Perrin Ireland is a science communications specialist. She describes her work as visualizing "the magnificence of life on earth in uniquely consumable ways."
I'm a huge fan of Perrin's and I'm thrilled that she's agreed to help us visualize episodes of You're the Expert .
Here is Perrin's take on Dr. Ted Powers from the episode "Autonomous Goal Support."
See more of Perrin's work by following her on Twitter: @experrinment
Mark Twain once said, "When a child turns 12 you should put him in a barrel, nail the lid down and feed him through a knot hole. When he turns 16, plug the hole!" Anyone who has ever been a teenager, or raised teenagers, knows it's a difficult period of life for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to: whiteheads, raging hormones, an insatiable appetite, and occasionally, 'Teen Wolf'-esque body hair growth. But, according to Harvard's Dr. Richard Weissbourd, the challenges of adolescence are no excuse for parents to abandon their parental responsibilities when it comes to fostering a sense of right and wrong in their children.
This week on You're the Expert, Dr. Weissbourd talks to us about Adolescent Moral Development, a field that explores the process of identity formation and the internalization of morals and values in children and young adults. Through extensive interviews, focus groups, and surveys, Dr. Weissbourd has looked into how a sense of right and wrong develops within children. His research suggests that even very young children know right from wrong, but many struggle to manage negative emotions that can cause them to act in immoral ways.
Dr. Weissbourd also researches how students think about love and romantic relationships. He's trying to push educators and parents to focus on children's development as a whole, rather than narrowly focusing on achievement and happiness. Our panelists loved hearing the way kids explained love to Dr. Weissbourd, particularly one interviewee who said you know you're in love when you feel a "pain in the stomach," not unlike an ulcer. I think we've all been there.
Listen to the episode, "Adolescent Moral Development," and let us know what you think!
-Lee Stephenson, Production Associate
Further reading:
Dr. Weissbourd's official website for his new book "The Parents We Mean to Be": http://www.richardweissbourd.com/
Or, check out a letter for Harvard Education entitled "Learning about Love": http://hepg.org/hel/article/560
Finally, take a look at Dr. Weissbourd's New York Times article, "Teaching Children to Do Good": http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/11/teaching-children-to-do-good/?_r=0
Is your goal to become a black belt in karate? Want to beat the world record at the next Coney Island hot dog eating competition or replace Mick Jagger as lead singer of the Rolling Stones?
This week on You're the Expert , Dr. Ted Powers (UMass Dartmouth) talks with us about setting and reaching goals. Dr. Powers studies "autonomous goal support," which basically means figuring out how best to help the people around you accomplish their goals. Dr. Powers' research suggests that giving someone directions on how to accomplish their goals doesn't help them achieve their goals (and may even undercut them).
Even though, as Dr. Powers quipped, "my grandmother thinks all this is bunk," psychology theory points to the fundamental human need for autonomy. Dr. Powers has written many papers on autonomous goal support, and on related topics ranging from weight loss to perfectionism.
So the next time you think to yourself, "no matter how hard I work, I'll never be the next Mick Jagger," don't just bang your weathered leathery face against the ground in despair, just call Dr. Powers! (But...don't actually call him. Just read up on autonomous goal support).
- Lee Stephenson, Production Associate
For More Info about "Autonomous Goal Support":
Dr. Powers' official website is here.
Click here to read one of Dr. Power's academic papers: Autonomous Motivation, Controlled Motivation, and Goal Progress
Or here's an interesting related article in Psychology Today about the importance of autonomy.
