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Senior Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Julie Goldstein
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Permit No. 6348
For Teachers of Introductory Psychology
APA EDUCATION DIRECTORATE
January-February 1997• Volume 7• Issue 1
PTN
PSYCHOLOGY TEACHER NETWORK
APA Presents 1996 Education and Training Awards
The Education and Training
Awards Committee of APA presents these awards in recognition of the efforts of psychologists who have made distinguished contributions to educaPHOTO A
tion and training, who have
produced imaginative innovations, or who have been involved in the developmental
phases of programs in education and training in psychology.
These contributions might include important research on
Diane F. Halpern, Ph.D.
education or training; the development of effective materials for instruction;
the establishment of workshops, conferences, or
networks of communication for education and
training; achievement and leadership in administration that facilitates education and training;
and activity in professional organizations that
promote excellence.
Each year the committee presents two of
these awards. The Distinguished Career Contribution Award recognizes continuous significant
Inside:
contributions made over a lifelong career in psy2
Briefing . . . . . . . . . . . . .
chology; the Distinguished Contribution Award
What Is Known
recognizes a specific but major contribution to
and Unknown About
education and training.
5
Intelligence . . . . . . . . . .
The 1996 Distinguished Contribution to EdWhat a Long Strange
ucation
and Training Award is presented to
7
Trip It’s Been . . . . . . . . .
Diane Halpern, Ph.D. As an undergraduate at
9
Dear Doctor. . . . . . . . . .
the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Halpern was
Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
soon convinced that nothing else would be as inActivity: Concept
Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
teresting as the study of psychology, a belief that
she still holds today despite all of the years since
New Members. . . . . . . . 12
then that have been spent as an academic psyAnnouncements . . . . . . 14
chologist. Dr. Halpern went on to obtain a master’s degree at Temple University, then a second
master’s degree and doctorate at University of
Cincinnati, where she benefitted from the mentoring of Drs. William Dember and Joel Warm.
Dr. Halpern’s first academic position was as
a Visiting Professor at the University of California, Riverside. She later moved to California
State University, San Bernardino where she is
now chair of the Psychology Department.
Dr. Halpern has a broad range of interests
beginning with her earlier work in visual perception and, more recently, with individual differences in cognition and using the principles of cognitive psychology to help students improve how
they think. Her texts on these topics, Thought
and Knowledge: An Introduction to Critical
Thinking (3rd edition) and Sex Differences in
Cognitive Abilities (3rd edition in preparation),
have greatly influenced the field. Dr. Halpern is
an active advocate for psychology. She served on
the APA’s Board of Educational Affairs and as the
past-president of the Division of General Psychology and is president-elect of the Society for the
Teaching of Psychology. She has also worked on
several state and national committees to shape
public policy with regard to higher education including the California Postsecondary Education
Commission, the Technical Advisory Commitee
for the Graduate Record Examination, and the
U.S. Department of Education’s National Goals
for Post-Secondary Education.
Very few scholars have made so many important and diverse contributions to the advancement of quality education as has Diane
Halpern. She has applied the theories, empirical
See Awards, page 4
BRIEFING
A Contemporary Perspective on the Psychology
of Productive Thinking
By Michael Wertheimer, Ph.D., University of Colorado at Boulder
Dr. Wertheimer recently
retired from the University of
Colorado after a teaching career that spanned more than
four decades. Dr. Wertheimer
has spent the last few years
on a biography of his father,
the Gestalt psychologist,
Max Wertheimer.
2
The book Productive Thinking by
Gestalt psychologist Max Wertheimer, published just over a half
century ago (two years after the author’s death), has been translated
into several foreign languages and
has been reissued repeatedly in English; it continues to be cited repeatedly in the Social Science Citation
Index. Why are people still reading it,
still citing it?
Wertheimer introduced his
book by asking, “What occurs
when, now and then, thinking really
works productively? What happens
when, now and then, thinking
forges ahead? What is really going
on in such a process?”
His answer was that what characterizes productive thought is its fit
with the situation to which it is applied. Productive thinking involves
going from a state of confusion about
some issue that is blind to the core
structural features and properties of
that issue, to a new state in which
everything about the issue is clear,
makes sense, and fits together. At the
core of the process is a kind of reorganization or restructuring, going
from a state that makes no sense to
one that does make sense, displays
insight, is crystal clear.
In his lectures on thinking,
and in his book, Wertheimer used
numerous concrete examples to illustrate his principles. They may
help clarify his approach. Consider
first a perceptual illustration of
what he meant by “reorganization,” “restructuring,” “insight,”
“understanding.”
What does the following
mean?: Pas de l’y a Rhône que
nous. This example comes from
William James (1890). The French
might be translated roughly as “Not
of there is Rhône (a river) than we,”
which makes no sense at all. Try
Psychology Teacher Network January-February 1997
saying it out loud. Does that help?
Try reading it with an American accent: “Pah de’l ya rown ke-new” —
or “Paddle your own canoe.” The
reorganization achieves a transition
from meaninglessness to a new
structure, in which the sequence of
sounds symbolized by the letters
now makes some sense.
A rebus almost cries out for reorganization.
stood
What does this well mean?
view
“Well” is under “stood,” and
both are over “view” — which,
slightly reorganized, becomes
“well” under “stood” over “view,”
or well-understood overview.
That’s what you need to generate
about any problem, to think about
it productively.
Such “catching on” characterizes productive thinking and problem solving as well, whether in
physics, geometry, or any other
field, and Wertheimer analyzed
dozens of concrete examples. Here’s
one instance: why is any sequence
of three repeated digits (abc,abc or,
efg,efg; 276,276 or 341,341, etc.)
divisible without remainder by 13?
The solution requires realizing that
the factors of the number abc,abc
are abc — and 1001 (1001 times
abc equals abc,abc), and that 1001
is divisible by 13 without remainder.
Think it through!
A striking example of reorganization is an extension of a popular
puzzle. A hunter sees a bear one
mile due south of him. He aims his
gun, shoots, and misses. The hunter
next walks the one mile due south to
where the bear was when he fired
the shot, then walks one mile due
east, then one mile due north —
and finds himself standing at exactly the same place he had been
standing when he shot his gun. The
usual version next asks, “What color
was the bear?” For someone who
has never heard this story, the question is astonishing. How could the
information provided have anything
to do with the color of the bear? To
solve the problem, the query has to
be reformulated into, “Where on the
surface of the earth might it be possible to go successively one mile due
south, then one mile due east, then
one mile due north, and end up
standing at the same place one
started from?” Most readers will already know that the spot is the
north pole. From there, you go one
mile due south, then turn left 90 degrees and walk exactly one mile due
east, then turn left again and go exactly one mile due north — and end
up standing on the north pole again.
The spherical triangle the hunter
traversed looks a bit different from
a plane triangle (all three sides are
curved and the sum of its interior
angles is 270 rather than 180 degrees), but the north pole clearly
satisfies the specified constraints.
What can you conclude about the
color of the bear? Of course: any
bear in the arctic is apt to be a
polar bear, so the color of the bear
must be white.
But that is where the extension of this problem starts. Where
else on the earth’s surface, other
than at the north pole, can one go
one mile due south, then one mile
due east, then one mile due north,
and end up standing at the same
place one started from? Perhaps
you should stop here and ponder
the puzzle for a while.
