Annual Editions: Human Development 10/11

Annual Editions: Human Development 10/11

Preface

Correlation Guide

Topic Guide

Internet References

UNIT 1: Genetic and Prenatal Influences on DevelopmentUnit OverviewPart A. Genetic Influences1. The Identity Dance, Gunjan Sinha, Psychology Today, March/April 2004Identical twins are clones with the same genetic profiles. Life experience, therefore, must matter if identical twins develop unlike emotions, health problems, and personalities. This article reports scientific evidence that genes have the equivalent of molecular "switches" that can be turned on or off by prenatal and postnatal environmental factors. Several unlike identical twins are described.2. Seeking Genetic Fate, Patrick Barry, Science News, July 4, 2009, vol. 176, no. 1The cost of having small variations in your genes analyzed (over 99% of all human genes are identical), has dropped precipitously. Several genomic technology companies now offer to forecast your personal disease risks. Most health hazards also involve diet, exercise, and environmental factors. The ethics of predicting complex maladies from saliva is questionable.Part B. Prenatal Influences3. Fat, Carbs and the Science of Conception, Jorge E. Chavarro, Walter C. Willett, and Patrick J. Skerrett, The Fertility Diet, 2007Pregnancy is adversely affected by age, disease, stress, and environmental toxins. New research derived from computer technology using 32 years of data from Harvard's Nurses' Health Study shows that nutrition and exercise enhance it. This article explains how to choose high quality fats and carbs and optimally balance glycemic load.4. The Mystery of Fetal Life: Secrets of the Womb, John Pekkanen, Washingtonian, September 2001Environment affects prenatal development. This article reviews known dangers (e.g., alcohol and drug use, viral infections) and recently discovered endocrine disrupters (e.g., chemicals in our air, food, and water). The author gives advice on exercise, nutrition, and health maintenance to optimize the physical and cognitive status of the offspring.5. Truth and Consequences at Pregnancy High, Alex Morris, New York Magazine, May 18, 2009The rate of unmarried teen parenting in the United States is rising, after a decade of decline. Approximately 60% of adolescent moms drop out of school and 64% live in a culture of poverty. Most have no health care, eat junk food, and live dangerously during pregnancy. Response to an on-line survey showed that 20% of girls in the United States want to become teen moms. This article describes the negative outcomes for these women.UNIT 2: Development during Infancy and Early ChildhoodUnit OverviewPart A. Infancy6. HHS Toned Down Breast-Feeding Ads: Formula Industry Urged Softer Campaign, Marc Kaufman and Christopher Lee, The Washington Post, September 10-16, 2007Solid scientific evidence confirms the benefits of breastfeeding for human infants. It helps avert ear infections, gastrointestinal problems, respiratory problems, and is associated with lower rates of diabetes, leukemia, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and obesity. Despite the known health and nutritional advantages, breastfeeding is declining in the United States culture. It falls far below that of other nations. This article explains one reason for this enigma.7. Reading Your Baby's Mind, Pat Wingert and Martha Brant, Newsweek, August 15, 2005This article reports earlier ages for most infancy milestones than previously reported, as evidenced by sophisticated brain imaging. The most intelligent babies are the happy ones. They learn more from loving caregivers than from TV. Cognition, language, social, and emotional skills are all enhanced by love and one-on-one attention.8. Vaccination Nation, Chris Mooney, Discover, June 2009Parents have been scared by activists claiming (falsely) that vaccines cause infant autism. Science proves otherwise; this article cites multiple studies. The ethics of skeptics are dubious. Withholding vaccines can cause epidemics of largely vanquished diseases. Other environmental factors which trigger genetic diseases must be explored, and motivation to vaccinate must increase.Part B. Early Childhood9. Long-Term Studies of Preschool: Lasting Benefits Far Outweigh Costs, Gerald W. Bracey and Arthur Stellar, Phi Delta Kappan, June 2003This article summarizes three research studies showing the long-lasting benefits of early childhood education (e.g., higher education, career success, stable marriage, moral living) for preschool children living in poverty at the time of intervention. Each of the programs had extensive parenting involvement and encouraged attachment bonds. The authors argue that offering high quality, taxpayer-funded preschool today would greatly benefit U.S. society.10. How to Help Your Toddler Begin Developing Empathy, Rebecca Pariakian and Claire Lerner, Zero to Three, July 2009Personality is socialized as well as inherited. Teaching empathy in parenting practices during early childhood helps toddlers understand emotions and develop self-esteem. This article explains how to foster this complex skill.11. Easing the Separation Process for Infants, Toddlers, and Families, Nancy Balaban, Beyond the Journal: Young Children