Main -> In the News: Development

Baby Makes Four, and Complications (NY Times, 6/22/2011)

"The setup is complicated. Griffin’s mother, Carol Einhorn, a fund-raiser for a nonprofit group, is 48 and single. She conceived through in vitro fertilization with sperm from Mr. Russell, 49, a chiropractor and close friend. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday nights, Mr. Russell stays in the spare room of Ms. Einhorn’s apartment. The other three days he lives on President Street with his domestic partner, David Nimmons, 54, an administrator at a nonprofit. Most Sundays, they all have dinner together."

Discussion question: How do you define "family"? 

Want to Live to 100? Try to Bounce Back from Stress (NPR, 4/11/2011, 4 min)

"Gerontologist and commentator Mark Lachs says one of the keys to a long, healthy old age is the ability to keep moving forward after life's inevitable setbacks."

Discussion question: Do you think anyone in your life has adaptive competence?  Give examples.

Taking a New Approach to "How We Age" (NPR, 2/14/2011, 31 min)

"Many people fear growing old. The multibillion-dollar cosmetic surgery industry alone is a testament to how desperately some Americans cling to the appearance of youth. But geriatric psychiatrist Marc Agronin has a different perspective — particularly when it comes to mental health. 'I don't see aging as a disease,' he tells NPR's Rebecca Roberts. 'I see this as an inherent part of living ... so the idea of curing it, to me, doesn't make sense.' In his book, How We Age: A Doctor's Journey Into the Heart of Growing Old, Agronin argues that among seniors, mental disorders rarely receive the attention or treatment that they might in younger people."

Discussion question: How do one's assumptions about aging influence how the elderly are treated?

For Kids, Self-Control Factors into Future Success (NPR, 2/20/2011, 5 min)

"Self-control keeps us from eating a whole bag of chips or from running up the credit card. A new study says that self-control makes the difference between getting a good job or going to jail — and we learn it in preschool."  (Consider combining this discussion with the marshmallow video that can be found in the "Video: Development" area.)

Discussion questions: In watching children in your family, in your neighborhood, or even your local grocery store, what evidence have you seen of self-control or lack of it? How is self-control being taught?  Or in the case of lack of self-control, how could it be taught?

The Human Phenome Project (NY Times, 6/8/2010) (link courtesy of Christopher Green via TIPS)

"[A]t least two phenomics initiatives are already underway. One is the U.K.’s Biobank project, the other is the Personal Genome Project, led by the latter-day polymath George Church. The aim of both projects is to collect large quantities of information — genetic, phenotypic and environmental — from large numbers of people, in an attempt to understand how genes and environment interact to produce each of us."

Discussion questions: Compare and contrast today's efforts to understand the interaction of nature and nurture to Galton's efforts.

The Risks of Parenting While Plugged In (NY Times, 6/9/2010) (link courtesy of Mike Palij via TIPS)

"The boy, who Ms. Im estimates was about 2 1/2 years old, made repeated attempts to talk to his mother, but she wouldn’t look up from her BlackBerry. 'He’s like: "Mama? Mama? Mama?"' Ms. Im recalled. 'And then he starts tapping her leg. And she goes: "Just wait a second. Just wait a second. Finally, he was so frustrated, Ms. Im said, that 'he goes, "Ahhh!" and tries to bite her leg.'”

Discussion questions: How might parents' focus on electronic devices affect their interactions with their children? Is this type of inattention different from other kinds of inattention, such as making dinner?

Medical Study: Autism-Vaccine Study Flawed (CNN, 2/3/2010)

This CNN video discusses research on Autism and vaccinations. This is a highly debated subject and recently the landmark study which originally found a link between Autism and vaccinations has been retracted. This is a great example of flawed research methods and a good issue to discuss in a child development course.

How To Train the Aging Brain (NY Times, 1/3/2010)

Is an “old” brain able to learn?  What makes a brain “old?” How are you challenging your brain now?  Do you have plans for challenging your brain through the aging process?

Discussion questions:  How are you protecting and strengthening your brain?  What sorts of "in the field" research projects could you design to test the ideas proposed in this article?  Would you consider teaching octogenarians how to use ipods, smartphones, text messaging?  What would you propose as dependent and independent variables?