What is a Theory?

Jonathan Pickens

Today's Agenda

• Group discussions
• Review Video Lecture
• Origin myths (pre-history) and History
• Worksheet 1 What is your theory?

Next Class

• BEFORE class:
  • Comment in Forum for preferred group topic
  • Read the Danziger (2006) article
  • Leave a blog comment
• Blog Presentations
• Review Group Project rubric

Light Group Questions

Groups of 4-5

Write the name (pronouns)  of all group members

Answer the following:

0. What item you have says the most about you?

1. Are humans  good or evil?
2. Is the world getting better or worse?

3. How does #1 (not) explain #2?

4. Where do these ideas (#1 and #2) come from?

Why should a social scientist care?

• We emerge from a social reality
• We are embedded in a social context

• Our ideas will influence the social context
• Our ideas will create new social realities
• Our ideas influence our ideas

Video Lecture

Why Human Development?

Your

What is a theory?

Textbook: an orderly, integrated set of statements that describe, explain, and predicts

Science:

• Falsifiability
• Testable

Worksheet 1: What is Your Theory of Human Development?

Whether we are conscious of it or not, we live our daily lives using some type of “theory” development. Try to describe your current theory (or theories) of development.

Think about the following questions, and answer them within your response. Please write at least two paragraphs.

• What causes humans to become the people that they become?

• What do you think are the most important factors that influence development?

• What causes us to change?

• What causes us to remain the same?

Shared development: origin stories

What is the narrator assuming?

Shared development: History

What is the narrator assuming?

Time for Danny Z (Danziger 2006)

Psychology

Philosophy

Science

Ecology

Bio

Psychology

Human Development

Thanks! See you Tomorrow

Watch the video lecture please