In plain English: D2.Psy.18.9-12 is the C3 Framework psychology indicator for grades 9-12 that asks students to apply psychological knowledge to their daily lives. Students take a principle, such as learning plateaus or the pull of suggestion, check that it fits their own situation, choose an action, and judge how strong the evidence behind the advice really is.
Apply psychological knowledge to their daily lives.
C3 Framework for Social Studies (NCSS) · Dimension 2: Applying Disciplinary Concepts and Tools · Discipline: Psychology · Applications of Psychological Knowledge · Official standard
D2.Psy.18.9-12 asks students to apply psychological knowledge to their daily lives. Applying psychology well is more than repeating a tip. A student has to name the principle and where it came from, check whether their own situation matches the one that was studied, choose a specific action, check the result honestly, and know the limits: how strong the evidence is, and when a problem calls for a trusted adult or a professional instead of self-help.
This lesson practices those five steps with three real sources and two invented ones. Bryan and Harter's 1897 study of people learning telegraphy describes long plateaus in learning a skill. Walter Dill Scott's 1908 book for advertisers defines suggestion as an action taken with less than the normal amount of deliberation. A current Federal Trade Commission guide shows how scammers use pressure. An invented practice log and four invented everyday cases let students apply the principles to learning a language, shopping, a suspicious text and practicing music, and judge where the evidence stops.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Use five steps to apply a psychological principle to a daily situation: name it, check the match, choose an action, check the result, know the limits
Explain what a learning plateau is and use it to interpret a learner's progress record
Explain suggestion as an action taken with less than the normal amount of deliberation, and apply it to advertising and scam messages
Judge how far a historical or federal source supports a piece of everyday advice, and name what evidence is missing
Plan, on paper only, a simple self-check that tests whether a piece of advice works
Prior Knowledge Required
Students should already be comfortable with:
Independent and dependent variables and the limits of small samples D2.Psy.1.9-12
Using critical thinking to judge psychological claims D2.Psy.16.9-12
How areas of psychology connect D2.Psy.17.9-12
Reading a line graph and finding a change between two points
"Write down one piece of advice about the mind you have heard, such as 'sleep on it' or 'practice makes perfect.' Who told you, and how do they know? Would it work for everyone?"
Collect 6-8 pieces of advice on the board. For each, ask two quick questions: Where does it come from (a study, a person's experience, an ad, a saying)? Is there any situation where it would not work? Tell students that today they will practice turning real psychological findings into daily actions, and checking whether the findings really support the action.
Direct Instruction20 minutes
Five steps for applying psychology. (1) Name the principle and its source: who found it, and how? (2) Check the match: is your situation like the one that was studied, in the people, the task and the setting? (3) Choose an action: something specific you will do differently. (4) Check the result: keep a record and compare, instead of going by a feeling. (5) Know the limits: how strong is the evidence, and is this a problem for self-help at all?
Two terms. A learning plateau is a stretch of practice during which measured progress levels off before it rises again. Suggestion, in Walter Dill Scott's sense, is an idea or action prompted by another person or an object and taken up with less than the normal amount of deliberation.
Read Source 1. Bryan and Harter studied people learning to receive Morse code messages by ear; "the main line" is a working telegraph line carrying real messages at full speed. Then read Source 2, written by a psychologist for advertisers.
1[...] (e) One conclusion seems to stand out from all these facts more clearly than anything else, namely, that in learning to interpret the telegraphic language, it is intense effort which educates. This seems to be true throughout the whole length of the curve. Every step in advance seems to cost as much as the former. Indeed, each new step seems to cost more than the former. Inquiry at the telegraph schools and among operators indicates that between sixty and seventy-five per cent. of those who begin the study of telegraphy become discouraged upon the plateau of the curve just below the main-line rate. As a rule, ordinary operators will not make the painful effort necessary to become experts. Facts of an analogous character will be recalled from other fields.
