Popular Articles for Current Events in Introduction to Psychology
Elliott Hammer, Xavier University of Louisiana
ehammer@xula.edu
First-Half Semester Links
Annals of Economics: Mind Games
(Neuroscience & economics)
Annals of Medicine: The Deepest Cut
(Hemispherectomy)
Annals of Medicine: The Reeve Effect (Spinal
cord repair research)
Annals of Science: Crimson Tide  (Science of
blushing)
Annals of Science: Numbers Guy (Innate
mathematical thinking)
Cocksure (Psychology of overconfidence)
Dangerous Minds (Criminal profiling)
Drinking Games (Context effects of alcohol)
Pandoras Briefcase (Traumatic brain injury)
The Decline Effect and the Scientific Method
(Shrinking effect sizes)
What the Science of Human Nature Can
Teach Us (Progress in social science research)
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/09/18/060918fa_f
act?currentPage=all
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/07/03/060703fa_f
act?currentPage=all
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2003/11/10/031110fa_f
act4?currentPage=all
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2001/02/12/2001_02_1
2_050_TNY_LIBRY_000022696?currentPage=all
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/03/03/080303fa
_fact_holt?currentPage=all
http://www.gladwell.com/2009/2009_07_27_a_cocksure.ht
ml
http://www.gladwell.com/2007/2007_11_12_a_profile.html
http://www.gladwell.com/2010/2010_02_15_a_drinking.ht
ml
http://www.gladwell.com/2009/2009_10_19_a_offensive.ht
ml
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/12/13/101213fa
_fact_lehrer?currentPage=all
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/01/17/110117fa
_fact_brooks?currentPage=all
Second-Half Semester Links
Annals of Medicine: Sick With Worry
(Hypochondriasis)
Annals of Medicine: The Dictionary of
Disorder (History of the DSM)
Annals of Medicine: The Grief Industry (Perils
of grief counseling)
Annals of Psychology: Virtual Iraq (Virtual
reality to treat PTSD)
Getting Over It (Persistence of PTSD)
Late Bloomers (Later-appearing genius)
None of the Above (IQ, race, and the Flynn
effect)
Personality Plus (Perils of personality testing by
employers)
The Naked Face (Ekman and facial research)
The Physical Genius (Physical Intelligence)
The Sure Thing (Psychology of
entrepreneurship)
Is Long-Term Solitary Confinement Torture?
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2003/08/11/030811fa_f
act?currentPage=all
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/01/03/050103fa_f
act?currentPage=all
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2004/01/26/040126fa_f
act?currentPage=all
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/05/19/080519fa
_fact_halpern?currentPage=all
http://www.gladwell.com/2004/2004_11_08_a_trauma.html
http://www.gladwell.com/2008/2008_10_20_a_latebloomer
s.html
http://www.gladwell.com/2007/2007_12_17_c_iq.html
http://www.gladwell.com/2004/2004_09_20_a_personality.
html
http://www.gladwell.com/2002/2002_08_05_a_face.htm
http://www.gladwell.com/1999/1999_08_02_a_genius.htm
http://www.gladwell.com/2010/2010_01_18_a_surething.ht
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http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/03/30/090330fa
(Psychological effects of solitary confinement)
Medical Dispatches  : What’s the Trouble?
