A TIPS competitor?

[Stephen Black]

I was a bit disconcerted to receive that notice that a new discussion
group [PsychTeacher] has started up under the official sponsorship of
the Society for the Teaching of Psychology. As their stated aims seems
rather close to those given for TIPS, one wonders why we need the
duplication.

However, after joining and finding out more about it, I can see that
the lists serve different communities, and probably complement rather
than compete with each other. PsychTeacher is rather unusual among
lists in requiring that each contribution be first approved by an
editorial board before it can be released for posting. This is
apparently intended to protect subscribers from the inane, the
off-topic, and the offensive. So it may well be preferred by those who
have fled TIPS over the years because of their dissatisfaction with
its failure to control such problem posts. The promise of sanitized
posts on PsychTeacher may be one of its most attractive features for
these people. 

On the other hand, some prefer to make their own decisions concerning
what they choose to read, and mistrust any attempt to substitute
someone else's judgement for their own. Also, my guess is that limits
on acceptable topics will be enforced strongly on the new list,
as there's no point in having editors who don't edit.

The result is likely to be that some of the discussions I've
particularly enjoyed on TIPS would be considered unacceptable on the
new list. Instead, the content of PsychTeacher posts are likely to be
uniformly on-topic and serious. 

And dull, I'll bet. So for the moment at least, I think I'll use my
dual subscriptions this way. Lurk on PsychTeacher, but post on TIPS,
where discussions have more opportunity to be lively. BTW, as far as I
can see, Linda Woolf is no longer a subscriber to TIPS, so we owe her
a special thanks for returning just long enough to let us know about
the new discussion group. 

Think this one would have made it through the editorial board at
the other place?

-Stephen

Stephen Black, Ph.D.  tel: (819) 822-9600 ext 2470
Department of Psychology  fax: (819) 822-9661
Bishop's Universitye-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Lennoxville, QC   
J1M 1Z7  
Canada Department web page at http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy
   Check out TIPS listserv for teachers of psychology at:
   http://www.frostburg.edu/dept/psyc/southerly/tips/

mozart effect tues nite

[Gary Peterson]

The Mozart effect may be featured on the Fox Family channel tues
nite--the show is Exploring the Unknown and the producer tries to present
some scientific skepticism about paranormal issues.  Gary Peterson


Gerald (Gary) L. Peterson, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Psychology
Saginaw Valley State University
University Center, MI 48710
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
1-517-790-4491

RE: harry potter and child dev

[Paul C. Smith]

Rick Froman wrote:
> I don't know if this switch reflects changes in
> society or encourages them or both but it is a difference you
> can see clearly comparing older mysteries to today's fantasy/mystery mix.

I'm not sure that I see the change over time, in light of everything from
Casper to Clarence to Samantha to Jeannie. However, I have long wondered
about the role that matter-of-fact magic in the movies and tv plays in
making the paranormal believable (the "encourages them" side of your
speculation). People apparently find it very easy to believe in all sorts of
magical powers, universal cures (ever really look at the lists of claims for
those herbal supplements?), and religious miracles. Surely the belief is not
the product of the very meager real-world evidence. One would expect these
to be the kind of exceptional claims that require exceptional evidence, but
they're treated almost as though the burden of evidence is in the other
direction (as though _natural_ explanation is the odd route to take, the
last resort).
It seems quite likely that the routine portrayal of the supernatural in
fiction (and in some of what is purported to be nonfiction) plays a role in
making supernatural explanation seem reasonable. I'd love to see some kind
of test of this notion.

Paul Smith
Alverno College
Milwaukee

Re: harry potter and child dev

[Gary Peterson]

Thanks to all the tipsters who responded to my post regarding the Harry
Potter books.  I am looking forward to reading them myself.  Most of the
replies by people who have actually read the books have been positive, with
many pointing to the fun, adventure, and imaginativeness (or lack) of the
character.  My impression is that they are probably relevant to the
challenges and feelings children may deal with today, and are probably more
valuable than some of the gruesome old fairy tales we were exposed to as
kids.  I find the Christian fundamentalist view unfortunate, but not
unexpected.  I have colleagues of this persuasion also afraid of the
critical thinking movement.  I think all of this would make for some
valuable discussion in a class involving psychology and contemporary
literature, or pop culture and media influence.

