There is a tremendous amount of this kind of
information on the World Wide Web. Thousands of sites offer “information” and
“advice” (not to mention beliefs and opinions!) about almost every topic
imaginable that has to do with children, families, education, etc. But keep in
mind that the quality of the information offered varies widely. So be
discerning—use common sense, read critically, and pay close attention to where
the information is coming from. Who wrote it? Who (what person or organization)
sponsors and administers the website? Remember, anyone with access to the
necessary technology can construct a webpage!
When in doubt, it is best to start with the
websites of well-known, reputable organizations. But it is worthwhile to seek
information about your topic from several different sources—you may find that
differing perspectives are presented by different websites. (This is especially
true with regard to controversial topics.)
The following links are good places to begin with general information on child development.
These sites have links and several of them have good fact sheets.
http://www.childtrends.org/index.cfm
http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/contents.shtml
http://familyeducation.com/home/
The Society for Research in Child
Development is a professional organization that focuses primarily on the
development and health of infants and children are:
SRCD
Developments: Newsletter of the Society for Research in Child Development, July 2002, Volume 45, Number 3, recently noted
the following sites for their useful information pertaining to the development
of children:
Child
& Family Webguide, lists over 200 Web sites that are research based and
have been evaluated
Healthfinder, a site to find information about
health issues
http://www.healthfinder.gov
Children, Youth and Families Education and Research
Network
http://www.cyfernet.org
Parenting Resources
http://www.parentsoup.com/?arrivalSA=1&cobrandRef=0&arrival_freqCap=1&pba=adid=11060207
About Our Kids
http://www.aboutourkids.org
The following sites contain information rooted in
the most current research and offer general guidelines and recommendations for
raising a healthy child:
Zero to Three, a source for the first three years
of life
http://www.zerotothree.org
The American Academy of Pediatrics
http://www.aap.org
National Institute of Child Health
and Development
http://www.nichd.nih.gov
2. Where can
I find more information on children with disabilities? How can a
parent/teacher/nurse/coach/grandparent/uncle/aunt help them learn?
The following resources contain information
relevant to both physical and learning disabilities:
ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted
Education
http://ericec.org/digests/e613.html
The National Information Center for Children and
Youth with Disabilities
http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/newsdig/nd23txt.htm
National Institute on Mental Health
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/ldmenu.cfm
CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research
http://www.fhs.mcmaster.ca/canchild/
National Network for Child Care Learning
Disabilities
http://www.nncc.org/Diversity/specneed.page.html
3. Where can
I learn more about early childhood education?
Try these websites:
Child and Family Web Guide: Education/Learning
http://shiva.tcs.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/berger/secondary.pl?category=13&sub_category=145
National Association for the Education of Young
Children
http://www.naeyc.org
National Child Care Information Center
http://www.nccic.org/
4. If a
child is asked to be part of a psychological research study, what are his or
her rights as a participant? What ethical guidelines are in place to protect
children participating in research studies?
While psychologists are committed to using research
as a tool to increase their understanding of human behavior, they must respect
the rights of any study participant—adult or child. The following site contains detailed
information concerning a person’s rights as a participant and the ethical code
which governs research studies:
5.
Where can I get information about
developmental psychology topics on the World Wide Web?
There
are several well-crafted and well-maintained websites that are devoted partly
or entirely to developmental psychology. All offer links to a variety of other
websites concerned with relevant topics; some also have internal search engines
that allow you to seek information about a specific topic. The following are
some of the best such sites:
AmoebaWeb: Developmental Psychology
http://www.vanguard.edu/faculty/ddegelman/amoebaweb/index.cfm?doc_id=858
Social Psychology Network: Developmental Psychology
Links
http://www.socialpsychology.org/develop.htm
European Society for Developmental Psychology:
Internet Links for ESDP Community
http://devpsy.lboro.ac.uk/eurodev/internet/index.html
Professor Donelson R. Forsyth’s Developmental
Psychology Page
http://www.vcu.edu/hasweb/psy/psy101/forsyth/zdev.htm
MegaPsych: Developmental Psychology
http://www.tulsa.oklahoma.net/~jnichols/dev.html
6.
Where can I get information of a more general
nature about the discipline of psychology and its various subfields?