(Perils of medical decision making)
Medical Robots and Technological Therapy
(Robotic therapy)
Scratching an Itch Through the Scalp to the
Brain (The neuroscience of itching)
The Secret of Self-Control (Mischel and selfregulation)
_fact_gawande
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/01/29/070129fa
_fact_groopman?currentPage=all
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/11/02/091102fa
_fact_groopman?currentPage=all
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/06/30/080630fa
_fact_gawande?currentPage=all
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/05/18/090518fa
_fact_lehrer?currentPage=all
A Few Recent Additions (some require subscription)
How to Land Your Kid in Therapy (Unearned
self-esteem)
Trials and Errors: Why Science is Failing Us
(Faulty causal conclusions)
Groupthink (The brainstorming myth)
No Remorse (Juvenile crime & death penalty)
The Power of Nothing (Placebo effect &
medicine)
Looking for Someone (Internet-assisted
romance & profiling)
The Possibilian (Neuroscience and perceptions
of time)
The Poverty Clinic (Childhood stress & health)
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/07/howto-land-your-kid-in-therapy/8555/
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/12/ff_causation/all/1
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/01/30/120130fa
_fact_lehrer?currentPage=all
http://archives.newyorker.com/?i=2012-01-02#folio=054
http://archives.newyorker.com/?i=2011-12-12#folio=030
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/07/04/110704fa
_fact_paumgarten?currentPage=all
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/04/25/110425fa
_fact_bilger?currentPage=all
http://archives.newyorker.com/?i=2011-03-21#folio=025
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20284239/Hammer%202012%20SETOP%20Handout.docx
Popular Journalism Assignments to Apply Material to Current Events Ellio7 D. Hammer Xavier University of Louisiana SETOP 2012 Quick & Easy •  Small talk at start of class –  Sets context –  Encourages engagement in the news –  Eases social anxiety –  Moving toward YouTube Xavier’s QEP To produce… •  More EffecQve Readers •  More Engaged Reading Popular Reading Assignments Jerome Groopman—How Doctors Think •  “But research shows that most physicians already have in mind two or three possible diagnoses within minutes of meeQng a paQent, and that they tend to develop their hunches from very incomplete informaQon.” Jerome Groopman—How Doctors Think •  But research shows that most physicians already have in mind two or three possible diagnoses within minutes of meeQng a paQent, and that they tend to develop their hunches from very incomplete informaQon. To make diagnoses, most doctors rely on shortcuts and rules of thumb—known in psychology as “heurisQcs.” Jerome Groopman—How Doctors Think •  “’His unstable angina didn’t show up on the cardiac-­‐enzymes test, because there had been no damage to his heart muscle yet. And it didn’t show up on the chest X-­‐ray, because the heart had not yet begun to fail, so there was no fluid backed up in the lungs.’ Jerome Groopman—How Doctors Think •  “’His unstable angina didn’t show up on the cardiac-­‐enzymes test, because there had been no damage to his heart muscle yet. And it didn’t show up on the chest X-­‐ray, because the heart had not yet begun to fail, so there was no fluid backed up in the lungs.’ The mistake that Croskerry made is called a ‘representaQveness’ error.” Assignment •  Browsed New Yorker and Malcolm Gladwell’s site archives for psychology-­‐related arQcles •  Divided between 1st-­‐half material and 2nd-­‐half •  Saved each to Zotero folder •  Produced sign-­‐up sheet with links •  Students submi7ed papers on TurniQn Rubric •  Ar3cle Summary (25%): Does the summary indicate sufficient comprehension of the arQcle? Does the focus rest on the important elements that would enable someone who has not read the arQcle to know whether it is worth reading? •  Applica3on to Course Material (25%): Does the student apply the arQcle to material from the course or vice versa? Is the link between the arQcle and the text clear and sensible? •  Ar3cle Cri3que (25%): Does the student bring in sufficient personal perspecQve to offer a reasonable criQque? Does the student offer a logical or evidence-­‐based response to the arQcle’s author? Is the degree to which the student agrees with the author clear and supported? •  Wri3ng Quality (25%): Is the wriQng college-­‐level? Is the wriQng clear and free of grammaQcal errors? Does the student use appropriate word choices and demonstrate a command of the language? For Next Time… •  Some assessment might be nice! •  More varied arQcles & sources –  The Atlan3c –  Wired •  Emphasize applicaQon more •  PresentaQons in class Thanks! h,p:///nyurl.com/87apd5u ehammer@xula.edu Carly Friedman
friedman.carly@gmail.com
Developmental Psychology: Focus on Childhood Obesity
Academic
Anderson, L.M., & Anderson, J. (2010). Barney and breakfast: Messages about food and eating in preschool
television shows and how they may impact the development of eating behaviors in children. Early Child
Development and Care, 180, 1323–1336.