Such examples may help convey what Max Wertheimer meant by
“reorganizing” or “restructuring.”
He argued that productive thinking
requires an insightful revision of
one’s representation of the problem
domain, to use more modern terminology. In summary, he proposed
three broad generalizations about
productive problem solving, all of
which can be viewed as challenges
to modern cognitive psychology, and
all of which have been addressed by
contemporary writers. First, productive thought involves transforming
the representation of a problem
from a vague, fuzzy, incomplete and
confused one that is blind to essential structural features of the problem to one that is clear, has no gaps
in it, makes sense, and views each
part of the problem in terms of its
place, role, and function within the
problem as a whole.
Second, such transformations
are (a) hampered by blind search,
“functional fixedness,” empty associations, “and-sums,” conditioning,
school drill, bias, and so on, and are
(b) aided by open-minded exploration of the problem, searching for
its essential, crucial features, and its
“rho relations.” By “functional
fixedness” Wertheimer meant that if
an object is seen as fulfilling a particularly useful function in one context, it makes it less likely that one
will see that it could perform a different function as well in another
context. An “and-sum” is a mere
conglomeration of items that are arbitrarily connected, without regard
to the attributes of those items or
their meaningful relations to one another. The term “rho relation” was
used by Wertheimer to indicate a
feature that is crucial to the essence
of a problem. For example if you are
to build a toy bridge of wooden
blocks, there is a rho relation between the distance separating the
two uprights and the length of the
horizontal member (it can’t be
shorter than the distance between
the two uprights), as well as a rho
relation between the heights of the
two vertical blocks — they must be
at least roughly comparable if the
bridge is to stand. But the color of
the blocks bears no rho relation to
whether the bridge will stand or not.
Third, this perspective generates several potentially productive
areas for research: (a) laws governing segregation, grouping, centering, and structural transposability,
(b) how relations between parts and
their wholes govern the possible operations on parts that take into account the part’s place, role and
function within the whole of which
it is a part, and (c) the nature of
“outstanding wholes,” “good
Gestalten,” indeed of “rho relations” themselves.
Wertheimer illustrated these
observations with numerous examples, ranging from finding the area
of a parallelogram to how Albert
Einstein formulated the theory of
relativity. To paraphrase Ericsson
and his colleagues in their preface to
the 1982 edition of Productive
Thinking, the examples set a challenge for the modern cognitive psychologist — indeed for any
thoughtful human being. They contrast pure memory, or reproductive
thinking, which can be accounted
for reasonably well by the associationist paradigm that prevailed half
a century ago (and by its modern
counterpart, the connectionist approach to computer modeling) with
productive thinking, or insightbased reasoning, which is not so
easily handled by an associationist
or connectionist strategy. Examples
of productive problem solving and
thinking compel consideration of
complex mental structures and
processes, typically ones that are
idiosyncratic to a particular problem and do not generalize from one
problem domain to another.
The advent of the computer a
few decades ago generated what is
now called the “cognitive revolution.” The computer became the
model for the human mind. Newell,
Shaw and Simon (1958, 1962),
Newell and Simon (1972), and
Simon (1978) formalized what has
become the prototype of the kinds
of paradigms that have been taken
for granted by cognitive psychologists ever since. Problem solving is
conceived as goal-directed search
among possible perceived solutions
within a specified domain called the
“problem space.” Such a conception works well in simulations of the
problem-solving efforts of novices
who have little experience with attempting to solve novel problems,
but cannot readily account for how
experts like chess masters, physicists
or designers, who have a thorough
knowledge and an organized understanding of a domain, go about solving difficult problems in the area of
their expertise. One consequence of
this failure was the postulation by
Kintsch (e.g. Kintsch
and van Dijk, 1978)
and others of complex
...productive
abstract knowledge
thinking requires
structures such as
schemas, scripts, or
an insightful
frames to account for
revision of one’s
text comprehension
and other complex
representation of
cognitive processes.
the problem
From this perspective,
as Greeno (1977) put
domain...
it, “insight” involves
the discovery of the
applicability of an existing general schema
to a novel situation.
But what processes generate genuinely productive thinking, that is,
yield representations that can in
fact be used successfully to solve a
novel problem, remained — and
remains — elusive. Blind schemageneralization cannot work; the restructuring and insight emphasized
by Wertheimer are missing in computer models of cognitive processes.
Ericsson and his co-authors in 1982
(pp. xv-xvi) concluded that while
modern cognitive science has made
some modest progress on several issues raised in the book Productive
Thinking, “it has by no means
solved all of them. All of Wertheimer’s examples raise serious
problems for an associationistic paradigm of mental processes. Today,
See Productive Thinking, page 6
Psychology Teacher Network January-February 1997
3
Awards, from page 1
methods, and knowledge of cognitive psychology and psychometrics
to educational practices that are
designed to help students become
better thinkers and learners. Her
extensive work on the assessment
of educational outcomes, individual
differences in cognition, and the
development of critical thinking reflect her unique contributions to
understanding the thinking and
learning process and its real life implications. Dr. Halpern’s outstanding contributions to the education
of the next generation reflect her
lifetime commitment to teaching
and learning excellence.
The 1996 Distinguished Career
Contribution to Education and
Training Award is presented to Cynthia D. Belar, Ph.D. for her pioneering work in the field of health
psychology. Beginning in the mid1970s, Dr. Belar created and implemented a number of academic, research and clinical programs that
opened the way to both APA recognition of health-based psychology programs and institutional acceptance
of the practice of psychology as a
vital part of physical health care.
Dr. Belar earned her doctorate
at Ohio University after an internship at Duke University Medical
Center. She soon became Director
of Internship Training at the University of Florida Health Sciences
Center, and served as Chief Psychologist at Kaiser Permanente,
Los Angeles from 1983 until 1990.
In 1990, Dr. Belar returned to the
University of Florida Health Science Center where she is currently
PHOTO B
Cynthia D. Belar, Ph.D.
Professor and Director of the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program.
Dr. Belar has made numerous
national contributions. In addition
to participation on various boards
and committees, she has chaired
national conferences on internship
(1987), scientist-practitioner (1990)
and postdoctoral (1992) education
and training in professional psychology. Each of these conferences es-
tablished guidelines for educational
programs subsequently adopted by
various groups in psychology, including adaptations by the APA
Committee on Accreditation for the
accreditation of postdoctoral programs.
Key words in describing Dr.
Belar’s career to date are initiative
and innovation. As a professor,
scholar, clinician, educator and administrator, Cynthia D. Belar has
greatly influenced graduate education, internship training, postdoctoral fellowship opportunities,
diplomate recognition and emerging areas of health psychology. She
is widely recognized as the most
experienced, tactful and zealous
organizer of national conferences in
psychology. Most recently, she developed national conferences to examine the Scientist Practitioner
Model and Postdoctoral Education.
These conferences are universally
recognized as being invaluable
contributions to our field. She also
was the first person to initiate
HMO postdoctoral fellowship programs in Behavioral Medicine. For
her commitment and dedication to
innovative roles for psychologists
and her leadership in national discussion of cutting edge issues,
Cynthia D. Belar is honored with
this award.