2The physiological, psychological and pedagogical implications of this conclusion are manifestly important. If in our educational methods in the past, we have often made the pace that kills, there is possibly the danger on the other hand that we shall make school work all play, and so eliminate the intense effort which is necessary for progress.
3[...] We have, however, gained the impression, partly from personal experience and partly from conversation with teachers of language and others who have learned foreign languages, that the curve of practice in learning a language must present at least great general similarities to the receiving curves here shown. All agree that just below the ability to understand what is spoken, there is a long discouraging plateau where many give up in despair; that there is at last a sudden ascent into the ability to understand most of what is said; finally that the perfect mastery of one at home in the language, comes much later and only after very persistent work. Of those who undertake the study of any foreign language, most stop on the first plateau below a working proficiency; and of those who go on, most stop on the second plateau, below complete mastery.
47. What is the interpretation of the plateaus in the receiving curve? For many weeks there is an improvement which the student can feel sure of and which is proved by objective tests. Then follows a long period when the student can feel no improvement, and when objective tests show little or none. At the last end of the plateau the messages on the main line are, according to the unanimous testimony of all who have experience in the matter, a senseless clatter to the student—practically as unintelligible as the same messages were months before. Suddenly, within a few days, the change comes, and the senseless clatter becomes intelligible speech.
[...]
58. As suggested above, it is probable that the curves which represent the acquisition of the telegraphic language also represent the main characteristics of the curves for many other acquisitions. This should, however, by no means be taken for granted. We should rather require of ourselves a thorough study of the actual curves of improvement for every ability which makes measurable manifestation of itself. The determination and comparative study of these curves would furnish one thing which is always a precious enlargement to any science—an outlay of problems which permit approach by systematic research and which promise results of far-reaching, theoretical and practical importance.
William Lowe Bryan and Noble Harter, Source 1: Bryan and Harter on plateaus in learning telegraphy (1897) (1897). Public domain (published 1897). Source text.
1[...] Suggestion must be brought about by a second person or an object. In my musings and deliberations I should not say that one idea suggested another, but if the same idea were called forth at the instigation of a second person or upon the presentation of an object, I should then call it suggestion—if it met the second essential condition of suggestion. This second condition is that the resulting conception, conclusion or action must follow with less than the normal amount of deliberation. Suggestion is thus a relative term, and in many instances it might be difficult to say whether or not a particular act was suggestion. If the act followed a normal amount of consideration after a normal time for deliberation, it would not be suggestion, while if the same act followed too abruptly or with too little consideration it might be a true case of suggestion.
[...]
2There has been a great agitation of late among advertisers for "reason why" copy. This agitation has had some value, but it is easily over-emphasized. Occasionally customers are persuaded and convinced, but more frequently they make their purchases because the act is suggested at the psychological moment. Suggestion and persuasion are not antagonistic; both should be kept in mind. However, in advertising, suggestion should not be subordinated to persuasion but should be supplemented by it. The actual effect of modern advertising is not so much to convince as to suggest. The individual swallowed up by a crowd is not aware of the fact that he is not exercising a normal amount of deliberation. His actions appear to him to be the result of reason, although the idea, as presented, is not criticised at all and no contradictory or inhibiting idea has any possibility of arising in his mind. In the same way we think that we are performing a deliberate act when we purchase an advertised commodity, while in fact we may never have deliberated upon the subject at all. The idea is suggested by the advertisement, and the impulsiveness of human nature enforces the suggested idea, hence the desired result follows in a way unknown to the purchaser.
3Some time ago a tailor in Chicago was conducting a vigorous advertising campaign. I did not suppose that his advertising was having any influence upon me. Some months after the advertising had begun I went into the tailor's shop and ordered a suit. While in the shop I happened to fall into conversation with the proprietor and he asked me if a friend had recommended him to me. I replied that such was the case. Thereupon I tried to recall who the friend was and finally came to the conclusion that this shop had never been recommended to me at all. I had seen his advertisements for months and from them had formed an idea of the shop. Later, I forgot where I had received my information and assumed that I had received it from a friend who patronized the shop. I discovered that all I knew of the shop I had learned from advertisements and I doubt very much whether I ever read any of the advertisements further than the display type. Doubtless many other customers would have given the same reply even though, as in my case, no friend had spoken to them concerning the shop.