on the Web, November 2006Strong attachments between children and families foster brain development and emotional development. This article reviews theories of attachment and suggests ways to ease the stress of separation. Cultural views of separation anxiety influence adult responses to shyness. Five tips are given to create trust when parents and children are apart.12. Accountability Comes to Preschool: Can We Make It Work for Young Children?, Deborah Stipek, Phi Delta Kappan, 87, June 2006The author suggests playful ways to effectively teach numbers and letters to young children. Early childhood education requires active interaction; questions and answers that seize teaching moments. Physical, emotional, and social well-being should be emphasized in early childhood education, as they directly affect later academic learning. Positive peer relationships promote better problem-solving skills in school.13. "Early Sprouts": Establishing Healthy Food Choices for Young Children, Karrie A. Kalich, Dottie Bauer, and Deirdre McPartlin, Young Children, July 2009Early childhood nutrition practices are decisive for lifelong eating habits. A positive approach is given-veggies taste great!-rather than no dessert until veggies are eaten. "Early Sprouts" programs encourage gardening, sensory exploration, cooking, and family involvement with healthy foods. Most children in the United States have diets high in sugar, salt, and fat, and low in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Education can change this.UNIT 3: Development during Childhood: Cognition and SchoolingUnit OverviewPart A. Cognition14. Get Smart, Jamais Cascio, The Atlantic, July/August 2009This article describes emerging technologies which may create cognitive enhancers and a genetically altered super-intelligence for humans. An unauthenticated, apocalyptic Noeocene epoch with a collective consciousness has been predicted. The author rejects the dogma. However, he depicts brain changes occurring which can increase memory and complex thinking and make us smarter.15. An Educator's Journey toward Multiple Intelligences, Scott Seider, Edutopia, 2008Can intelligence be defined as a general ability? The theory of multiple intelligences (MI), put forth by Howard Gardner, answers NO. The author describes his appreciation of a poor student's "smartness" on the athletic field. Gardner's theory focuses on different ways in which children use cognitive processes (e.g., body-ki
nesthetic, music). Schools are not required to educate for every area of MI.16. In Defense of Distraction, Sam Anderson, New York Magazine, May 25, 2009This article is an exposition about the massive amounts of multitasking, electronic technology interpretation, and distractions added to our lives by the culture's "Information Age." (An average adolescent in the United States spends six hours per day online.) While hyper-focusing programs abound, the author argues that harnessing distractions may increase brain efficiency for complex cognitive processing.17. Informing the ADHD Debate, Aribert Rothenberger and Tobias Banaschewski, Scientific American, Special Edition, June 2007Research using imaging technology has shown brain development (cerebellum, frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes) to be different in children with ADHD. Cognitive glitches and low dopamine contribute to their weak impulse control and distractibility. Medication plus behavior therapy improves self-esteem and can reduce drug abuse in adolescence and adulthood.Part B. Schooling18. Ten Big Effects of the No Child Left behind Act on Public Schools, Jack Jennings and Diane Stark Rentner, Phi Delta Kappan, October 2006Congress must examine the strengths and weaknesses of the No Child Left behind Act (NCLB) for reauthorization purposes. Education for grades 3-8 focuses on reading and math (the areas tested) to the exclusion of social studies. The testing of children with disabilities or language differences is problematic. The motivation for schools to achieve has resulted in more highly qualified teachers and improved test scores. The funding for NCLB, however, is inadequate.19. Single-Sex Classrooms Are Succeeding, Michael Gurian, Kathy Stevens, and Peggy Daniels, Educational Horizons, Summer 2009This essay contends that there are gender differences in learning. The education experiences of schools with single-sex classes are illustrated. Testimonials report less stressed, more motivated students, more peer socialization, and higher self-esteem. Teachers feel free to be more creative in the same-sex cultural climate.20. A "Perfect" Case Study: Perfectionism in Academically Talented Fourth Graders, Jill L. Adelson, Gifted Child Today, vol. 30, no. 4, Fall 2007Perfectionism in childhood can be a social, emotional, and health hazard. A teacher describes five types of perfectionists and presents suggestions for supporting them in a safe school environment. She emphasizes concept mastery, which is adventurous, not frustrating. She recommends learning from mistakes over the faultless product.UNIT 4: Development during Childhood: Family and CultureUnit OverviewPart A. Family21. The Angry Smile, Signe L. Whitson, Going Bonkers Magazine, October 2009Children learn how