Proposed Spring Teacher Workshops
TOPSS is proposing two 1 1/2-day workshops for
teachers of introductory psychology to be held on April
18-19, 1997. One of the workshops will be held in conjunction with the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association’s Regional Meeting in Reno, NV, and the other in
Fort Worth, TX, in conjunction with the Southwestern
Psychological Association’s Regional Meeting. These
workshops encourage teachers and presenters to work
together toward improving psychology education for all
students.
TOPSS workshops, highly rated by teachers, serve
as a model for providing teachers with an opportunity to
gain a greater knowledge and understanding of psychology by building on teachers’ current knowledge of psychology content. Presenters offer innovative ways for
4
Psychology Teacher Network January-February 1997
teachers to share concepts and skills, explore scientific
ways of thinking, examine scientific processes and principles, engage teachers in problem-solving and decisionmaking activities, and provide a forum for the exchange
of ideas and experiences among teachers.
TOPSS workshop presenters create an environment
conducive to active learning, model multiple teaching
strategies for teachers to use, and help teachers to become
familiar with a wide range of psychology curricula, resources, and other scientific literature. Workshops incorporate activities and materials that can be used in the
classroom.
Look for specific workshop registration information
in the next issue of PTN or call APA’s Education Directorate at (202)336-6076 for more information.
Setting the Record Straight: What is Known and
Unknown About Intelligence
By Virginia Nichols Quinn, Northern Virginia Community College
After the publication of Hernnstrein and Murray’s controversial book The Bell Curve, The APA’s Board of Scientific Affairs (BSA) established a Task
Force to prepare an authoritative report on research findings related to intelligence. The Task Force focused on five specific questions and indicated what
is known from scientific evidence, what is currently in dispute, and what is still unknown. The following is a summation of the Task Force findings. The
original article detailing the Task Force’s findings appears in the February 1996 issue of American Psychologist.
Question 1: What are the significant conceptualizations of intelligence at this time?
Known:
• Most of our knowledge on intelligence is based on research from psychometric testing.
• Most traditional intelligence tests focus on analytic abilities.
• Some psychometricians focus on the differences and patterns of specific abilities.
• Some psychometricians are concerned with correlations of specific
abilities and finding an overall general intelligence factor (g).
In Dispute:
• What is the definition of g? Is it a form of mental energy, an abstract
reasoning ability, a measure of neural processing speed, or a mere
statistical regularity?
• Should measures of intelligence include musical, bodily-kinesthetic,
interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist, and broader forms of spatial
abilities?
• How do we distinguish between talents and intelligence?
• Should intelligence tests measure creative and practical abilities as
well as analytic skills?
• How can intelligence tests reflect the factors of significance within
specific cultures? (Anglo-Americans stress cognitive abilities as important in the concept of intelligence; people from other cultures view
motivation, social skills, and practical school skills as more important.)
Unknown:
• How do brain functions relate to intelligence? (With current improvements in technology, research is still in the early stages.)
Question 2: What do intelligence test scores mean, what do they
predict, and how well do they predict it?
Known:
• Tests of intelligence usually have subtests to measure specific abilities.
• Intelligence test scores correlate fairly well with school grades (.50)
but this correlation accounts only for 25% of the overall variance.
(Culture and type of schooling are important variables contributing to
school achievement.)
• IQ scores are relatively stable throughout development.
• Intelligence test scores are the best single predictor of how long an
individual will remain in school.
• Psychometric intelligence is only one of the many factors that affect
social status.
• Intelligence test scores are weakly related to job performance.
• Correlations between intelligence test scores and juvenile crime are
negative and extremely low.
• Perceptual and cognitive speed are correlated with psychometric
intelligence.
Unknown:
• Are factors such as interpersonal skills and aspects of personality more
important than intelligence in predicting job performance?
• Does speed or “neural efficiency” promote increases in intelligence or
do more intelligent individuals just find quicker ways to complete perceptual and cognitive tasks?
Question 3: Why do individuals differ in intelligence and especially in their scores on intelligence tests?
Known:
• Intelligence is the joint product of both genetic and environmental
factors.
• Failure to attend school has a negative effect on intelligence scores.
• Preschool programs usually have a positive effect on intelligence scores
but the gains tend to fade with time.
• Exposure to lead has a negative effect on intelligence.
• Prenatal exposure to high levels of alcohol has a negative effect on
intelligence.
• Malnutrition is a negative factor for intelligence.
• In the last 50 years, mean IQ scores world-wide have increased more
than 15 points (called the “Flynn effect”).
In Dispute:
• Can dietary supplements of micro-nutrients increase intelligence
scores in well-nourished individuals?
Unknown:
• How do genes contribute to individual differences in intelligence?
• What level of nutrition is required to maintain intelligence?
• Which factors contribute to the recent world-wide increase in intelligence test scores (Flynn effect): improved nutrition, cultural changes,
experience with testing, shifts in schooling or child-rearing methods,
or other unknown considerations?
Question 4: Do various ethnic groups display different patterns
of performance on intelligence tests and if so what might explain those differences?
Known:
• There are no important gender differences in overall IQ scores.
• Males tend to score higher on visual-spatial and (starting in middlechildhood) mathematical skills, while females tend to achieve higher
scores on several verbal scales.
• Sex hormone levels as well as social factors are responsible for gender
differences.
• Intelligence distributions among groups overlap widely.
See Record, page 8
Psychology Teacher Network January-February 1997
5
Productive Thinking, from page 3
the information-processing psychologist considers the solution of the issues raised by Wertheimer central to
progress in [the] understanding of problem solving and
productive thinking. Many of the examples so lucidly
discussed by Wertheimer remain only partially understood and continue to represent significant challenges to
cognitive scientists.”
I have proposed (1985) that the inherently blind
connections that make up a computer and a computer
program can never achieve insight: understanding and
meaning are in principle outside the capacity of any
computer or computer program; to the extent that a
program might be able to mimic or simulate productive
thinking, the insight or understanding is not in the program or computer itself, but in the programmer.
Library research and suggestions of several colleagues yielded many recent publications that are clearly
relevant to the issues raised in Wertheimer’s book. People
are still thinking about, writing about, and doing empirical work on these matters. Consider a brief sample of
these publications. The question about all these items, I
believe, should be whether recent developments demonstrate real progress on the central problem that Max
Wertheimer addressed in his analyses of productive thinking: the crucial role of reorganization, of restructuring, of
insight. An old friend, Ward Edwards of southern California, a long-time systems analyst, wrote me in another
context that he believes that one should let computers do
what they do well, the “intellectual” processes of evaluation, inference, and decision — and let people do what
they are good at, which are the tasks required to structure
the problem in the first place and to provide inputs to
those three processes. To repeat, computers and an information-processing model are, because they are inherently
blind, excruciatingly literal, and incapable of processing
meaning, in principle unable to simulate the most critical
property of productive thinking, restructuring.
Holyoak and Spellman’s chapter on thinking for the
1993 Annual Review of Psychology contrasts what they
call the production-systems approach of Simon and his
colleagues, which handles “well-defined” problems that
have clear goals, a clear starting state, and obvious operators reasonably well, with the approach to less well-defined problems on which Gestalt psychologists like Max
Wertheimer worked, that typically require “restructuring”
of the problem representation if a solution is to be
achieved. They write (p. 269) that “It is unlikely... that
connectionism will undermine the traditional view that
human thinking requires a symbol system,” and (p. 273)
give credit to Tweney (1990) for indicating that the complex interrelatedness of hypotheses provides a major challenge for computational theories of scientific reasoning.
