than what is already known because it may reveal that not enough is known. Such an important realization then requires that more facts be gathered. (Study Guide pg. ix)

4. Reflective and Reflexive Thinking Reflective Thinking • To think about your actions and scrutinize what happens with the desire to improve Reflexive Thinking • To be reflexive you need to investigate your interactions through introspection • Reflecting on your assumptions of the world

5. Photovoice Assignment What is Photovoice? • Developed by Caroline Wang in 1995 • Allows participants to identify, represent & enhance their community • Uses immediacy of the visual image to furnish evidence & promote effective, participatory means of sharing expertise & knowledge • Helps people use visual evidence to recognize problems and voice potential solutions

6. Photovoice Assignment What is Photovoice? • Three main goals • To enable people to record and reflect their community’s strengths and concerns • To promote critical dialogue and knowledge about important issues through discussions of photographs • To reach policymakers • It provides a process for: • Assessment • Analysis • Action

7. Photovoice Assignment Basic Steps for conducting photovoice: • Conceptualize the problem • Define initial themes for taking pictures • Define broader goals and objectives • Conduct photovoice training • Take pictures • Facilitate group discussion • Engage in critical reflection & dialogue • Select photographs for discussion • Context & storytelling • Codify issues, themes and theories • Recruit policy makers as the audience to learn photovoice findings • Prepare photos and captions for presentation or publication

8. Photovoice Assignment Project Goals: • 30% of your grade. Due November 28, 2011 • To record and critically reflect on your experience as a first year student • What does it mean to be a student • Think about your experience in terms of ideas and principles discussed in class (i.e. from Chapter 1) • Lifespan perspective – important changes occur during every period of development • Domains of development – cognitive, social, physical • Concepts of change - group, individual, universal

9. Photovoice Assignment Project Goals continued: • Consider the totality of your experience • School • Home • Family • Friends • Work • Recreation & Leisure • Successes and accomplishments and / or struggles and challenges • Think about how you want to construct your story but also be open to unexpected opportunities • Try to keep documentation of what you are photographing, as well as when, why, and how you are feeling • You may want to caption your images right away, or leave this to later

10. Photovoice Assignment Project Goals continued: • Actual number of images taken is up to you – guideline would be at least 36 • Select 6 to 12 images that best represent your experience. • The content or feeling expressed in the image is more important than quality of the image • Write captions for these images. • What were you looking to represent? • What is happening in the image? • What do you want people to know about this situation? • What does this have to do with your experience as a student? • What circumstances created this situation?

11. Photovoice Assignment Project Goals continued: • Contextualize and code your images • Look for recurrent issues or themes in your images • Select images that best capture these issues or themes • Write captions, titles, short statements, poetry, lyrics, etc. that best describe these themes or images • Discussion Statement • Reflecting on your images, your experience taking them, what do these images say about your experience as a first year student. • Did you discover anything that surprised you? What did you learn from this? • Write a statement that summarizes the photovoice experience and your experience as a student

12. Photovoice Assignment Project Goals continued: • Final Presentation • How you present this is up to you. You can be as creative as you like. Some suggestions include but are not limited to: • A PowerPoint type presentation • A blog or website • An illustrated book / report • An exhibition

13. Baby X: A Fabulous Child’s StoryLori Gould • Gender vs. Sex • Gender norms • Gender as social construct or biological Poisson, J. (2011). Parents keep child’s gender secret. thestar.com. http://www.thestar.com/article/995112 Porter, C. (2011). Parents of ‘genderless’ child trap baby in endless discussion. http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/newsfeatures/columnsandblogs/article/996389--porter-parents-of-genderless-child-trap-baby-in-endless-discussion Mallick, H. (2011). Parents of ‘genderless’ baby are giving their children head start at independence. http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/newsfeatures/columnsandblogs/article/996391--mallick-parents-of-genderless-baby-are-giving-their-children-headstart-at-independence

14. Chapter 1: Basic Concepts and Methods The informal practice of developmental psychology is something that we all do everyday: • We notice how people change or stay the same • Behaviours, attitudes, & physical characteristics • We view people based on a set of expectations • Cultural • Social • Age • We theorize about behaviours

15. Chapter 1: Basic Concepts and Methods Developmental Psychologists produce observations & explanations that can be applied to as wide a range of human beings as possible, in as many contexts as possible. • Study change & stability • Examine impact of cultural expectations • Make predictions about human development and use scientific methods to test them

16. Chapter 1: Basic Concepts and Methods “Field of developmental psychology is the scientific study of age-related changes in our bodies, behaviour, thinking, emotions, social relationships, and personalities” pg. 2

17. Chapter 1: Basic Concepts and Methods The study of psychology has its roots in philosophy Original Sin • Based on Christian doctrine • All humans are born with a selfish and stubborn nature and, therefore, must seek redemption by leading a disciplined life • Parents restrain & correct child’s immoral tendencies

18. Chapter 1: Basic Concepts and Methods The study of psychology has its roots in philosophy The Blank Slate • 17th C English Philosopher John Locke • Based on the philosophical approach of empiricism • Importance of experience • Parents have the ability to mold children • Who you are as an adult based on childhood experiences

19. Chapter 1: Basic Concepts and Methods The study of psychology has its roots in philosophy Innate Goodness • 18th C Swiss philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau • All humans are naturally good and seek out positive experience • Children need only nurturing and protection

20. Chapter 1: Basic Concepts and Methods Human Development becomes a Science Charles Darwin • Theories of evolution led to concept of developmental stages G. Stanley Hall • Used questionnaires and interviews to develop norms or average ages for developmental milestones Arnold Gesell • Genetically programmed maturation to develop norms

21. Chapter 1: Basic Concepts and Methods Human Development becomes a Science Jean Piaget • Foundation of modern cognitive-developmental psychology • Four stages of logical thinking from birth to adolescence • Infants use senses & motor skills - time & space • Youth children use symbols & words – think & communicate • School age children develop logical thinking • Teens apply logic to abstract & hypothetical problems

22. Chapter 1: Basic Concepts and Methods Contemporary Developmental Psychology • Lifespan Perspective • Important changes occur during every period of development and must be interpreted in terms of the cultures and contexts in which they appear.

23. Chapter 1: Basic Concepts and Methods In groups discuss how the adoption of the lifespan perspective can influence recreational and leisure activities for one of the following: • Healthy heterosexual couple in their early 60’s recently retired from professional careers. • Recently divorced single mom employed as a nurse with 2 school-aged children living in the suburbs. • Self-employed gay couple in their late thirties living in a gentrifying urban neighbourhood in a large city. • Single male university student living in residence. • Female high-school student, working at the mall part-time. • Married couple in early 30’s with 2 kids and a dog living in a small town working in the service sector • Recent college grad laid-off from first job unemployed for last two years.