to behave in unhelpful passive-aggressive modes from parents, peers, school personnel, television characters and in cultural contexts. Passive-aggression is not genetic. It can be changed through socialization. This article tells how to substitute assertive expression for passive-aggression.22. Where Personality Goes Awry, Charlotte Huff, Monitor on Psychology, March 2004The nature-nurture debate has favored nature since the explosion of recent genetic research. This article indicates that family/parenting factors may contribute to personality disorders (PDs). Children who are neglected, abused, or who experience trauma, especially sexual trauma, have high rates of adult PDs. A genetic predisposition plus environmental stressors interact to create disorders.23. The Blank Slate, Steven Pinker, Discover, October 2002The author argues that family socialization and cultural constructs interact with genetics (talent, temperament) to create unique humans. It is hypocrisy to credit or blame parenting, schools, peers, or television for all behaviors. Children have some inherited traits; they are not blank slates. Social progress can be made by reinforcing good and controlling bad traits.Part B. Culture24. Girls Gone Bad?, Kathleen Deveny and Raina Kelley, Newsweek, February 12, 2007A majority of Americans believe Hollywood's bad girls are having a negative influence on the cultural ethics and morality of children. Pre-teens look to television and to their peers and friends for examples of appropriate language, dress, sex appeal, and, sadly, drug usage. Attentive parenting and strong family values can counterbalance these powers and socialize more appropriate behaviors.25. Disrespecting Childhood, Curt Dudley-Marling, Janice Jackson, and Lisa Patel Stevens, Phi Delta Kappan, June 2006America claims to be a child-loving culture. The children and adolescents of other people, however, are believed to be without motivation, ethics, or morality. Schools use cameras, locker searches, and urine tests to detect suspected drugs, aggression, and violence. The belief in youths' misbehaviors creates stress and emotional upheaval and undermines their self-esteem.26. Don't Blame the Caveman, Sharon Begley, Newsweek, June 29, 2009Evolutionary psychologists have proposed that women want men to have physical status and aggression to protect them. Men want sex and many offspring from women. Are these gender differences real? If so, are they the result of genes or cultural socialization? This article reviews scientific evidence suggesting that human nature is both varied and flexible.27. The End of White America?, Hua Hsu, The Atlantic, January/February 2009By 2023, the U.S. Census Bureau predicts every white child under age 18 will be in a racial minority; the childhood majority being black, Hispanic, East Asian, and South Asian. What is mainstream culture? Examples of current items transcending race include technology (Facebook, MySpace), hip-hop music, sports, Hollywood leading actors, television, and Barack Obama. Will peers and friends self-identify by other contexts?UNIT 5: Development during Adolescence and Young AdulthoodUnit OverviewPart A. Adolescence28. A Peaceful Adolescence, Barbara Kantrowitz and Karen Springen, Newsweek, April 25, 2005This article presents evidence that, despite raging hormones, adolescents and their families can have a peaceful friendship. A longitudinal study has identified socialization practices that unite parents and teens against peer pressures and cultural temptations. Moral and ethical character are modeled from caring, competent, connected, and confident adults.29. Young, Gay, and Murdered, Ramin Setoodeh, Newsweek, July 28, 2008This story of adolescent violence has implications for all schools in the United States. The victim was adopted, had reactive attachment disorder, and was gay. He bullied his straight peers. The slayer was stressed. His parenting was marked with spousal aggression and drug abuse. Homosexuality is legal in our culture. What limits must we place on gender discrimination?30. Interview with Dr. Craig Anderson: Video Game Violence, Sarah Howe, Jennifer Stigge, and Brooke Sixta, PSI CHI, Summer 2008A scientist with ongoing research on video game technology has ample evidence to support increased aggression in children and adolescents who play violent video games. Those with high trait aggressiveness are more influenced to behave with hostility. However, those low in trait aggressiveness are equally