Holyoak and Spellman point out that “A crucial
question for theories of thinking concerns relevance,” or
what Wertheimer meant by rho relations. Yet another
6
Psychology Teacher Network January-February 1997
issue (p. 297) is transfer, the transfer of knowledge
learned in one context to other related situations: “Essentially by definition, transfer is based on the perception
that prior knowledge is relevant to the current context.”
How can a computer be programmed to make such
metaphorical and analogical jumps? Another aspect of the
relevance issue is stated as follows by Holyoak and Spellman (p. 302): “A crucial aspect of the general characterization of a representational system is that it involves specifying which aspects of the represented world are relevant.” Once again: how do you program a computer so it
will be able to recognize the difference between rho relations and trivial, superficial attributes of a problem?
Sternberg and Davidson’s 1995 book, The Nature of
Insight, is full of references to Productive Thinking, and
Murray published a book in 1995 entitled Gestalt Psychology and the Cognitive Revolution. Murray claims,
and documents in detail, that “the Gestalt psychologists... foreshadowed the cognitive revolution” (p. xi); he
“emphasizes the value of the insights of Gestalt psychology for our understanding of cognitive psychology, and
argues that we need to re-evaluate many of Gestalt psychology’s ignored insights” (back cover).
A paper by Newell (1980) extolled the virtues of the
concept of a problem space, arguing that people construct and improve such spaces as they gain experience
in a problem domain, and that the problem-space idea
(p. 715) “has strong implications for the transfer of
skill.... If a [person] maps a task into an existing problem
space, then the transfer of this knowledge to the new
task is implied.” But Newell does not address the critical
issue of rho relations: how does one know into which (already-familiar) problem space to transfer a new problem? Studies by Metcalfe (e.g., 1986) and her colleagues
provide an empirical, functional distinction between the
processing of memory tasks and of problem-solving
tasks, the same distinction that Wertheimer made between reproductive and productive thinking. While people
are generally able to predict their future performance on
reproductive memory tasks (p. 292), they cannot predict
future performance on productive problems that require
transformation of the problem representation for their
solution. Kounios and Smith (1995) provide comparable
findings, using a sophisticated method to study the timecourse of partial information accumulation during the
processing of anagram tasks, which require some degree
of reorganization or insight. Both of these lines of research imply that it may be inherently impossible for the
current continuity models of information processing to
account for the all-or-none or discontinuity features of
problem solving that requires a changed representation.
Winston, Chaffin and Herrmann (1987), in their
taxonomy of part-whole relations, recognize that such
relations are not limited to logical inclusion or class
membership — indeed there are many kinds of partSee Productive Thinking, page 8
What a Long Strange Trip It’s Been
By Bob McDermott, Lehman High School, Bronx, NY
Editor’s Note: Psychology Teacher Network enjoys highlighting the contributions that APA affiliates
and members have made to the advancement of teaching introductory psychology. Bob McDermott, a
TOPSS member from Lehman High School in New
York, had the opportunity last year to take a sabbatical from his teaching job to travel. For his destinations, he chose the high schools of several TOPSS
members. These teachers, who are preparing students
to think critically by exposing them to the scientific
basis of psychology, work daily to bring psychology to
today’s youth in innovative ways. It is with pleasure
that we share with you their thoughts and ideas about
introductory psychology.
My first stop was with George Mager at
Granville Senior High School in upstate New York.
George likes teaching psychology because it not only
prepares young people for exciting careers, but also
addresses their daily needs. His aim is to help students to make informed and intelligent decisions
about issues in their everyday lives. At last year’s
Eastern Psychological Association’s annual meeting in
Boston, George did a wonderful demonstration of the
learned helplessness phenomenon using anagrams
and an audience of high school psychology instructors. George sees two challenges for high school psychology teachers: First, there is a continuing need to
find new and improved ways to trigger the intrinsic
motivations of students as there is competition for
their attention with television and computers. Second,
it is important to keep up with the voluminous quantity of research data and findings generated by the
science of psychology.
My next stop was in Massachusetts to meet with
Pat Marinos. Pat is busily incorporating a more biological emphasis into her courses. On the day I visited
her classroom, I watched her students present their
versions of the brain and its processes. Each group
member became a part of the brain and, in turn, the
limbic system, the cerebellum, the corpus callosum
were each labelled and explained.
I then ventured to another town in Massachusetts where I spent time with Dr. John Sullivan. I
sat in on a parenting group in which they discussed
the difficulties of raising teenage children. From February through May, John keeps his class after hours
for supplementary preparation for the AP exam. Nevertheless, his classes are filled every semester proving
the complementary nature of inspiration and perspiration. To prepare his students for the free response
challenge, John is fond of having his students write
Photo C
group essays. One such exercise has each of four students in a group prepare an exposition of the philosophy behind one of four major perspectives: humanistic, biological, cognitive-behavioral or psychoanalytic.
When ready, these discourses are shared not only with
other group members, but with the entire class. John
feels that psychology is an indispensable part of a
high school student’s education because as a discipline it is primarily concerned with the motivations
and behaviors of people, precisely the terrain that
teenagers need to explore as they search for identity.
Mariann Paolantonio, from Pennsylvania, was
the next teacher that I visited. Fond of independent
study, Mariann’s seniors work on semester-long projects on topics as varied as the brain and child psychology. Ultimately they produce portfolios of their
work. Instead of merely requiring her students to
memorize the parts of the brain, she explores brain
functioning, its effect on human behavior, and the
neurotransmitters that make it all possible.
I took my tour of high schools across the border
into Montreal where I met with Victoria Cattell of
St. George Middle/High School. Tori teaches fine arts
as well as psychology. She has worked hard to raise
her level of expertise in psychology and combines this
with a love of fine arts. The result is wonderful interdisciplinary opportunities like the exploration of sensation and perception from both artistic and psychological perspectives. She is also fond of inviting instructors from other departments to help explain
See Strange Trip, page 13
Pat Rowan demonstrates the Stroop
Effect to his class.
Psychology Teacher Network January-February 1997
7
Productive Thinking, from page 6
whole relationships, some relatively empty and some relatively rich and pregnant. Rho relations again? The authors do not mention them, nor do they refer to an appendix in the later editions of Productive Thinking in
which Wertheimer distinguished at length between “arbitrary components” and “necessary parts.”
Kaplan and Simon’s 1990 paper, “In search of insight,” refers extensively to the Gestalt literature and
then reports empirical work on a classic mathematical
puzzle, the mutilated-checkerboard problem. Attaining
“insight,” they write, requires discovering an effective
problem representation, and the likelihood that such a
representation will be discovered is related to the search
for invariants, what they call the “notice invariants
heuristic.” Yet it is unlikely that such a heuristic could be
generalized to other problems since it is specific to this
particular problem — and it also remains unclear how
one should go about generating a good problem representation in the first place. What commands could one
give a computer that would have this desired effect? Nobody knows yet how to program a computer so that it
can be sensitive to rho relations.
Record, from page 5
• Ethnic differences show complex
patterns and are difficult to
generalize.