Magical thinking (below, from Jeff Ricker), is more grounded in the
mundane struggles of apprehending the world, and I feel it remains a basis
for common understanding in all cultures.  Yet, I hesitate to say it is
opposite critical thinking because I don't feel critical thinking is so
removed or "above" our natural efforts to seek pattern, understanding, or
meaning.  Whether tied to "magical thinking" or not, good literature (IMO),
like good scientific work, utilizes imagination to promote new
understandings.  I want to promote in our students a love of real mystery
and not mere strangeness (See Sherlock Holmes 'A Study in Scarlet').   I
think we can help them differentiate between imaginative interpretations
about the world with reasoned knowledge of the world.  The sense of mystery
in the Potter books may just promote a valuable sense of wonder and
adventure.
I share Jeff's concern over some popular literature.  I ask whether
literature or art provides a celebration of imagination or merely serves to
debase the wonderful capacity for critical reflection.  Does the work
cheapen our sense of mystery and wonder?  Somewhere (I lost the reference),
Einstein said,  "The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious: It
is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true
science."

Haack. S.  (1997)  Science, scientism, and antiscience in the age of
preposterism.  __Skeptical Inquirer,__ 21(6), 37-42, 60.
Haddam, J. (1996)  Art, reason, and reality. __Skeptical Inquirer,__
20(5), 57-59.
Peterson, G. L.  (1998).  The debasement of reason and realism in the
Academy.  Presentation at Michigan Academy of Arts, Science, and Letters.
March 27, Alma College.

Gary Peterson


Jeff Ricker wrote:
>I suppose this increase in popular presentations of superstition for
children
>parallels the presentations meant for adults. Magical thinking is the
opposite
>of critical thinking; and magical thinking seems much more inherent to us
than
>the critical kind: we don't have to teach magical thinking in our courses
since
>our students are already very good at it.
>
>Jeff
>
>>"The truth is rare and never simple."
>   Oscar Wilde
>
>"There are no dumb questions, just dumb people asking questions."
>   Randy Cassingham
>
>

Harry Potter

[Jeffrey Nagelbush]

I have read 2 of the books and will soon read the third.  I was interested 
in them primarily because they were amazingly popular.  I have no scientific 
evidence to present, however I will present my reaction to the books and the 
flaps about the books.

Even as a middle-aged man, I enjoyed reading the books, good light reading.  
There are plenty of examples of critical thinking used by the main 
characters in the books and the use of magic does not undermine the critical 
thinking.  It is clearly a fantasy and I doubt that many children will 
become believers in the occult just based on these books.  Besides, the 
books suggest that being a wizard or witch is a genetic thing, and no 
training can give you the powers.  So, unless a child really has some 
problems, I would be surprised if the child would start becomming a believer 
of such things, based on these stories.  They are, primarily, good, 
interesting, exciting yarns.

If we are to eliminate the supernatural, we should eliminate fairy tales, 
much science fiction/fantasy, etc.  I bet many of us read science fiction as 
youngsters that included things like mind reading and other types of 
"magic."  Yet here we are able to thing critically about the world as we 
know it.

I also wonder why we are so afraid of children's minds.  They are not the 
putty in our hands, or the authors' hands we seem to imply with our 
concerns.  Children can be exposed to a large amount of information and 
texts and develop fine.  I am more worried about children that are kept from 
books, than about those exposed to the "wrong ones."

I also do not believe that our media is any more supportive of the 
paranormal than it used to be.  I think it always was supportive, at least 
in terms of the early sci fi magazines and shows like Science Fiction 
Theater (I am dating myself here) and later ones like Twilight Zone and even 
Star Trek.  In addition, there were many "psychics" on variety shows and 
talk shows who were not debunked.

The cultures support for the "occult" is not new and is, perhaps, not good, 
but I do not see that as an agument against the book Harry Potter.  Finally, 
if the reports of its effect on the reading behavior of youngsters is 
accurate, then the book is a positive boon to society.