Brown, W.H. Pfeiffer, K.A, McIver, K.L., Dowda, M., Addy, C.L., & Pate, R.R. (2009). Social and
environmental factors associated with preschoolers' non-sedentary physical activity. Child Development,
80, 45-58. Davison, K.K., & Birch, L.L. (2002). Processes linking weight status and self-concept among girls from ages 5
to 7 years. Developmental Psychology, 38, 735–748.
Halpern, C.T., Udry, J.R., Campbell, B., & Suchindran, C. (1999). Effects of body fat on weight concerns,
dating, and sexual activity: A longitudinal analysis of black and white adolescent girls. Developmental
Psychology, 35, 721-736.
Jenvey, V.B. (2007). The relationship between television viewing and obesity in young children: A review of
existing explanations. Early Child Development and Care, 177, 809-820.
Mustelin, L., Silventoinen, K., Pietilainen, K., Rissanen, A., & Kaprio, J. (2009). Physical activity reduces the
influence of genetic effects on BMI and waist circumference: A study in young adult twins.
International Journal of Obesity, 33, 29–36.
Robinson, T.N. (1999). Reducing children's television viewing to prevent obesity: A randomized controlled
trial. JAMA, 282, 1561-1567.
Online
Great information from the CDC
http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/index.html
Let’s Move Campaign
http://www.letsmove.gov/
Mississippi State Department of Health
http://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/43,0,289.html
Center for Mississippi Health Policy: Mississippi Initiatives to Address Childhood Obesity
http://www.mshealthpolicy.com/ChildObesityIntiatives.htm
Media
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/parents-lose-custody-obesity-children/story?id=14062898#.Tz6rRbEgdZY
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/taxing-obesity/
Intervention Design Paper
You will design an intervention to improve childhood or adolescent health. The first step is to pick a topic that
is important and interesting to you and, if possible, relevant to your career or personal life. Your paper should
be related to childhood obesity, the main focus of this class. Your intervention can target childhood obesity
itself or another issue related to obesity: this can include but is not limited to the relation between childhood
obesity and exercise, television viewing, depression, self-esteem, or parent and peer relationships. The topic you
choose will be your outcome variable.
Your paper will design an intervention to target this outcome variable. The goal of intervention studies is to find
effective ways to improve one aspect of people’s lives. These studies usually have two groups of participants:
you make some change for one (the experimental group) and do nothing to the other (the control group). For
example, to target childhood obesity, you may select one community elementary school to increase recess by
thirty minutes each day and another school to keep the same recess time.
You need to carefully plan the change you make to the experimental group. What change can you make that
will not be too difficult or expensive but will have a significant impact on a large group of people? The key to
developing a good intervention is to be creative and inventive but also reasonable and realistic.
Your paper should be between eight and twelve double-spaced pages and should have three sections: (1) an
introduction with background information on your outcome variable and any previous interventions; (2) a
methods section with detailed information about your participants and the change you plan for the experimental
group; and (3) a results and discussion section that outlines the results you expect and the implications of those
results on families, schools, communities, and public policy. Each section is discussed below.
Introduction
The goal of the introduction is to justify why your intervention should be conducted. This section needs to
introduce your topic, give background information on the topic and previous interventions, and present the
general idea of your intervention. By the end of your introduction, your reader should have a good idea of (a)
why this outcome variable is of concern (e.g., what are the national rates of childhood obesity and what is the
long-term impact of childhood obesity?) and (b) your reasoning on why your intervention will work (e.g.,
previous research suggesting that longer recess increases physical activity).
Methods
The goal of the methods section is to give detailed information about your participants, your intervention, and
how you will measure your outcome variable. It should have three subsections. First, explain who your
participants will be. This information should include the number of participants, their ages, race, gender,
socioeconomic status, and any other information that is relevant to your project. Second, give a detailed
explanation of your intervention. What will your experimental group experience? Who will run the program?