• While Chinese and Japanese
Americans have outstanding
school achievement, their IQ
scores are similar to those of European Americans (Whites) although their spatial scores are
slightly higher.
• Hispanic Americans (Latinos)
score somewhat lower than
Whites, but many Hispanics are
less familiar with English.
• African Americans (Blacks) score
about 15 points below Whites.
• Empirical evidence shows little
support for genetic explanations
of the Black/White IQ differential.
In Dispute:
• Can the Flynn effect explain the
Black/White IQ differential?
Unknown:
• What cultural factors lead to
differences in IQ scores?
• Can sex differences in brain
structures and functions explain differences in patterns of
intelligence?
Question 5: What significant
8
Psychology Teacher Network January-February 1997
Most of the chapters in Sternberg and Davidson’s
1995 book on insight are directly relevant. Mayer’s
opening chapter, for instance, is on “The Search for Insight: Grappling with Gestalt Psychology’s Unanswered
Questions.” Dominowski and Dallob, in “Insight and
Problem Solving,” deal with characteristics of problem
solving, the difference between reproductive and productive thinking, the nature of insight, understanding,
functional fixedness, and restructuring. Schooler et al.’s
“epilogue,” entitled “Insight in Perspective,” touches on
the definition of insight, the causes of impasses during
the process of solving a problem, how impasses are
overcome, coherence, and other crucial issues.
Two things remain. First, will the modern computer-based information-processing paradigm that is
dominating cognitive psychology be able to deal adequately with the central issue of productive thinking? I
won’t belabor my answer to that question. In any event,
people today are still reading and pondering Max
Wertheimer’s book, Productive Thinking. Its striking descriptions and analyses of insights are as fresh today as
they were a half century ago, and pose a serious chal
See Productive Thinking, Page 13
scientific issues are presently
unresolved?
• Why does the genetic impact on
intelligence increase with age?
• What aspects of schooling are
critical to the development of
intelligence?
• What is the role of nutrition in
intelligence?
• How should the correlation between information processing
speed and psychometric intelligence be interpreted?
• Why have mean intelligence
scores risen more than 15 points
in the last 50 years?
• What causes the differences in
scores between Blacks and
Whites?
• How are such factors as creativity, wisdom, practical sense, and
social sensitivity related to
intelligence?
Possible Activities for Introductory Psychology Students:
Assign students to read the assigned chapter (or pages) on “intelligence” in their text. Each student
must outline their text’s author’s
views on:
1) Known information on intelli-
gence;
2) Issues that are currently in dispute; and
3) Concepts that are unknown and
require further study.
In the next class distribute
copies of this article and invite students to compare their text outlines
with the outline of the Task Force.
and/or
Distribute copies of this article and
divide the class into five groups. Assign one of the five questions to each
of the groups and instruct them to
propose a study that could resolve
one of the items listed as “in dispute” or “unknown.” Suggest that
each group of students begin by
using “known” information and
then design strategies to collect additional empirical evidence that
would either solve the dispute or
provide an answer to an issue that is
currently unsolved.
Article adapted from: Neisser, U.,
Boodoo, G., Bouchard, T.J., Boykin,
A.W., Brody, N., Ceci, S.J., Halpern,
D.F., Loehlin, J.C., Perloff, R., Sternberg, R.J., & Urbina, S. (1996). Intelligence: Knowns and unknowns.
American Psychologist, 51, 2, 77-101.
DEAR DOCTOR
Question: I understand that lack of sleep can be very detrimental to your health. However in
the 1960s a high school student, Randy Gardner, stayed up for 264 hours for a science fair project with supposedly no ill effects. Is this really possible? Could you also describe the effects of
sleep deprivation?
Submitted by Bates Mandel, Ben Franklin High School, Philadelphia, PA
The world of science is fraught
with bits of folklore that are taken
as truth. One of these concerns
Randy Gardner, the 17 year old
high school student who, in January 1964, supposedly proved how
easily we can do without sleep. The
myth is that he stayed awake 264
hours (11 days) with no ill effects.
This conclusion is so widespread
that it has now become a stock
“fact” presented in virtually any
psychology or psychiatry book that
has a chapter on sleep. Unfortunately the claim that Randy had no
problems was based upon only two
observations, the first being that
there were no obvious lasting physical problems, at least none that
didn’t disappear after he started
sleeping again. The second was
based on the casual observation of
one researcher who, on Day 10 of
the experiment, took Randy to a
restaurant. While there, they spent
a little time playing a pinball game
and the researcher later noted that
Randy played the game well and
even beat him at it. Although this is
an interesting story, and shows that
there were times when Randy
seemed normal despite his sleep
loss, the actual scientific data
shows that Randy was actually suffering during his vigil.
Lieutenant Commander John
J. Ross of the US Navy Medical
Neuropsychiatric Research Unit in
San Diego monitored Randy’s
marathon. In his notes we find
that by Day 2, Randy was having
intermittent difficulty focusing his
eyes and the visual problems were
bad enough that he gave up
watching television for the rest of
the marathon. On Day 3, there
was evidence of moodiness and
signs that Randy’s physical coordination and strength were deteriorating. Randy could now no longer
even recite simple tongue twisters.
On Day 4, he was showing some
hallucinations, such as seeing a
street sign as a person, and had a
delusional episode in which he
imagined that he was a famous
black football player. This delusion
soon combined with his negative
mood shifts and he began to show
resentment and anger about what
he felt were racist motivated statements about his ability as a football player. This was interpreted as
a form of delusional paranoia, a
condition in which people believe
that others dislike them and are
trying to do them harm. Things
continued to go downhill. Over
time his speech became very slow
and by Day 8 it had “a soft, slow,
slurred, mush quality”. By Day 9
Randy was starting to show
episodes of fragmented thinking
and he frequently began, but did
not finish, his sentences. On Day
11, the last day, he was given a full
neurological examination. Physically he seemed fine, and could
move his hands and legs with normal coordination and had adequate balance although some muscle tremors were noticeable in his
fingers. There was also a slight
heart murmur which disappeared
PHOTO D
two days after he resumed sleeping. His eyes were showing rotary
drifts and an inability to focus
well. His face was described as
“expressionless”. His speech was
slurred and without intonation and
he had to be encouraged to talk to
get him to respond at all. His attention span was very short and
his mental abilities were diminished. An example of this involved
the so-called “serial sevens” test.
In this test a person is told to start
with the number 100 and to go
backwards by subtracting 7 each
time. Thus a person should go
“100, 93, 86, 79...” and so forth.
Randy got back to 65 (that’s only
5 subtractions) and then stopped.
When Dr. Ross asked him why he
had stopped he informed him that
he couldn’t remember what he
was supposed to be doing!
Obviously there were lots of ill
effects of going without sleep for
Randy Gardner. Probably the only
reason that he lasted as long as he
did, at all, was because he was
very young and healthy to begin
with. Other studies, on adults aged
20 to 35, indicate that for the typical person, it is seldom possible to
go beyond around 60 hours without sleep. With that degree of sleep
deprivation most people show
enough physical and mental deterioration to force an end to the
study for their own safety. From
this it should be clear that sleep
deprivation has very substantial
and very negative effects on health
and behavior.