affected. Studies about the effect on brain development (ADHD, addiction) continue.31. Jail Time Is Learning Time, Signe Nelson and Lynn Olcott, Corrections Today, February 2006The number of adolescents who enter legal courts is approximately the same as those who enter college each year. Many are incarcerated. This article describes the education of teenage inmates in cognitive, career, and stress management skills, and English language proficiency. More than half of these minors earn their GEDs. Classes also deal with men's and women's issues, aggression/violence control, drug abuse, and moral/ethical behaviors.Part B. Young Adulthood32. Finding a Job in the 21st Century, John A. Challenger, The Futurist, September/October 2009, vol. 43, no. 5The author suggests an educational semester abroad for young adults. Future careers will require creative candidates who have cultural flexibility. Technology will allow employees to face their clients overseas and telecommute home. Over 17 million Americans now work remotely from their offices. Health care is an industry especially in need of remote e-learning and computer databases.33. Hold Me Tight, Sue Johnson, Psychology Today, January/February 2009, vol. 42, no. 1Sue Johnson defines love as a "secure connection with someone else." Adults need emotional contact and strong attachment bonds. Loss of connection creates anxiety and stress disorders. A good marriage, sex, and creative living are enhanced when partners deliberately hold, hug, kiss, tenderly touch, and provide care and comfort to each other.UNIT 6: Development during Middle and Late AdulthoodUnit OverviewPart A. Middle Adulthood34. Emotions and the Brain: Laughter, Steven Johnson, Discover, April 2003A primitive part of the human brain, the brainstem, prompts laughter. Tickling in private or guarded regions (e.g., groin, waist, throat) is registered in another ancient region, the somatosensory cortex. We laugh as a form of instinctive social attachment, especially in childhood. We're often not aware that we're laughing, but our laughter is contagious and helps bond friendships, marriage, and improve health.35. 50 Reasons to Love Being 50+, AARP The Magazine, September/October 2008This article has over 20 vignettes collected by the editors of AARP Magazine extolling the virtues of late adulthood. The respondents' messages are reflective of involvement, not retirement. A few of the many acclaimed advantages of being over 50 are more freedom, power, tolerance, creativity, and spirituality, as well as more efficient use of brain power.36. Are You Ready for Act II?, Paula Ketter, T&D, July 2008Adults nearing retirement age should plan ahead for a career transition, not a work withdrawal. The author suggests writing what you have done for 5 years and what you will do 5 years into retirement. A clear look at one's personality style aids in decisions about consulting, mentoring, or volunteer work. Start networking early and let your supervisor know your goals.37. Tearing: Breakthrough in Human Emotional Signaling, Robert R. Provine, Kurt A. Krosnowski, and Nicole W. Brocato, Evolutionary Psychology, vol. 71, no. 1, January 2009Shedding tears in adulthood signals the emotion of sadness to onlookers. Students viewed 200 facial images and estimated sadness on a 7-point scale. On duplicate photos with tears removed sadness was not seen; rather, awe, concern, or puzzlement. There were no gender differences. Humans unable to secrete tears (dry eye condition) may have to verbally explain their sadness to others.Part B. Late Adulthood38. Healthy Aging in Later Life, Jill Duba Onedera and Fred Stickle, The Family Journal, vol. 16, no. 1, January 2008Two theories of aging are discussed in this article; the activity theory is advocated. Physical status limits rigorous exercise. Beneficial retirement activities include volunteer work, continuing cognitive and creative endeavors from earlier years, and maintaining ties with family and friends. The Internet and e-mail are technological aides from our culture that make this easier.39. More Good Years, Dan Buettner, AARP Bulletin, Setpember/October 2009The Earth has a few "Blue Zones." These are cultures where many people reach age 90+ in good health with physical stamina. On the Greek island of Ikaria, there is no Alzheimer's and little cancer, heart disease, or diabetes. Aging well is attributed to good nutrition (Mediterranean diet), exercise, spiritual values, strong family and friendship bonds, optimistic emotions, and few stressors.40. Lost and Found, Barbara Basler, AARP Bulletin, September 2005A research psychologist, Dr. Cameron Camp, has devised several activities for aged persons with Alzheimer's disease in its late stages. He has used the methods of the famous educator, Maria Montessori, emphasizing strengths. He discovers what each person's basic skills are and tailors activities to those that are meaningful, and which call on the patient's past. Research shows validity and reliability to the method, as well as amazing patient response.41. Life after Death, Bill Newcott, AARP The Magazine, September/ October 2007Does aging and a closer proximity to death alter one's belief in an afterlife? What proportion of people over age 50 believe there is a Heaven? A Hell? Does adherence to any one faith have an effect on the answers? The author reports his findings on the spiritual beliefs of over 1,000 older Americans in this article.42. Navigating Practical Dilemmas in Terminal Care, Helen Sorenson, Emphysema/COPD: The Journal of Patient-Centered Care, vol. 1, no. 1, Winter 2004Our physical status declines more (after adolescence) than it inclines. Aging is universal, and death is inevitable. Helen Sorenson addresses the ethics and morality issues of terminal care. Trust and good communication are essential when preparing advanced care directives. Each of us have choices to make about our own deaths.Test-Your-Knowledge Form

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