How long will it last? This part is like a recipe; leaving out an important detail makes the entire thing
incomplete. Third, discuss how you will measure your outcome variable. In order to know whether your
intervention worked, you need an objective way to measure your variable of interest before and after the
intervention. Look at previous research for the surveys, interviews, or physical measures of your outcome
variable.
Results and Discussion
The goal of your results and discussion section is to explain what you expect to find in your study and discuss
why that is important. The first part is simple. You should expect that your experimental group is different in
some way from the control group after the intervention. Detail how different and in what way you expect the
experimental group to be different. Then, explain why this is important. Based on your expected results, what
changes can be made at each level of Bronfenbrenner’s model to promote healthy children and adolescents?
References
You need to include a reference page with correct APA format. All of the references you include in the paper
must be included in the reference section.
Introduction to Developmental Psychology with a Focus on Childhood Obesity Why a Focus on Childhood Obesity? •  Issue with Developmental Psychology – Topical or chronological approach? •  Either can lead to the class feeling a li=le disjointed •  Wanted a theme to engage students •  Emphasize how applicable theories and research are in Developmental Psychology Course Design •
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Research Methods Theories Genes, Environment, and InteracFons Prenatal Development and Birth Brain Development and Physical Health PercepFon CogniFon Intelligence Language Development Gender and Sexuality Social CogniFon The Self Moral Development A=achment The family Developmental Psychopathology Course Design •  For each topic, idenFfied learning goals and explored whether the emphasis on childhood obesity could help reach those goals Course Design •  Research Methods – Brainstorm things that are posiFvely and negaFvely correlated with childhood obesity and design studies with different methods •  Theories –Some work be=er than others. Bronfenbrenner, observaFonal learning and modeling, and evoluFonary psychology •  Genes, environment, and interac4ons – Is child obesity due to nature or nurture? Both, of course! •  Prenatal development and birth– Importance of nutriFon during pregnancy and breasTeeding •  Gender and sexuality – Early menstruaFon and daFng •  Social cogni4on – Bullying, especially based on appearance •  The Self – Self-­‐esteem •  The Family – Parent and child effects. Should parents with obese children be held responsible? •  Developmental Psychopathology -­‐ Depression Introduction Health in Childhood and Adolescence Malnutri4on •  506,000 households with children in the US suffer from food insecurity •  37% of households with single-­‐mothers •  14% of households with married parents •  28% of children in developing countries suffer from malnutriFon Obesity •  Obese is BMI of 30 and above •  19.6% of US children 6 to 11 are obese •  18.1% of US children 12 to 19 are obese •  Has tripled in the past 30 years! • Food insecurity and Obesity ocen co-­‐occur. WHY? Childhood obesity   Why do we care?   Later obesity   Physical health   Cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea and other problems, stroke, several types of cancer, bone and joint problems, osteoarthriFs, asthma, etc.   Social and emoFonal wellbeing   What can we do?   Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory Macrosystem Government, media, social norms Exosystem School board, parents job Mesosystem InteracFons between microsystems Microsystem Family Peers School Church Chrono-­‐ system Childhood obesity   What can we do?   Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory   What can we do as…   Parents?   Schools?   Community members?   Consumers?   Media consumers?   Voters? Intervention Paper •  Design an intervenFon that targets childhood obesity •  Literature review, methods, expected results and discussion •  Goals •  Background informaFon on childhood obesity •  WriFng and research skills •  Introduced idea of intervenFon studies •  Emphasized the usefulness of developmental research •  CreaFvity and criFcal thinking about children’s health Pros and Cons •  PosiFves •  Really emphasized the applicaFon of developmental theories and research •  Made theories more interesFng and easier to understand •  Increased student engagement •  DifficulFes •  Does not apply to all theories or topics •  Cannot appear preachy! •  Friedman.carly@gmail.com