Stanley Coren, Ph.D
Answered by Stanley Coren,
Ph.D., University of British
Columbia, Vancouver, Cananda
A panel of noted clinical, experimental and academic
psychologists has graciously
agreed to reply in this column to questions submitted
by teachers and students.
We invite you to send your
questions to:
DEAR DOCTOR, PTN,
Education Directorate, 750
First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
The Education Directorate and the American Psychological Association
wish you a very happy, healthy and productive New Year!
Psychology Teacher Network January-February 1997
9
REVIEW
The Other Side of Psychology:
How Experimental Psychologists Find Out About
the Way We Think and Act
Author: Denise D. Cummins, Ph.D.
Publisher: St. Martins’ Press 175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
Date of Publication: 1995
The news media, TV and radio talk
shows, and self-help books have increased awareness and interest in
clinical psychology within the general
public. However, experimental psychology is largely unknown. In order
to inform the public about the “other
side of psychology,” Denise D. Cummins, Ph.D. has written a very readable and interesting book that covers
a variety of experimental topics.
The material covered in this
book appears to have been carefully
selected. Each of the nine chapters
focuses on the impact experimental
psychologists have had on particular
areas of psychology. The topics presented are those covered in typical
introductory psychology texts.
These topics include social psychology, biological psychology, perception, memory, consciousness, emotion, learning, language, and thinking. However, the order of the chapters varies somewhat from typical
introductory texts. Instead of beginning the book with the biological
basis of behavior, Cummins begins
with social cognition. This approach
seems reasonable since students
often find biology related chapters
difficult to understand but are intrigued by recent events such as the
Rodney King beating and the Waco,
Texas incident which highlight
racial tension and obedience to authority. Therefore, the first chapter
presents information related to issues currently in the public conscience. This automatically demonstrates the relevance of experimental
psychology and captivates the interest of the reader.
10
Psychology Teacher Network January-February 1997
ISBN: 0-312-13577-7
Reviewed by: Christopher Koch, Ph.D.,
George Fox University, Newberg, OR
Due to the structure of the
book, chapters could easily be incorporated into introductory psychology courses. The average chapter length is 22 pages. In addition,
Cummins often provides a different
perspective than that given in most
introductory texts. For instance, in
the perception chapter, she presents
vision research from a developmental perspective. Clinical examples
also attract the attention of the
reader throughout the book and
show the tie between the experimental and clinical sides of psychology. The choice of examples is significant since, in general, most people are primarily interested in developmental and clinical issues.
Therefore, the chapters could serve
as interesting and valuable supplemental material.
A brief history of experimental
psychology is presented in the prologue. Although short, the history
does mention most of the people
who fostered the early growth of experimental psychology, such as
Descartes, Locke, Helmholtz, Donders, and Wundt. Chapter one presents social psychology research.
Milgram’s research on obedience is
thoroughly covered. Conformity,
bystander apathy, and cognitive dissonance are also covered in detail.
Research on attraction and leadership styles is presented as well.
Chapter two is very well written for
the intended audience. Basic brain
anatomy and function are presented
in a readable novel-like style. The
chapter on perception focuses on vision development.
Memory is discussed in chapter
four. Differences between implicit
and explicit memory are drawn.
Sperling’s paper on iconic memory
and Miller’s “seven plus-or-minus
two” are also presented. Consciousness is discussed in regard to dichotic
listening tasks, split-brain research,
multiple personalities, sleep, and the
effects of anesthesia. The “nature
versus nurture” debate is presented
in the chapter on emotion followed
by examples of how our emotions are
influenced biologically, environmentally, and perceptually. Classical and
operant conditioning are described as
adaptive mechanisms in chapter
seven which covers learning and how
learning research contributes to other
areas of psychology, including clinical. The eighth chapter deals with
language and begins with an illustration from Jurassic Park to emphasize
the significance of language. Brain
structures involved in language, such
as Wernicke’s area, are described.
Developmental constraints on language are also presented. Finally,
chapter nine highlights research related to thinking. Categorization,
reasoning, and problem-solving are
key topics discussed in this chapter.
Cummins has succeeded in
writing a non-text book source about
experimental psychology that contains a lot of text book findings. The
Other Side of Psychology would be
an excellent tool for increasing student awareness of the important role
of experimental psychology. The
book would also be an excellent library addition for those interested in
exploring the field of psychology.
ACTIVITY
Inquiries, Demonstrations, Experiments and Activities
Concept Mapping: A Strategy For Promoting Active Learning
By Laura Lincoln Maitland, Mepham High School, Bellmore, NY
Concept:
Teaching with a constructivist approach involves “structuring learning around ‘big ideas’ or primary concepts” and
“assessing student learning in the context of teaching,” according to Brooks and Brooks (1993). Concept mapping is
a technique that integrates effective instruction, curricula and assessment.
In concept mapping the learner constructs a diagram that indicates interrelationships among concepts that
represent meaning in specific domains. As an instructional technique, concept mapping involves students in their
own learning, encourages youngsters to link prior knowledge with new information, deals with curriculum content,
encourages problem solving and planning, and enables them to see where they need to fill in gaps in their knowledge. As an assessment technique, concept mapping is integrated with instruction to continue progress in learning.
Concept mapping can measure personal progress and achievement, and promote self-reflection by providing feedback on learning progress. The teacher can assess concept maps by examining them for number of concepts, quality
of linkages, appropriateness of the hierarchical organization, and richness of cross linkages.
Students in my classes can work individually, in pairs or triads to create a map using paper and post-it notes
(or at the computer using the program C-Map). A concept map is often based on a summary or a subsection of a
unit. As a facilitator, I circulate during map construction and encourage students by asking questions such as: Can
you see a relationship between these two concepts? What else do you know about this concept that would be relevant to the map? How could you rearrange this map to make it easier to read or interpret?
Students report that concept mapping helps them understand and remember information better. They rate it
as an enjoyable and worthwhile activity. I find that it helps to dispel misconceptions by revealing them to the learner
and facilitator. Concept mapping also meets the needs of visual and kinesthetic learners.
Instructions:
A concept map is a diagram that shows how ideas in a particular topic are related. In a concept map, the most
general concept appears at the top of the map. Under it is more specific concept or concepts. The concept map proceeds downward to the most specific concepts often ending with examples. Concepts are connected by linking lines
labeled with words that show the relationship between the concepts they connect. Concept maps branch to differentiate among more specific concepts that are related to the same more general concept. Cross links show a relationship
between concepts on one branch of the hierarchy with concepts on another branch. To construct your concept map:
1. Write each concept word or words on a separate mini post-it note.
2. Select the most general or broadest concept note from the group. Place this at the top of your large sheet of paper.
3. Sort your remaining concept notes into a small number of piles of related concepts. You can discuss this with you
partner or group, and/or use references if you would like.
4. For each pile, choose the most general concept note, and place them next to each other in a row under the top
concept.
5. Pencil in a linking line between the top concept and each of the concepts in the second row. Label each linking
line with linking words that indicate the relationship between the concepts connected by that line. Examples of
linking words are: to form, have, are, like, produces, including, resulting in.
6. For each pile arrange the remaining concept notes from general to specific. Place them on your map so that it
looks like an upside-down branching tree.
7. Pencil in top down linking lines and label each. Make sure that the linking words express the relationship between the two concepts.
