PSYC 1040:
Developmental Psychology
Week 2: September 19, 2011
Introduction to Developmental Psychology:
Concepts & Methods
Chapter 1

Critical Thinking
1.
Critical thinkers are flexible – they can tolerate ambiguity and
uncertainty
2.
Critical thinkers identify inherent biases and assumptions
3.
Critical thinkers maintain an air of skepticism
4.
Critical thinkers separate facts from opinions
5.
Critical thinkers don’t oversimplify
6.
Critical thinkers use logical inference processes
7.
Critical thinkers examine available evidence before drawing
conclusions (Study Guide pg. ix)
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)
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
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
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
Photovoice Assignment
Basic Steps for conducting photovoice:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
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
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
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
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?
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
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
Baby X: A Fabulous Child’s Story
Lori 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-parentsof-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-parentsof-genderless-baby-are-giving-their-children-headstart-at-independence
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Healthy heterosexual couple in their early 60’s recently retired from
professional careers.
Recently divorced single mom employed as a nurse with 2 schoolaged 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.