I've been looking through my baby registry to check out the developmental value of the toys and other stuff I'm registered for. The world is so exciting from a baby's perspective! Here are some highlights:

Baby's First Toys: This is a huge assortment of brightly-colored baby-safe objects, from letter-shaped teethers to rattles and crinkly animals ( Read more... )

I've been thinking a lot about the behaviorists since our last class session. I've been familiar with the ideas behind behaviorism for some time, most notably when training my dogs. Whatever else people may say about behaviorism, especially as it relates to humans, there's no denying that it's the key to creating civilized furry friends ( Read more... )

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Everywhere I look this week I see vestiges of Freud's theories of psychoanalysis. I'm realizing that no matter how much the facts behind his ideas are debunked, the influence on our culture is truly permanent. Even young children are so familiar with the image of the adult lying on the couch, with the psychoanalyst taking notes. A few weeks ago I ( Read more... )

As I sit down to write this introduction, I'm realizing that it really is difficult to write an introduction to oneself without writing one's entire memoirs. This is part vanity, I'm sure, but also part desire to give an accurate picture of who I am. I imagine that most folks with a true interest in psychology are constantly grappling with that ( Read more... )