Main -> In the Classroom: History

Society for Research in Child Development Oral History Project

"Launched 25 years ago, the Oral History Project of SRCD is now available on this website to members of the Society as well as other interested scholars.  Interviews of 135 major figures in the fields of child development and child psychology, as well as other related fields, are included in the collection.  Sixteen of some of the earliest obtained oral histories are posted here and others will be incorporated in the near future.  Each person was interviewed by someone whom he/she selected, and the recordings were then transcribed, edited for accuracy, and approved before inclusion in the collection.  Some scholars in this project are now deceased, while others are alive and well; many played key roles in the governance or service of SRCD.  Approximately 50 more interviews are now in progress."

Psychology's Feminist Voices

"North American psychology has undergone a profound shift over the last 50 years. In 1960, women received only a small minority of doctorates in the field. Today, they receive the majority. To understand this shift and the role women and feminists have played in it, we need to collect the first-hand accounts of feminist psychologists, including those who were instrumental in instigating these changes and those who continue to push the feminist agenda. We also need to be aware of our history. Who were the women who came before us? How did their work lay the foundation for feminist psychology? This site both highlights important women in psychology's past and amplifies the diverse voices of contemporary feminist psychologists. We invite you to explore their stories."

Teaching Psychology's History Through a Comparative Analysis of Introductory Psychology Texts

If you are looking for a good way to teach history and systems, this article provides a description on how to incoroporate active learning in your class. "Teams of students received an introductory psychology text from a different decade spanning the 1880s to 1970s. They also each received a 1990s introductory psychology text. Each team assumed responsibility for two class presentations in which they compared and contrasted the historical text with the contemporary text."

Teaching Psychology for Sustainability: History & Systems

Looking to incorporate environmental issues into your courses? Check out these "lecture discussion topics; class activities; multimedia resources; suggested readings for students..."

 The Society for the History of Psychology (Div 26) maintains a growing list of teaching resources for both beginner and advanced history of psychology courses. Resources include syllabi, textbooks,  archival resources, information on specific figures in history, online books and journals, and links to international societies. In addition, some video resources are available on the website but a more extensive collection is being developed on the societies Facebook page 

The History of Psychology journal will be debuting a new sections titled "Teaching the History of Psychology," edited by Barney Beins in the February 2010 issue.  The description of the section is as follows:

The history of psychology can provide compelling examples of research and theory that are pedagogically useful in teaching current psychological concepts and constructs. This section on Teaching the History of Psychology will provide instructors with historical ideas that aid the teaching of varied courses in the psychology curriculum.

Submissions to the Teaching the History of Psychology section can vary in length but should be approximately 1,500-1,800 words. They should focus on a single topic and include five basic components: (a) a brief statement of the issue, (b) identification of the contemporary course or courses that relate to the manuscript, (c) useful pedagogical questions to aid instructors teaching the course, (d) the historical issues relating to the topic, and (e) potential answers to the pedagogical questions.  References in manuscripts should include primary sources, although secondary sources may be appropriate in some circumstances. References that are not primarily psychological in nature can provide additional insight into the issues and may also be appropriate.

 If <insert name> tweeted. (Inspired from Michael Britt)

Ask students to play the role of psychology's key historical figures (or perspectives).  What would they have tweeted?  Wth a 140 character limit, can students capture their essence?

Offer your suggestions here!

Museum of the History of Psychological Experimentation

This website contains 160 photographs and descriptions of insruments from "each piece of apparatus which is illustrated in the 1903 Eduard Zimmermann (Leipzig) catalog of psychological and physiological equipment."  

Any suggestions on how this website could be used for a student assignment?  Offer your suggestions here!

History of Intelligence

Finding Little Albert Activity

I am very excited to announce the availability of a new activity that can be used in class or online.

In 2009 the journal American Psychology published an article entitled, "Finding Little Albert: A Journey to John B. Watson's Infant Laboratory".   It was a fascinating article detailing the author's 5 year effort to identify the real identity of "Little Albert".  The evidence in favor of his conclusion that a boy named Douglas Merritte is "Albert" is very, very convincing.

The "Finding Little Albert" activity presents students with:

• information, questions, clues and hints
• solutions to the questions (so they can move along in class or at their own pace)
• photos of Albert and Douglas for comparison
• Douglas' family tree
• the "trunk in the attic" which contained a picture of Douglas/Albert
• a map
• a census report    

...as it takes students down the path of identifying Albert's real identity. 

Please fill out the survey at the end of the activity to help us improve the activity!