Walter Dill Scott, Source 2: Walter Dill Scott on suggestion in advertising (1908) (1908; this edition 1913). Public domain (published 1913). Source text.
Steps 1 and 2 with Source 1, paragraph 2
A swim coach fills every practice with games because "teens learn best when it is fun." What would Bryan and Harter's paragraph 2 say, and does their evidence match a swim team?
Result: They warn against making school work "all play," which could "eliminate the intense effort which is necessary for progress." But their evidence comes from people learning telegraphy, a different skill and setting, so for swimmers the warning is a hypothesis to test, not a finding. A fair application keeps some fun and adds some hard practice.
Step 1 with Source 2, paragraph 1
At a checkout, a clerk says, "Most people add the extended warranty," and Jaden adds it at once. By Scott's definition, is this suggestion?
Result: Yes: the idea comes from "a second person," and Jaden acts "with less than the normal amount of deliberation." If he had first compared the warranty's cost with the price of a repair, the same purchase would not count as suggestion.
Step 4: checking the result (invented case)
Invented case: Tomas tries the advice "take a 5-minute break every 25 minutes" for one week and decides it works because he felt good. What is missing from his check?
Result: A record and a comparison. He could count pages read or score a short self-quiz each day, and compare a week with breaks against a week without. One person for one week is still weak evidence, but it is better than a feeling alone.
Step 5: knowing the limits
When should applying psychology on your own stop, and someone else step in?
Result: Self-help ideas fit everyday problems such as practice habits or shopping choices. If worry, sadness or stress lasts, gets in the way of daily life, or involves safety, the next step is a trusted adult, such as a parent, school counselor or doctor, not another tip.
Diagram 2 shows Scott's idea as two paths from the same prompt: one goes straight to action, the other passes through a pause and a check. Ask: Which steps of the five-step method live on the slower path?
Guided Practice15 minutes
Read Source 4 together. It is an invented practice log with invented data, written to look like the kind of record Step 4 asks for. The table lists Maya's weekly scores and the change from the week before.
1Invented practice log, written for this page. Maya is not a real person, and her scores are invented. Maya, 16, is learning Spanish. Every Sunday for 12 weeks she played a recording of 20 short Spanish sentences once, at normal speed, and counted how many she understood well enough to write down in English. On most school days she also practiced listening for about 20 minutes, choosing recordings she found hard.
3Maya's note: "From week 5 to week 9 I felt stuck, and I almost quit. Then in week 10 a lot of sentences suddenly made sense."
4Her teacher's note: "This is one learner and one kind of test, and the recording was different every week, so some of the ups and downs may come from easier or harder recordings."
SVHS (invented scenario), Source 4: Maya's listening log (invented practice log with invented data) (2026). Original passage written for this page.
Source 4 data (invented): sentences understood out of 20
Week
Score
Change from previous week
1
3
2
5
+2
3
7
+2
4
9
+2
5
10
+1
6
10
+0
7
11
+1
8
10
-1
9
11
+1
10
15
+4
11
17
+2
12
18
+1
Early weeks. From week 1 to week 5 the score rose from 3 to 10, a gain of 7 sentences in 4 weeks.
The flat stretch. From week 5 to week 9 it went from 10 to 11, a gain of 1 sentence in 4 weeks, with one small drop in week 8. Ask: what would Bryan and Harter call this stretch, and which paragraph of Source 1 describes how it feels to a learner?
Step 2, the match. Bryan and Harter studied telegraph learners but say in paragraph 3 that teachers of language described a similar curve. Maya is learning a language by ear, so the match is closer than it would be for, say, a swimmer. It is still an impression they report, not a measured curve for language learners.
