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Summary of 2005 TOPSS Invited Speakers at APA Convention
Stereotypes and the Fragility of Human Intelligence  MS Powerpoint presentation [817 kb]
Joshua Aronson, PhD, New York University, New York, NY
Dr. Aronson discussed how student achievement can be affected by
their views of themselves and the situations in which they interact. Stereotype Threat, defined as apprehension arising from the awareness of a negative stereotype in a situation where the stereotype is relevant, can undermine motivation. Dr. Aronson discussed his research on Stereotype Threat and discussed ways to improve performance outcomes. Methods of intervention include changing the situations in classrooms (by reducing prejudice, competition, etc.) and changing the way people think about intelligence (intelligence is expandable).
Cognitive Perspective on Teaching High School Psychology MS Powerpoint presentation [67 kb]
Aaron T. Beck, MD, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; PA, Frank Farley, PhD, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA; and Debra Park, West Deptford High School, Westville, NJ
Techniques used in cognitive therapy might be useful for high school teachers to help students deal with the automatic thoughts that create both academic and behavioral problems for them. Dr. Beck discussed how the emotional maturity, or lack of emotional maturity, of adolescents contributes to the issues they have to deal with. In psychology classrooms, teachers can help students learn more constructive ways to think and solve problems, and students could then apply these skills in other areas of their lives.
Read ARTICLE by Debra Park and Aaron T. Beck
What is a hero and how do you grow them?
Frank Farley, PhD, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
Who are our heroes? Do men and women have different views of heroes in our society? After surveying the audience to determine personal opinions on men and women heroes, Dr. Farley discussed the traits that are common to those individuals who take risks and those who we identify as heroes in our society. Risk taking can be dangerous – but it also has its positive side. If people were not willing to take risks, new ideas and change would not take place. Both genders made similar choices for the most frequent heroes they identify with – Mom, Dad and teachers were chosen more often than movie stars and athletes! Mother Theresa and Martin Luther King, Jr. were also among the top five heroes of the men and women present in the audience.
Choosing the Older Person You Would Like to Be MS Powerpoint presentation [186 kb]
Toni Antonucci, PhD, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI and John Cavanaugh,
PhD, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL
What can we teach our students about the developmental stages that will come after adolescence? How can we make it more meaningful and interesting to them? Dr. Antonucci and Dr. Cavanaugh provided a roadmap for teachers to help them teach about the social, psychological, work/retirement, health, and financial aspects of aging that would be helpful to our students. Ways to get students actively involved in learning and ways to increase student understanding of the changes that accompany the stages of adulthood were discussed.
Culture, Development, and the Development of Culture MS Powerpoint presentation [195 kb]
David Matsumoto, PhD, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
Defining culture, differentiating between culture and other concepts (race, ethnicity, personality, etc.) -what does this all mean for the teaching of psychology? Dr. Matsumoto provided participants with a lively discussion on the meaning of culture, factors that influence culture today, and issues that are relevant for students that can be taught in our psychology classes. Teaching goals that are related to culture were discussed, including:
- Greater knowledge and awareness of cultural differences (and similarities)
in behavior
- The development of respect and appreciation of those differences
- The Development of Ethnorelativism and Intercultural Sensitivity
- Psychological Outcomes of Critical Thinking and Creativity : Emotion,
Regulation, Openness, Flexibility, Creativity/Critical Thinking and Autonomy
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