1. (12 points) Children’s toys often reflect gender stereotypes.
- Identify a toy that reflects a masculine, instrumental stereotype. What are its characteristics? Why is it masculine? How is it advertised?
- Identify a toy that reflects a feminine, expressive stereotype. What are its characteristics? Why is it feminine? How is it advertised?
- Identify a toy that is neutral, reflecting neither masculine nor feminine stereotype. What are its characteristics? Why is it neutral? How is it advertised?
- Do you think toys should be depicted as “for boys” or “for girls”? Why or why not? Are there any benefits to gender-typical toys?
Answer should be at least 8 sentences long.
2. (5 points) One idea of intelligence discussed in your book is the Flynn Effect. Each generation scores higher on intelligence than the one before it. Why does this happen? In this exercise, watch a TED talk given by James Flynn and answer the provided questions.
- Are we getting smarter?
- What is causing the Flynn Effect?
- Are these changes positive or negative? Discuss.
Answer should be at least 4 sentences long.
3. (8 points) Divorce influences a child’s socioemotional development in many ways. Sometimes the child has to deal with the socioeconomic issues that come with single parenting. Sometimes the child has to deal with parents who can’t get along or who cohabitate with new parents. Watch the following two videos and answer the questions below (Chapter 10 should be used as well).
1. What do we know about children’s adjustment after divorce?
2. Identify an example of how the ideas in this video clip illustrate findings on adjustment after divorce.
3. What advice do you provide divorcing parents on how to help their child adjust?
4. How can better child adjustment after divorce improve the outcomes for a blended family?
Answer should be at least 5 sentences long.