Jeff Nagelbush
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

__
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

IQ Test

[Dr. Joyce Johnson]

>
>This test is for real.
>
>Attachment Converted: "c:\eudora\attach\Iqtest.exe"
>
Dr. Joyce Johnson
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Developmental/ Experimental
Centenary College of Louisiana
PO Box 41188
2911 Centenary Blvd.
Shreveport, LA 71134-1188

office 318 869 5253
FAX 318 869 5004 Attn: Dr Johnson, Psychology

Re: harry potter and child dev

[Rick Froman]

G. Marc Turner writes on 1 Nov 99,:

> At 11:45 AM 11/1/99 -0600, Rick Froman wrote:
> >In fact, a number of people with supernatural powers are now protagonists
> >(for example, Sabrina the Teenage Witch).  I don't know if this switch
> >reflects changes in society or encourages them or both but it is a
> >difference you can see clearly comparing older mysteries to today's
> >fantasy/mystery mix.
> 
> Of course, we (or at least some of us) had Bewitched and I Dream of Genie
> (both older shows that had some magically gifted protagonists).
> 
> However, I do think Rick makes a good point worth considering...

Marc makes a good point.  Sabrina was a bad example since it is not a mystery and 
the rules have always been different for sitcoms.  Ironically, the best example is 
probably Scooby Doo, even though it is a cartoon.  But private eye / mystery shows 
would never use a Deus ex Machina like a psychic to help solve a mystery but it is 
commonplace today.  To tie in to the public image of psychologists, even the Profiler 
(an FBI agent specializing in psychological profiles of criminals in order to catch 
them) 
seems to have some deep intuitive mystical powers that go beyond what she learned 
in her Forensic Psych training.  

Sorry for the bad example.  I hope the basic point still makes sense.

Rick


Dr. Rick Froman
Psychology Department
Box 3055
John Brown University
Siloam Springs, AR 72761
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.jbu.edu/sbs/psych
Office: (501)524-7295
Fax: (501)524-9548
"I can't promise to try but I'll try to try."  --Bart Simpson

Harry Potter

[Tasha Howe]

I am a developmental psychologist who sees nothing wrong with children
engaging in fantasy reading. In fact, by the age that these books are
aimed at (middle childhood) children CAN tell the difference between
appearance and reality, that's what makes Harry's adventures so fun.
They can go on a crazy, exciting journey with someone their own age,
escape their own reality for a while, and come to a conclusion based on
a little on fact and a little on fantasy. Isn't this why we adults read
novels? I agree that having kids read at all is something we should
encourage, and the fact that they are hungry for new books should be a
good sign. Reading should be fun, not all based on reality. Kids deal
with reality every day. Sometimes they need a break. Remember Spider
Man?

--
Tasha R. Howe, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Transylvania University
300 N. Broadway
Lexington, KY  40508
(606) 233-8144
FAX (606) 233-8797

Re: harry potter and child dev

[Joel S. Freund]

On Mon, 1 Nov 1999, Annette Taylor wrote:

:-) My son has read these, I am only starting to read them, just to
:-) keep up with him :-)

Both my 8-year old and I have read all three books, and it is not
hard to see why kids like them. As Ken Steele pointed out the real focus
of the books is the problems kids face and how to deal with them.


:-) 
:-) But interestingly, Christian groups have been objecting to these
:-) books locally, on the local news--and we are not a small rural
:-) community but a modestly large urban one (San Diego, CA). The objection
:-) centers around the use of magic and its relation to demonic themes.

So, what else is know with these groups?
:-) 
:-) I have not yet come across that in my reading but am probably not
:-) far enough into it.
:-) 
You haven't because, I think, it would really be a stretch for you
to find something that isn't there.


Joel


Joel S. Freund  Phone:  501/575-4256
Department of PsychologyFAX:501/575-3219
216 Memorial Hall   Internet: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Fayetteville, AR 72701-1201

Re: harry potter and child dev

[G. Marc Turner]

At 11:45 AM 11/1/99 -0600, Rick Froman wrote:
>In fact, a number of people with supernatural powers are now protagonists
>(for example, Sabrina the Teenage Witch).  I don't know if this switch 
>reflects changes in society or encourages them or both but it is a difference
>you can see clearly comparing older mysteries to today's fantasy/mystery mix.

