مکالمه ی اول

Listen to a conversation between a student and a professor.

Hi, Eric, How are things going?

Student: Oh, I am really busy with my workload.Some professors assign so much reading that it’s like they think we have no other homework.

One of the most important things you’ll learn in college is how to manage your time, how to, you know, prioritize, when to say “no” to a social engagement if you have a paper due, that sort of thing.

I guess so.

So how are you finding the material we’re covering in class?

I’ve actually come to talk to you about it. I have a 6-month-old niece so I find early childhood development really interesting.Piaget, that Swiss psychologist you told us about, his development theory is really cool.

Yes, his theory that cognitive development in children occurs in four stages that you can actually observe.

Yea, um, so my niece, she’s in the sensory motor stage now, right at the part where she thinks things disappear when they’re out of sight.

Very good!She probably won’t understand that objects continue to exist, even when they are out of sight, until she’s a month or so older.

Yea, yesterday, we were knocking a little ball around and it rolled under the couch. She immediately lost interest and reached for something else.

Because to her, the ball ceased to exist.

Yeah. I’ve actually been taking notes on her behavior because I’d like to write my term paper about her, if it’s ok with you.

Your term paper?

Yeah. I’d like to do a case study or something. Piaget watched his kids, and like,changed the whole world of psychology.

Wait a minute. Piaget didn’t just observe his own children.He did exhaustive research over 30 years to develop and test his theory. And anyway, your assignment isn’t to do a study, it’s to research the literature on a particular psychological topic and write about it and I gave you a list of suggested topics to choose from.

Well, what if I research something like, is it possible to speed up cognitive development? Like, if I reached under the couch to get the ball while she watched me, would she learn earlier that objects don’t disappear or can’t 6-monthold babies think that ay yet?

Uh, hmmm, I do applaud your initiative, Eric. However, I sincerely doubt you could get any kind of valid or meaningful information from such an experiment.

But I already put so much time into watching my niece.

Remember, this is only a freshman psychology class, you weren’t trained in carrying out an original research project.I wish you’d come to me earlier but you know there’s still some time before the due date. I suggest that you recheck the list of topics.At least one of them relates to cognitive development. Then come see me again if you have any questions.

Okay.

the door.

get in as much observation time as you can.