Culture & Cultural Dimensions

In this video I discuss how cultural dimensions can be used to think about the general differences between cultures and how culture may influence thought and behavior. I describe Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, based on his research with IBM employees … Read More

Introduction to Social Psychology

In this video I introduce social psychology and the investigation of how groups, culture, and social context influence our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. I differentiate social psychology from sociology, which generally looks at influence on broader groups rather than individuals. … Read More

Adulthood & Aging

In this video I describe the changes and challenges associated with adulthood and aging. These include new responsibilities, declines in physical and cognitive abilities, and changes in relationships over time. Despite these changes, however, most older adults see an increase … Read More

Development of Sexual Orientation

In this video I briefly describe research related to development of sexual orientation, with a focus on homosexuality. Despite Freud’s emphasis on identification, there doesn’t seem to be a relationship between parenting and sexual orientation. Twin studies have suggested that … Read More

Puberty & Adolescence

In this video I describe the changes associated with puberty and adolescence, ranging from the physical to the socioemotional. Puberty causes major physical changes in both primary and secondary sex characteristics as adolescents become capable of reproduction. Cognitive changes include … Read More

Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development

In this video I describe Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory of moral development and its 3 main stages: preconventional, conventional, and postconventional. I also provide a description of the Heinz dilemma and how different responses might be categorized into the levels of … Read More

Baumrind’s Parenting Styles

In this video I describe Diana Baumrind’s 3 main parenting styles: authoritarian, permissive, and authoritative. I also describe the addition of neglectful or uninvolved parenting and the outcomes in children associated with each of these parenting styles. Lastly I consider … Read More

Attachment & Bonding

In this video I describe several concepts and theories related to the formation of the relationship between mother and child. These include Konrad Lorenz’s work with imprinting in goslings, Harry Harlow’s work on comfort and security in rhesus macaques, and … Read More

Lev Vygotsky & The Zone of Proximal Development

In this video I consider how it is that we improve our skills and abilities and how children make progress through different stages of development. This brings us to the work of Soviet psychologist Lev Vygotsky and his notion of … Read More