8. Look for cross links between concepts on different branches of your map. Indicate connections between concepts
with a dotted line. Label cross links with linking words.
9. Rearrange your map so that it makes the most sense to you.
10. Where appropriate, add specific examples at the end of a branch.
11. When you are satisfied with your concept map, make a permanent copy.
A sample concept map appears on the next page for the following set of concepts: autonomic nervous system,
brain, central nervous system, nervous system, parasympathetic nervous system, peripheral nervous system, somatic
nervous system, spinal cord, sympathetic nervous system.
Psychology Teacher Network January-February 1997
11
NEWS FROM TOPSS
New TOPSS Members
Arizona
Sanford Braver,
Arizona State Univ, Tempe
Iowa
Phil McDonald, West Des Moines
Janet Wessel, Iowa City
California
Christy Alexander, Lafayette
Jeff Craig, Simi Valley
Eric DeMeulenaere, Burton HS,
San Francisco
Lieilani Johnson, Modesto
Dana Nelson, Fremont
Kansas
Michelle Phifer, Wichita
Colorado
Diana Adams, Longmont
Lita van Cleaue, Colorado Springs
Connecticut
Terry Marselle, Briston
District of Columbia
Dorothy Jackson
Florida
Ivette Alvarez, Miami
Maylisa Angers, Clearwater
Paola Arechabala, Miami
Dennia Bouley, Longwood
Lisa Direnzo, Coconut Creek
Vicki Ryan, Winter Haven
Illinois
Peggy Bradford, Elgin
Indiana
Andrew Owen, Ft. Wayne
Missouri
Gerald Clary, Springfield
Janna Hechler, Columbia
Gina Mason, Canton
Randall Bukowski, North East
Glenda Cribbs, Clymer
Gregg Davis, Hershey
Kristen Lorence, Plymouth
Whitemarsh HS, Plymouth Mtg
Randy Peters, Berwick
James Salas, Pleasant Hills
New Hampshire
Donna Robinson, Thayer HS,
Winchester
Kentucky
Dana Davis, Florence
Joe Ott, Moore HS, Louisville
Tennessee
Emma Hall, Burns
Vondle Shipley, Knoxville
New Jersey
Angela Cerza, Glen Gardner
Tara Pignoli, Edison
Louisiana
Deborah Bateman, Bogalusa
Texas
J.J. Colburn, Austin
Nicholas Derado, Sugar Land
Lisa Johnson, Sweetwater
Patricia Riley, San Antonio
Kathie Wells, Sulphur Springs
Kerry Smith, Southlake
New York
Arnold Feinblatt, New York
Janice Hart, Cortland
Valerie Liese, Garden City Park
Patricia Poggi, Pleasant Valley
Peter Suski, Stony Brook
Maine
Ernie Wood, Eliot
Maryland
Troy Schockley, Bowie
Utah
Harold Miller, Provo
North Carolina
Michael Everhart, Asheville
JoAnne Hilton, Charlotte
Massachusetts
Joseph Balvin, Clinton HS, Clinton
John Denzer, Brighton
Mark Sullivan, Barnstable HS,
Hyannis
Janice Swartz, Lexington
Virginia
Elva Card, Fairfax
Ohio
Don Kober, Holland
Sandra Tober, Perrysburg
Michigan
Kathy Riegle, Bloomfield
Chuck Schira, Portage
Wisconsin
Patrick Jucken, Manitowac
Lisa Steiner, Ashland
Oklahoma
Priscilla Kinnick, Stillwater
Washington
M. Eileen Mathews, Yakima
Janie Vandeberg, Cheney
Oregon
Rob Cavasher, Wilsonville
Frederick Ruhnke, Portland
Minnesota
Sandy Trierweiler, Annandale
Mississippi
Denise Stewart, Meridian
Wisconsin
Jeanne Cissne, Milwaukee
Pennsylvania
John Brenner, West Snyder HS,
Beaver Springs
Activity, from previous page
Sample
Concept Map:
NERVOUS SYSTEM
is subdivided into
is subdivided into
CENTRAL
NERVOUS SYSTEM
is subdivided into
is subdivided into
BRAIN
SPINAL CORD
PERIPHERAL
NERVOUS SYSTEM
is subdivided into
AUTONOMIC
NERVOUS
SYSTEM
branches into
References: Available
upon request to
Psychology Teacher
Network.
SYMPATHETIC
NERVOUS SYSTEM
is subdivided into
SOMATIC
NERVOUS
SYSTEM
branches into
PARASYMPATHETIC
NERVOUS SYSTEM
Psychology Teacher Network is looking for good ideas, activities and experiments to share with our
readers. Please submit any activities to Psychology Teacher Network, Education Directorate.
12
Psychology Teacher Network January-February 1997
Strange Trip, from page 7
ideas to her students, such as the math teacher to instruct her students in statistical methods.
I met Pat Rowan, of New Jersey, at a Beaver
College summer institute. Pat says the experience revitalized and changed his career. At the summer institute, he learned new methodologies and techniques.
He is now collating his own instructional materials for
submission to TOPSS. Pat feels that psychology plays
an important role in the culmination of a high school
student’s science studies. He captures the awareness
of his classes by walking them through psychobiology
before sharing with them tales of schizophrenia. Earlier studies are thus connected to present investigations and pupils develop deep regard for the interconnections that keep psychology vibrant.
I next met with Frank Hollingsworth in
Coatesville, Pennsylvania. He is the founding president of the Mid-Atlantic Association of High School
Psychology Teachers. He enrolls sophomores as well
as upperclassmen in his introductory course where he
uses riveting demonstrations of human neuronal
chains and play dough brain molding to teach concepts. He feels that psychology is the one subject that
most directly encourages teenagers to learn about
themselves and consequently accept responsibility for
themselves and their education. Psychology can, and
does, provide the insights and empowerment to enable young people to decide wisely.
My last stop in Pennsylvania was with Jere
Wynegar at Dover Area High School. He is the only
instructor I know who teaches a high school sports
psychology course. While his introductory psychology
students are enjoying a maze learning exercise, his
sports psychologists may be perfecting their juggling
skills or practicing the ancient art of tai chi. He explained that maze learning is an excellent reinforcer of
the understanding of the basic principles of both opProductive Thinking, from page 8
lenge to any blind or mechanical models of human
thinking. No theory of cognition can afford to ignore that
productive thought is often insightful, indeed sometimes
exhilarating.
The other item concerns spherical triangles. Where
on the surface of the earth, other than at the north pole,
can you go one mile south, then one mile east, then one
mile north, and end up at the spot you started from?
The solution requires a major reorganization of the concept of a triangle. Start anywhere one mile north of a
circle just north of and surrounding the south pole, that
is exactly one mile in circumference. You go a mile south
to that circle, go east around the circle, and then head
north for one mile, exactly retracing, in the opposite di-
erant and trial-and-error learning. It also employs the
use of cognitive maps as an aid to problem solving.
Juggling helps students identify brain locations and
functions as well as comprehend the importance of
learning curves and plateaus. Jere had the jugglers
quantify their efforts, successes and failures with appropriate graph work on paper.
In Florida, I met with Joe Cravens of Dr.