Of course, we (or at least some of us) had Bewitched and I Dream of Genie
(both older shows that had some magically gifted protagonists).

However, I do think Rick makes a good point worth considering...

- Marc

G. Marc Turner, MEd
Lecturer & Head of Computer Operations
Department of Psychology
Southwest Texas State University
San Marcos, TX  78666
phone: (512)245-2526
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]

student Freudian slip (with permission)

[Tim Shearon]

This one is actually instructive but not for the squemish:
The following student "slip" was corrected but he shared it with me as
proof not to trust your wordprocessors spell checker but to include grammar
checkers and to READ the thing- note: he actually corrected it before
turning it in but showed me the mistake.

"Freud has had a lot of pus and downs throughout his life . . ."

His spell checker liked it ok.
TOS

___
Timothy O. Shearon, PhD
Albertson College of Idaho
Department of Psychology
2112 Cleveland Blvd
Caldwell, Idaho

[EMAIL PROTECTED]
208-459-5840

Re: harry potter and child dev

[Kenneth M. Steele]

On Mon, 01 Nov 1999 10:30:18 -0800 Gary Peterson 
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> As an amateur magician and educator, I am interested in the reactions of
> teachers and others to the increasingly popular books featuring the Harry
> Potter character.  I haven't read the books yet, but my understanding is the
> character uses spells and magickal powers to make the world right (for him).
> I predict reactions from concerned parents, as well as folks like us who may
> be asked our view of such books in relation to a child's (or adult's)
> ability to differentiate reality and fantasy, the kind of role model being
> fostered for people who are troubled, feel rejected by others, etc (do any
> Halloween movies come to mind here? ;-).
> There might be interesting discussion of coping and adjustment, and
> appropriate and inappropriate outlets for handling personal problems, etc.
> Harry is a student of witchcraft and wizardry (still a eurocentric charter
> school??) and faces dismal and paranoid-like dangers in his world.  He
> rescues himself by his sorcery and magickal powers.  Old stuff really, but I
> am also curious as to the popularity of such books at a time when science
> literacy in the U.S. is considered very poor (was it ever really good?), and
> a number of us in education are trying to find ways to encourage critical
> thinking.  I have put Harry Potter on my reading list and will check them
> out for myself.  Has anyone else heard of them, or had discussions about the
> books?  Ask your Wiccan students?  You can find some reviews at amazon.com
> of course.   Gary Peterson
> 

Gary:

I have read parts of the books (at bedtime to my son) but not 
each book entirely.

I am surprised by the success of the books (although I would 
have loved them if I read them as a 9 year old).  The atmosphere 
in the books is similar to that evoked by Roald Dahl. There are 
truly mean people and dangerous situations encountered by Harry 
and his friends.  The emphasis is not on using magic to solve 
personal problems.  Instead Harry is busy sorting out typical 
school/growing up problems with the realization that his
history/background has given him a particular destiny.  That 
destiny is a mystery, although some of the adults seem to know 
something about his future.  So Harry must puzzle out whether a 
particular teacher is mean to him because of that destiny or 
because he just doesn't like Harry; and, if the mean treatment 
is because of Harry's destiny, then is it due to simple jealousy 
or is there a darker explanation?  This emphasis on sorting out 
one's position in the world is done in an engrossing manner.

Ken

--
Kenneth M. Steele[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Dept. of Psychology
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC 28608
USA 

Re: harry potter and child dev

[Annette Taylor]

My son has read these, I am only starting to read them, just to
keep up with him :-)

But interestingly, Christian groups have been objecting to these
books locally, on the local news--and we are not a small rural
community but a modestly large urban one (San Diego, CA). The objection
centers around the use of magic and its relation to demonic themes.

I have not yet come across that in my reading but am probably not
far enough into it.