Step 3, an action. If Maya expects plateaus, one action is to keep the hard practice going through a flat stretch instead of quitting, and to keep recording.
Independent Practice15 minutes
Students read Sources 3 and 5 on their own and use all five sources for the quiz and homework. Source 3 is a current Federal Trade Commission guide; Source 5 gives four invented everyday cases.
1Four Signs That It’s a Scam
21. Scammers PRETEND to be from an organization you know.
3Scammers often pretend to be contacting you on behalf of the government. They might use a real name, like the FTC, Social Security Administration, IRS, or Medicare, or make up a name that sounds official. Some pretend to be from a business you know, like a utility company, a tech company, or even a charity asking for donations.
4They use technology to change the phone number that appears on your caller ID. So the name and number you see might not be real.
52. Scammers say there’s a PROBLEM or a PRIZE.
6They might say you’re in trouble with the government. Or you owe money. Or someone in your family had an emergency. Or that there’s a virus on your computer.
7Some scammers say there’s a problem with one of your accounts and that you need to verify some information.
8Others will lie and say you won money in a lottery or sweepstakes but have to pay a fee to get it.
93. Scammers PRESSURE you to act immediately.
10Scammers want you to act before you have time to think. If you’re on the phone, they might tell you not to hang up so you can’t check out their story.
11They might threaten to arrest you, sue you, take away your driver’s or business license, or deport you. They might say your computer is about to be corrupted.
[...]
12How To Avoid a Scam
[...]
13Don’t give your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect. Honest organizations won’t call, email, or text to ask for your personal information, like your Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers.
[...]
14Resist the pressure to act immediately. Honest businesses will give you time to make a decision. Anyone who pressures you to pay or give them your personal information is a scammer.
[...]
15Stop and talk to someone you trust. Before you do anything else, tell someone — a friend, a family member, a neighbor — what happened. Talking about it could help you realize it’s a scam.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Consumer Advice, Source 3: Federal Trade Commission, How To Avoid a Scam (2023). US government work (17 U.S.C. 105). Source text.
1Invented cases, written for this page. The people are not real.
2Case 1. Dev, 17, gets a text message: "Your school email account will be shut down in 15 minutes. Reply with your password now to keep it."
3Case 2. Lena, 15, has seen the same sneaker ad on her phone almost every day for a month. When a friend asks why she wants that pair, she says, "Everyone says they're the best," but she cannot name one person who said so.
4Case 3. Omar, 16, has been practicing a hard guitar piece for five weeks. After two weeks with no change he says, "I haven't gotten any better. Maybe I'm just not musical."
5Case 4. Keisha, 17, reads a post that says "studying with music always improves memory." She plans to play music during every review session before her finals.
SVHS (invented scenario), Source 5: Four moments from one week (invented cases) (2026). Original passage written for this page.
Task: for each case in Source 5, write the number of the source (1, 2 or 3) that fits it best and copy the one sentence from that source that matches the case. For one case, also say whether the match is close or loose, and why. Save the full application for the quiz.
Closure5-10 minutes
Exit ticket: "Name one principle from today, one situation in your own week where it fits, and one thing that would make you doubt it fits."
Teacher notes. (1) Sources 1 and 2 are historical. Bryan and Harter studied telegraph students in the 1890s; treat their claims as findings about that group until other studies test them, and use Question 1 and Homework Problem 1 to discuss the kinds of evidence in paragraph 1. (2) Scott wrote to help advertisers sell. The paragraphs left out of Source 2 claim that crowds act almost as if hypnotized and that "we reason rarely, but act under suggestion constantly"; those are sweeping claims from 1908, not tested findings, and the lesson does not teach them. (3) Sources 4 and 5 are invented for teaching; their people and numbers are not real. (4) Source 3 is consumer guidance. If a student says they or their family may have been targeted by a scam, encourage them to tell a parent or another trusted adult. If a student raises a personal concern about stress or worry, point them to a trusted adult, such as a parent, school counselor or doctor.