The
following sites, which offer both general and specific information about
psychology as well as links to other relevant sites, are good places to start:
Oklahoma State University: Psychology Museum and
Resource Center
http://psychology.okstate.edu/museum/home.html
Psych Web
http://www.psychwww.com/
Amoeba Web: Resources in Psychology
http://www.vanguard.edu/faculty/ddegelman/amoebaweb/
American Psychological Association
http://www.apa.org/
7. Is it
possible to pursue an advanced degree in developmental psychology?
Yes—once
you have earned your bachelor’s degree in psychology (or a related major), it
is possible to continue your studies by pursuing a graduate degree in
psychology with a specialization in developmental psychology. Many universities
that offer M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in psychology offer such a specialization.
For further information, you can go to the website of any university that
interests you. The university’s department of psychology will probably have a
webpage that offers information about areas of specialization offered in the graduate
program, as well as information about specific courses offered and individual
faculty members and their research interests.
If
you are interested in pursuing an advanced degree in psychology, the following
sites offer helpful advice and practical suggestions:
Social Psychology Network: Online Psychology Career
Center
http://www.socialpsychology.org/career.htm
Columbia University, Department of
Psychology: Your Guide to Applying to Graduate Programs in Psychology
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/psychology/dept/resources/getin3.html
Amoeba Web: Graduate Study in Psychology
http://www.vanguard.edu/faculty/ddegelman/amoebaweb/index.cfm?doc_id=849
Information
on educational preparation (from the high school level through the Ph.D.) and
on careers is also available from the American Psychological Association:
http://www.apa.org/students
http://www.apa.org/ed/gradschool/
http://www.apa.org/ed/accept.html
8.
Aside from pursuing an advanced degree in
psychology and working as a psychologist, what sorts of careers can the study
of developmental psychology help prepare me for?
A
background in developmental psychology has many potential applications.
Developmental psychology is relevant to a wide range of careers that involve
teaching, training, counseling, organizing, supervising, advising, and
otherwise interacting with people in a variety of professional, organizational,
political, business, healthcare, and community contexts.
Potential
employers of persons with training in developmental psychology include schools
and pre-schools, colleges and universities, businesses of various kinds,
government agencies, hospitals and clinics, research institutes, social service
agencies, non-profit organizations, charitable foundations, churches, and law
enforcement agencies.
The
following sites provide a variety of interesting career ideas (many of which
you’ve probably never thought of) and other information about career choice and
preparation:
Marky Lloyd’s Careers in Psychology Page
http://www.psychwww.com/careers/index.htm
American
Psychological Association: Interesting Careers in Psychology: Non-Academic
Careers for Scientific Psychologists
http://www.apa.org/science/nonacad_careers.html
Other American Psychological Association
career-related websites
http://www.apa.org/monitor/jun02/grads.html
http://www.apa.org/monitor/jun02/employers.html
http://www.apa.org/monitor/jun02/blend.html
http://www.apa.org/science/nonacad_careers.html
http://www.apa.org/monitor/jun02/goodnews.html
Social Psychology Network: Online Psychology Career
Center
http://www.socialpsychology.org/career.htm
Amoeba Web: Psychology: Career Preparation
http://www.vanguard.edu/faculty/ddegelman/amoebaweb/index.cfm?doc_id=846
Guide to Careers in Child
and Family Policy
http://www.igpa.uillinois.edu/cfp
9.
Where can I get news releases and
other up-to-date information about current issues and research in developmental
psychology?
The
following sites offer news releases (frequently updated) as well as research
reports, policy statements, reviews of recently published books, contact
information for institutions and organizations, and links to related sites:
PsycPORT: Psychology in
the News
http://www.psycport.com/
American
Psychological Association: Resources for the Public: What You Need to Know
about Children
http://www.apa.org/psychnet/parentingfamily.html
American
Psychological Association: Public Interest Directorate: Children, Youth, and
Families Office
http://www.apa.org/pi/cyf/homepage.html
10. Where can I find information on the impact of the media on children's thinking and behavior?
In an age of rapidly evolving digital content, it is important to consider the influence of the media culture on children and families.
The following sites offer information on the effects of media on children:
Center for Media Studies
http://www.mediastudies.rutgers.edu/
Media Literacy Review
http://interact.uoregon.edu/MediaLit/mlr/readings/contents/research.html
Education Index for parenting resources
http://www.educationindex.com/parents/