Nevertheless, the protest is to ban these books from the schools'
libraries, Ah, here we go again with book banning!
annette
On Mon, 1 Nov 1999, Gary Peterson wrote:

> As an amateur magician and educator, I am interested in the reactions of
> teachers and others to the increasingly popular books featuring the Harry
> Potter character.  I haven't read the books yet, but my understanding is the
> character uses spells and magickal powers to make the world right (for him).
> I predict reactions from concerned parents, as well as folks like us who may
> be asked our view of such books in relation to a child's (or adult's)
> ability to differentiate reality and fantasy, the kind of role model being
> fostered for people who are troubled, feel rejected by others, etc (do any
> Halloween movies come to mind here? ;-).
> There might be interesting discussion of coping and adjustment, and
> appropriate and inappropriate outlets for handling personal problems, etc.
> Harry is a student of witchcraft and wizardry (still a eurocentric charter
> school??) and faces dismal and paranoid-like dangers in his world.  He
> rescues himself by his sorcery and magickal powers.  Old stuff really, but I
> am also curious as to the popularity of such books at a time when science
> literacy in the U.S. is considered very poor (was it ever really good?), and
> a number of us in education are trying to find ways to encourage critical
> thinking.  I have put Harry Potter on my reading list and will check them
> out for myself.  Has anyone else heard of them, or had discussions about the
> books?  Ask your Wiccan students?  You can find some reviews at amazon.com
> of course.   Gary Peterson
> 
> Gerald (Gary) L. Peterson, Ph.D.
> Professor, Department of Psychology
> Saginaw Valley State University
> University Center, MI 48710
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> 1-517-790-4491
> 
> 

Annette Taylor, Ph. D.
Department of PsychologyE-mail:  [EMAIL PROTECTED]
University of San Diego Voice:   (619) 260-4006
5998 Alcala Park
San Diego, CA  92110

"Education is one of the few things a person
 is willing to pay for and not get."
-- W. L. Bryan

Re: harry potter and child dev

[Rick Froman]

> Gary Peterson wrote:
> 
> > As an amateur magician and educator, I am interested in the
> > reactions of
> > teachers and others to the increasingly popular books featuring the
> > Harry Potter character.  I haven't read the books yet, but my
> > understanding is the character uses spells and magickal powers to make
> > the world right (for him). I predict reactions from concerned parents,
> > as well as folks like us who may be asked our view of such books in
> > relation to a child's (or adult's) ability to differentiate reality and
> > fantasy, the kind of role model being fostered for people who are
> > troubled, feel rejected by others, etc (do any Halloween movies come to
> > mind here? ;-) Harry is a student of witchcraft and wizardry (still
> > a eurocentric charter school??) and faces dismal and paranoid-like
> > dangers in his world.  He rescues himself by his sorcery and magickal
> > powers.  Old stuff really, but I am also curious as to the popularity of
> > such books at a time when science literacy in the U.S. is considered
> > very poor (was it ever really good?), and a number of us in education
> > are trying to find ways to encourage critical thinking.
> 
> I am finding that television programming for children is focusing
> increasingly on sympathetic portrayals of the parananormal and
> superstitious beliefs. For example, my daughter loves the Disney program,
> _So weird_, about a girl who investigates claims of the paranormal. I have
> also noticed some nonskeptical portrayals of the paranormal on Saturday
> morning "news" programs meant for chidlren (such as one-sided interviews
> with parapsychologists studying haunted houses). I find that I constantly
> have to talk with my daughter about the skeptical viewpoint on such
> matters.
> 
> I suppose this increase in popular presentations of superstition for
> children parallels the presentations meant for adults. Magical thinking is
> the opposite of critical thinking; and magical thinking seems much more
> inherent to us than the critical kind: we don't have to teach magical
> thinking in our courses since our students are already very good at it.

I have noticed a shift within my life time on the presentation of these issues.  When 
I 
was young, if a psychic was presented on a program (for example, helping the police 
track down a killer), they would be shown to be a fraud before it was over.  If there 
was a mystery, a rational explanation would be found in the end (a la Scooby Doo's 
traditional unmasking of the culprit).  Today, if a psychic or someone with paranormal 
powers is presented in a television program, the presumption is that the powers are 
valid.  In fact, a number of people with supernatural powers are now protagonists (for 
example, Sabrina the Teenage Witch).  I don't know if this switch reflects changes in 
society or encourages them or both but it is a difference you can see clearly 
comparing older mysteries to today's fantasy/mystery mix.