Differentiation Strategies
For Struggling Students
Give the five steps as a checklist card with one sentence starter for each step
Pre-mark the sentence in each source that states the principle
Work Case 1 of Source 5 together before students try the others
For Advanced Students
Scott wrote for sellers and the FTC writes for buyers. Compare how the two sources would describe the same advertisement
Design a better version of Maya's test that removes the problem her teacher names
Find one piece of advice in a federal health or consumer guide and run it through all five steps
Assessment Guidance
What to Look For
Strong answers name the principle and its source, say how well the situation matches the one studied, choose a specific action, and name a limit (a small or invented sample, a different task or setting, a writer's purpose, or a problem that needs a trusted adult). Watch for students who treat a historical claim as proven, who stretch a finding to every situation, or who check advice only by how it feels.
02
Classroom Activities
3 Activities
1
Principle Match: Six Everyday Situations
15 minGroups of 3
Each group gets 6 situation cards, all invented for this page. For each card, the group names the principle that fits (and its source), says how close the match is, and writes one specific action. One card is a situation where the right step is to go to a trusted adult, not to apply a principle alone.
The 6 Situation Cards (invented)
Ravi has used a typing app every day for a month. His speed has not changed for ten days, and he wants to delete the app.
When one show ends, a streaming service starts the next one in ten seconds. Bea watches three more episodes without ever deciding to.
Jonah tells a friend he "heard from someone" that a phone brand is the best, then realizes the idea came from a billboard he passes every day.
A message that claims to be from a delivery company says a package will be sent back unless a fee is paid in the next 30 minutes.
Ellie practices only the parts of her dance routine she can already do well.
For two months Sam has felt worried most days, and it is keeping him from seeing his friends.
Answer Key
1: learning plateau (Source 1, paragraphs 3-4); a close match for a skill learned by practice, though typing was not studied; action: keep practicing and keep a record. 2: suggestion (Source 2, paragraph 1); the next episode is prompted by an object and taken up without deliberation; action: turn off autoplay or decide on a number of episodes first. 3: forgetting where an idea came from (Source 2, paragraph 3); a close match to Scott's tailor story; action: ask "where did I actually learn this?" 4: scam pressure (Source 3, paragraphs 9-11 and 14); action: do not pay, check with the company through a site you know, and tell a trusted adult. 5: hard practice (Source 1, paragraphs 1-2); a loose match, since dance was not studied; action: add a few minutes on the hardest part. 6: a limit (Step 5); lasting worry that gets in the way of daily life calls for a trusted adult, such as a parent, school counselor or doctor, not a self-help tip.
Debrief
Which card was the hardest to match? Which match was the loosest, and what would you need to know before trusting the advice?
2
Advice Check: A Three-Source Jigsaw
20 min3 expert groups, then mixed groups of 3
Each expert group takes one of Sources 1-3 and completes the Advice Check organizer. Then students regroup so that each new group has one expert for every source, and each expert teaches the others in 2 minutes.
Advice Check Organizer
Who wrote the source, when, and for whom (scientists, advertisers, the public)?
The principle, in one sentence of your own, and the sentence of the source that states it (with its paragraph number)
How the writers know: measured data, interviews, personal experience, or a summary of others' work?
One daily situation for a high school student where the principle fits closely, and one where it fits only loosely
One action a student could take, and one limit of the evidence
Variation
For a shorter class, pair Source 2 with Source 3 only: one written to help sellers, one written to protect buyers. Each pair writes two sentences on how a writer's purpose changes what advice the source gives.
3
Plan a Self-Check on Paper
15 minPairs (each student plans their own check)
Each student plans, on paper only, a two-week check of one piece of advice in their own life. They may not run it on anyone else. Suggested checks: Does five minutes of practice at the hardest level of a skill improve a weekly score more than the same time at an easy level? Does waiting one day before any online purchase change how many purchases I later regret?