Phillips High School. Joe teaches Psychology I and II
as well as a college course. Joe came to psychology
from the United States Marine Corps, where he
worked as a civilian training specialist doing analyses
and evaluations of Marine Corp training programs. It
was his responsibility to establish the validity of war
games used to teach recruits what they needed to
know about strategy and tactics. When he completes
his dissertation, his degree will be, as he describes it, a
hybrid of educational psychology and curriculum instruction.
My final stop was with Swazette Young of
Bowie High School in Silver Spring, Maryland. My
visit coincided with a school-wide science fair. The
contributions from psychology students to the poster
boards and projects was impressive. Swazette was
trained in social studies, special education and clinical community psychology. She not only instructs at
Bowie, but also repeats her introductory course at a
local college for adult students. She feels that via the
Advanced Placement course, pupils learn to read
and think critically, to analyze research problems,
and to generally adopt scientific methods as they
study. She also feels that studying psychology provides the opportunity for learning to live well in a
pluralistic society.
I was fortunate to have the opportunity to travel
and not only meet my peers but see them in action. It
was a pleasure sharing these TOPSS members’ accomplishments, suggestions and positive thoughts.
rection, the route you had taken south. This spherical triangle doesn’t look anything like a plane triangle. Further: the locus of points from which you could start is a
circle, but that circle is not the only solution. The critical
circle on which you go east need not be exactly one mile
in circumference; any perfect fraction of a mile would
work just as well. If it were, say, one third of a mile in
circumference, you could walk one mile due south to the
circle, then go east around it three times, then head back
north for one mile, exactly retracing the route you had
gone south. It’s a fascinating problem; you might enjoy
thinking about it some more.
References: Available upon request to Psychology
Teacher Network.
Psychology Teacher Network January-February 1997
13
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Smithsonian Lecture Series
A lecture/discussion series presented by The Smithsonian Associates in collaboration with the American Psychological Association and
the American Association for
the Advancement of Science
The series will be moderated by William C. Howell,
PhD, Executive Director for
Science, American Psychological Association.
Explore the latest thinking in this compelling series based on themes from the American Psychological Association’s engaging exhibition, “PSYCHOLOGY: It’s More Than You Think!” on view at the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The exhibition and this lecture series combine hands-on experiences and talks on how we think,
feel, grow, remember, and interact with others.
Lynn Liben, PhD
David Myers, PhD
Monday, February 3
6- 7:30 pm
“Is What You See What You Get?
Monday, March 3
6 - 7:30 pm
“The New Scientific Pursuit of Happiness:
Who is Happy?
Art Glenberg, PhD
Paul Rozin, PhD
Monday, February 10
6 - 7:30 pm
“The Meaning of Meaning”
Linda Camras, PhD
Monday, March 10
6- 7:30 pm
“What We Eat and Why We Eat It”
Monday, February 24
6- 7:30 pm
“Are Facial Expressions Really Universal?”
Arthur P. Shimamura, PhD
Monday, March 17
6- 7:30 pm
“Human Memory, Aging and the Brain”
All sessions will be held at AAAS 1200 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC.
Smithsonian Associates rates are $72 for the entire series and $15 for a single session. General admission rates are $96
for the entire series and $19 for a single session. TOPSS members may register at the Smithsonian Associates rate. For
additional information or to register, please call the Smithsonian Association information line at (202) 357-3030.
The College Board, via
its regional offices, is sponsoring one-day conferences
on the psychology Advanced
Placement course. For more
information or to register,
call or write your local College Board office. All workshops are subject to cancellation due to inadequate registration.
Advanced Placement Workshops
Middle States Regional Office
Suite 410, 3440 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-3338
(215) 387-7600
February 8, 1997
Catonsville High School,
Baltimore, MD
Western Regional Office
Suite 480, 2099 Gateway Place
San Jose, CA 95110-1017
(408) 452-1400
February 1, 1997
Aragon High School,
San Mateo, CA
March 15, 1997
U.C. Irvine, Irvine, CA
14
Psychology Teacher Network January-February 1997
February 15, 1997
Willamette University, Salem, OR
March 20
Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI
Midwest Regional Office
APP, 1800 Sherman Avenue #401
Evanston, IL 60201
(708) 866-6082.
The registration fee is $60 per person. Registrations must be postmarked 14 days prior to the conference to avoid a late registration fee.
March 28
University of Missouri,
Columbia, MO
February 27
Augustana College, Rock Island, IL
March 15
Triton Community College, River
Grove, IL
April 4
Avila College, Kansas City, MO
April 16
Southern Illinois University,
Edwardsville, IL
April 23
University of Wisconsin,
Eau Claire, WI
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Summer Institutes
Announced
Nebraska Wesleyan University — With funds from
the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, we will provide a two-week summer institute from June 22 to
July 3, 1997. It is intended for high school teachers
of psychology and will provide updates on scientific psychology, demonstrations, communications
technology, & critical thinking. Outstanding high
school and college faculty from across the U.S. will
serve as instructors. Teachers selected will receive
free room & board, resource materials, graduate
credit, and limited travel stipends. For more information, interested persons should contact: Ken
Keith, Professor & Chair, Dept. of Psychology,
Nebraska Wesleyan University, 5000 Saint Paul
Avenue, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68504-2796, (402) 4652431, or via e-mail: [email protected].
Northern Kentucky University — The Psychology
Department at Northern Kentucky University
(located just across the river from Cincinnati) is
pleased to announce: Teaching the SCIENCE of Psychology: A Summer Institute for High School Psychology Teachers. This institute, funded by the
National Science Foundation with additional support from the Northern Kentucky Foundation, is
for high school teachers of psychology who wish to
improve the scientific content and methods of their
courses. It will run from July 6 to August 1, 1997.
The thirty-two participants will work in small
groups to enhance their understanding of the content and methods of psychology as a scientific discipline. Teachers who complete the institute will
receive free room and board (individual dorm
room), textbooks and other teaching materials,
reimbursement for one round trip to and from the
institute, and a $1200 stipend.
Participants will be guided by award-winning
high school and university teachers chosen for their
content expertise and teaching excellence. The
institute director is Perilou Goddard, Ph.D.; codirectors are Charles Blair-Broeker and George
Goedel, Ph.D.
For an application and a brochure describing
the institute in more detail, write Perilou Goddard
or George Goedel at Department of Psychology,
Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights,
KY 41099, or call (606) 572-6185.
Student Research
Awards in Adult
Development and
Aging
The Division of Adult Development and Aging (Division 20) of
the American Psychological Association is sponsoring a series of
awards for student research. Research on any topic related to psychological issues in adult development and aging is eligible for these
awards. Funding for these awards
has been provided by the Retirement Research Foundation, which
was founded by John D.
MacArthur in 1978 to support
programs, research, and public
policy studies to improve the quality of life of older Americans.
At least one award of $300 will
be made to a high school student to
conduct an original research project. Students interested in applying for this award should work
with a teacher (or research advisor)
to develop a research question and
a plan for answering it. Awards
will be made based on the creativity and soundness of a 10- to 20page proposal written by the student under the guidance of a mentor. The deadline for receipt of
proposals is May 1, 1997. Student
winners are expected to complete
their research projects during the
1997-1998 academic year. For
further information or to request
an application, please contact:
Elizabeth A. L. Stine-Morrow, Department of Psychology, Conant
Hall, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, (603)
862-3806, [email protected].
Psychology Teacher Network January-February 1997
15