Rick


Dr. Rick Froman
Psychology Department
Box 3055
John Brown University
Siloam Springs, AR 72761
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.jbu.edu/sbs/psych
Office: (501)524-7295
Fax: (501)524-9548
"I can't promise to try but I'll try to try."  --Bart Simpson

RE: harry potter and child dev

[Dr. Kristina Lewis]

Gary Peterson wrote:
> I am also curious as to the popularity of such books at a time when
> science
> literacy in the U.S. is considered very poor (was it ever really good?),
> and
> a number of us in education are trying to find ways to encourage critical
> thinking.
> 
I haven't read the books yet, but I have an 8-year-old son and they're
definitely on our reading list.  And I'm a developmental psychologist,
although this isn't really my area of expertise. So I may be speaking off
the cuff here..but I just don't see the connection between
allowing/encouraging kids this age to read fantasy material and scientific
literacy and critical thinking.  To me the really important thing about
these books and others such as the Magic Tree House series, and even
Goosebumps (cringe--I hate those books!) is that they engage children in
reading.  A commentary on NPR last week quoted librarians as saying that
boys especially who read Harry Potter were much more likely to read other
books.  So let's promote literacy, and then build on that to develop
critical thinking and scientific reasoning.

BTW, a colleague told me that Harry Potter is under attack by the Christian
right..

Kris Lewis
Saint Michael's College
Colchester VT

Re: harry potter and child dev

[Jeff Ricker]

Gary Peterson wrote:

> As an amateur magician and educator, I am interested in the reactions of
> teachers and others to the increasingly popular books featuring the Harry
> Potter character.  I haven't read the books yet, but my understanding is the
> character uses spells and magickal powers to make the world right (for him).
> I predict reactions from concerned parents, as well as folks like us who may
> be asked our view of such books in relation to a child's (or adult's)
> ability to differentiate reality and fantasy, the kind of role model being
> fostered for people who are troubled, feel rejected by others, etc (do any
> Halloween movies come to mind here? ;-)
> Harry is a student of witchcraft and wizardry (still a eurocentric charter
> school??) and faces dismal and paranoid-like dangers in his world.  He
> rescues himself by his sorcery and magickal powers.  Old stuff really, but I
> am also curious as to the popularity of such books at a time when science
> literacy in the U.S. is considered very poor (was it ever really good?), and
> a number of us in education are trying to find ways to encourage critical
> thinking.

I am finding that television programming for children is focusing increasingly
on sympathetic portrayals of the parananormal and superstitious beliefs. For
example, my daughter loves the Disney program, _So weird_, about a girl who
investigates claims of the paranormal. I have also noticed some nonskeptical
portrayals of the paranormal on Saturday morning "news" programs meant for
chidlren (such as one-sided interviews with parapsychologists studying haunted
houses). I find that I constantly have to talk with my daughter about the
skeptical viewpoint on such matters.

I suppose this increase in popular presentations of superstition for children
parallels the presentations meant for adults. Magical thinking is the opposite
of critical thinking; and magical thinking seems much more inherent to us than
the critical kind: we don't have to teach magical thinking in our courses since
our students are already very good at it.

Jeff


--
Jeffry P. Ricker, Ph.D.  Office Phone:  (480) 423-6213
9000 E. Chaparral Rd.FAX Number: (480) 423-6298
Psychology Department[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Scottsdale Community College
Scottsdale, AZ  85256-2626

"The truth is rare and never simple."
   Oscar Wilde

"There are no dumb questions, just dumb people asking questions."
   Randy Cassingham

Re: Psychology websites

[Paul Brandon]

At 9:45 AM +0200 11/1/99, DAP Louw (Sielkunde) wrote:
>Tipsters
>
>I'm urgently looking for websites on the various themes that one finds in the
>"typical" introductory course in Psychology, eg sensation, perception,
>intelligence, altered states of consciousness, learning, emotion, motivation,
>abnormal behaviour, memory, etc, etc.  We are writing a study guide for
>students in South Africa who want to enrol for distant learning course and
>who
>will have to access the Internet on a regular basis.