Self-Check Plan Template
The advice, and the source or principle behind it
How my situation matches the one studied, and how it differs
What I will do differently (the action), and for how long
What I will record, and how (a score, a count, a yes or no)
What I will compare it with (a week without the change, or my own earlier record)
Limits: one person, a short time, and anything else that changes during the two weeks
Safety and privacy: only my own records, nothing about health without a trusted adult, and I stop if it causes stress
Variation
Pairs swap plans and write one question the plan cannot answer, for example whether the result would hold for other people or other skills.
03
Diagrams & Visual Aids
2 diagrams
Diagram 1: Maya's Listening Scores Over 12 Weeks
Maya's weekly scores from Source 4 (invented data), drawn to scale: sentences understood out of 20 against week. The shaded band marks weeks 5-9, where the line is nearly flat. One learner and a different recording each week: the graph shows one record, not a rule about learning.
Diagram 2: Two Paths From a Prompt to an Action
Scott's definition of suggestion (Source 2) drawn as two paths from the same prompt. On the fast path the action follows with little deliberation, which is what Scott calls suggestion. On the slow path a pause and a check come first, and the action becomes a decision. The labels are written for this page.
04
Homework Assignment
~30 min
Homework: Psychology at Work in Your Week
Directions: Part 1 uses Sources 1, 2 and 4. Quote every source you use with its paragraph number. Part 2 asks you to apply the five steps to new situations and to plan a check on paper only: do not run it on anyone else.
Part 1: Reading the Evidence (Problems 1-3)
Source 1, paragraph 1 says that "between sixty and seventy-five per cent" of telegraphy students become discouraged on the plateau. Quiz Question 1 asks where this figure came from. Building on that answer, explain why this kind of figure is weaker evidence than the authors' measured practice curves, and describe what stronger evidence for the same claim would look like.
Using Source 4, find Maya's mean score for weeks 1-4 and her mean score for weeks 9-12. Write one sentence comparing them and one sentence on why the comparison could be misleading.
Scott wrote Source 2 to help advertisers. Choose one sentence from paragraph 2 and explain how knowing his purpose changes the way you read it. Is the sentence still useful to a buyer? Explain.
Part 2: Applying the Five Steps (Problems 4-6)
Invented case: Nia, 15, is learning to drive with a parent. For two weeks she has not gotten any better at parallel parking, and she wants to stop trying. Apply all five steps to her situation, using one source from this page.
Invented case: a concert-ticket website shows "Only 2 left! Offer ends in 3:00" with a countdown clock. Using Sources 2 and 3, explain how the message could change a buyer's decision, whether it is the same as a scam, and two steps a buyer could take.
Plan, on paper only, a two-week check of whether turning off phone notifications during homework changes how many problems you finish in 30 minutes. Name the principle you are testing, your record, your comparison, one limit and one privacy safeguard.
Rubric
Criterion
Full Credit (2 pts)
Partial Credit (1 pt)
No Credit (0 pts)
Principle and source
The principle is stated correctly and tied to a named source
Principle stated, but source missing or misread
No principle, or the wrong one
Evidence and match
Quotations with paragraph numbers, and a clear judgment of how well the situation matches
Quotations or match judgment, but not both
No evidence from the sources
Data
Means are correct and a limit of the comparison is named
Means correct, limit missing, or one error
Means missing or wrong
Action and limits
A specific action, an honest check and a stated limit; the plan stays on paper and protects privacy
Action given, but check or limit missing
No action, or a plan that involves other people without permission
05
Quiz: 20 Questions
Interactive, with answers
Instructions
Sources 1 and 2 are printed in Direct Instruction, Source 4 in Guided Practice, and Sources 3 and 5 in Independent Practice. Source 1 is used in Questions 1-5, 15 and 18; Source 2 in Questions 6-8, 16, 17 and 20; Source 3 in Questions 9, 10, 14 and 16; Source 4 in Questions 11-13 and 15; and Source 5 in Questions 16-19. Questions 1-14 are multiple choice; 15-20 are short answer.
