What is it about cuddly teddy bears that we find so appealing? After all, real bears are anything but adorable, huggable, fluffy animals! Continue reading
Our Love Affair With Teddy Bears
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Category Archives: Developmental Psychology
5 Ways a Baby’s First Year Impacts His/Her Future
Have you recently had a baby? The first year might be hard on parents who are recovering from pregnancy and birth, dealing with sleepless nights and getting to know their newborn. It’s hard to imagine that this particular time period, which your child won’t consciously remember, has such a significant impact on his/her future development — but it does! Are you wondering what you can do to positively shape your child’s future in the first 12 months? Read on. Continue reading
Beliefs about Beliefs: Theory of Mind Development
An important aspect of a child’s cognitive development is the emergence of a representational theory of mind. Having a theory of mind means that one is able to impute mental states – such as beliefs, intentions, knowledge and desires – to oneself and others. In simple terms, it involves knowing that other people have minds of their own and that their thoughts and knowledge can differ from one’s own. Continue reading
World Renowned Psychologists who were probably One Step Shy of Insanity – Part 1
When we think of the term “psychologist” a variety of adjectives usually come to mind – with words such as brilliant, calm, insightful, professional, concerned and helpful likely among them. And when we consider those psychologists who performed groundbreaking research, who contributed most significantly to the human lifestyle and who initiated major positive changes in society, our admiration perhaps grows even more. But things are not always as they seem. They say there is a fine line between genius and insanity. For a few of the most influential men in the field of psychology, the saying probably rings true.
What is Developmental Psychology?
Developmental psychology is the scientific study of the age-related changes that occur over the course of the human lifespan. Although early developmental theorists were mainly concerned with children, the focus of this field has now expanded to include changes over the entire human lifespan from conception to death. Developmental psychologists study various domains of development, including physical, emotional, cognitive, moral, personality and social change. Although in theory, these domains can be viewed as separate, they all influence and are influenced by each other. Developmental psychologists therefore investigate ways in which these areas of development interact, resulting in more complex patterns of change. For example, physical development during the adolescent years can result in emotional changes (e.g. reduced or heightened self-confidence) which could in turn, affect one’s pattern of social interaction. Continue reading
Does Media Violence affect our Children?
It is a generally accepted fact that the media influence how persons construct and perceive reality. It is also widely “believed that repeated exposure to real-life and to entertainment violence may alter cognitive, affective, and behavioral processes, possibly leading to desensitization” (Funk, Baldacci, Pasold & Baumgardner, 2003). The term desensitization refers to the weakening of cognitive, emotional, and, ultimately, behavioral responses to a particular stimulus.
Desensitization to violence is slow and subtle, and may occur as a consequence of “repeated exposure to real-life violence, as well as from exposure to media violence” (Funk, et al., 2003). Continue reading