You might want to take a look at Project Syllabus
.
They've got 15 Intro Psych syllabi online.

* PAUL K. BRANDON   [EMAIL PROTECTED]  *
* Psychology Dept   Minnesota State University, Mankato *
* 23 Armstrong Hall, Mankato, MN 56001  ph 507-389-6217 *
*http://www.mankato.msus.edu/dept/psych/welcome.html*

harry potter and child dev

[Gary Peterson]

As an amateur magician and educator, I am interested in the reactions of
teachers and others to the increasingly popular books featuring the Harry
Potter character.  I haven't read the books yet, but my understanding is the
character uses spells and magickal powers to make the world right (for him).
I predict reactions from concerned parents, as well as folks like us who may
be asked our view of such books in relation to a child's (or adult's)
ability to differentiate reality and fantasy, the kind of role model being
fostered for people who are troubled, feel rejected by others, etc (do any
Halloween movies come to mind here? ;-).
There might be interesting discussion of coping and adjustment, and
appropriate and inappropriate outlets for handling personal problems, etc.
Harry is a student of witchcraft and wizardry (still a eurocentric charter
school??) and faces dismal and paranoid-like dangers in his world.  He
rescues himself by his sorcery and magickal powers.  Old stuff really, but I
am also curious as to the popularity of such books at a time when science
literacy in the U.S. is considered very poor (was it ever really good?), and
a number of us in education are trying to find ways to encourage critical
thinking.  I have put Harry Potter on my reading list and will check them
out for myself.  Has anyone else heard of them, or had discussions about the
books?  Ask your Wiccan students?  You can find some reviews at amazon.com
of course.   Gary Peterson

Gerald (Gary) L. Peterson, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Psychology
Saginaw Valley State University
University Center, MI 48710
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
1-517-790-4491

Re: investigative excitement of research

[Annette Taylor]

Gary:

the only thing I do perhaps that addresses this is have the students
complete 3 research projects during the semester. The first one is
always an observational study which we complete very early on and
they completely control--although I have veto power over the research
idea--so they get a genuine feel for much of the process.  The other
two are classic experiment replications so there is less of that feel;
I have started doing one as a computer replication, however, just to
give them the idea of data presentation/collection in this manner (
usually something like scanning short term memory or iconic memory
or something with memory of that nature where data can be presented
via the computer.)

SO I am also anxious to hear with others have to share.

annette

On Sun, 31 Oct 1999, Gary Peterson wrote:

> Teaching Experimental Psych this term and finding a lot of my time tied
> to covering basic research designs of course.  However, students don't get a
> sense of the actual thinking, problem-solving, and detective work that is
> less neat and yet more valuable to exploring research questions or just
> learning about psychological phenomena.  I expect our Experimental Psych
> class will become a two semester class soon, in which case I may have more
> time to emphasize science as problem-solving and critical-thinking.  While
> some texts even use the detective analogy in their title, I have found none
> that really can convey the seat-of-your pants kind of thinking and
> problem-solving aspects of basic research in an exciting way--at least not
> matching the fun I have in learning about things.  Do any tipsters have
> exercises or assignments that try to convey this aspect of scientific
> problem-solving?   Gary  Peterson
> 
> 
> Gerald (Gary) L. Peterson, Ph.D.
> Professor, Department of Psychology
> Saginaw Valley State University
> University Center, MI 48710
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> 1-517-790-4491
> 
> 

Annette Taylor, Ph. D.
Department of PsychologyE-mail:  [EMAIL PROTECTED]
University of San Diego Voice:   (619) 260-4006
5998 Alcala Park
San Diego, CA  92110

"Education is one of the few things a person
 is willing to pay for and not get."
-- W. L. Bryan

Canadian Graduate Schools

[Michael Sylvester]

One of my students wanted to know if it is more difficult to get into grad
school in Canada.She said that she heard that Canadian grad schools are
tougher than those in the U.S.
Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Michael Sylvester
Daytona Beach,Florida