Multiple choice: pick an option to check it. Short answer: write your answer, then reveal the model answer.
0 of 20 answered · 0 correct
Question 1 of 20 · Multiple Choice
According to Source 1, paragraph 1, how did Bryan and Harter arrive at the figure of sixty to seventy-five per cent?
Answer: D
The paragraph says "Inquiry at the telegraph schools and among operators indicates" the figure: it is an estimate gathered by asking, not a count. A and C confuse the figure with the measured practice curves the article reports elsewhere. B is not in the source.
Question 2 of 20 · Multiple Choice
What does Source 1, paragraph 1 say about the cost of each new step of progress?
Answer: A
"Every step in advance seems to cost as much as the former. Indeed, each new step seems to cost more than the former." C stops at the first sentence and misses the correction that follows it. B and D are not in the paragraph; paragraph 1 says the effort is needed "throughout the whole length of the curve."
Question 3 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In Source 1, paragraph 3, where do most people who study a foreign language stop?
Answer: C
"Of those who undertake the study of any foreign language, most stop on the first plateau below a working proficiency." A reverses the order: the sudden ascent comes after the plateau, for those who keep going. D is wrong: even of those who go on, most stop "below complete mastery."
Question 4 of 20 · Multiple Choice
According to Source 1, paragraph 4, what do objective tests show during the long plateau?
Answer: A
During the plateau "the student can feel no improvement, and ... objective tests show little or none." B contradicts the paragraph, since the tests agree with the student's feeling. D overstates it: the messages are "practically as unintelligible" as months before, which is not a measured drop. C mixes in a comparison from another part of the article.
Question 5 of 20 · Multiple Choice
A friend says, "Bryan and Harter proved that every skill has the same plateaus." Which response is best supported by Source 1, paragraph 5?
Answer: D
The authors write that the curves may represent "many other acquisitions," but "This should, however, by no means be taken for granted," and they call for a study of "the actual curves of improvement for every ability." B reverses this: that study is what they say is still needed. A is wrong: language learning is described in paragraph 3 only as an impression. C is not in the source.
Question 6 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which situation meets both conditions of suggestion in Source 2, paragraph 1?
Answer: D
Scott's two conditions are an idea brought by "a second person or an object" and an action that follows "with less than the normal amount of deliberation." D has both. A and C involve normal deliberation, so by his definition they are not suggestion. B has no second person or object: he says one idea calling up another in "my musings" is not suggestion.
Question 7 of 20 · Multiple Choice
What does Scott say in Source 2, paragraph 2 is "the actual effect of modern advertising"?
Answer: A
"The actual effect of modern advertising is not so much to convince as to suggest." B reverses his claim. C and D are not in the paragraph; he contrasts only suggestion and persuasion, which he says should be combined.
Question 8 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In Source 2, paragraph 3, what did Scott wrongly believe when he ordered his suit?
Answer: C
He told the tailor a friend had recommended the shop, then realized "this shop had never been recommended to me at all": he had forgotten that his idea of the shop came from the ads. B is the opposite of what he says, since he doubts he read "further than the display type." A and D are not in the source.
Question 9 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In Source 3, paragraph 10, why might a scammer tell a person on the phone not to hang up?
Answer: B
The FTC writes: "they might tell you not to hang up so you can't check out their story." Keeping the person on the line blocks the pause in which they could deliberate or check. C and D mix in details from other paragraphs, and A is not in the source.
Question 10 of 20 · Multiple Choice
According to Source 3, paragraph 15, what can talking about a suspicious message with someone you trust do?
Answer: C
The FTC says: "Talking about it could help you realize it's a scam." A second person's view adds the deliberation that the scammer's pressure tries to cut out. A, B and D are not claims the paragraph makes; reporting is a separate step in the full article.
Question 11 of 20 · Multiple Choice
By how many sentences did Maya's score rise from week 9 to week 11 in Source 4?
Answer: C
Week 9 was 11 and week 11 was 17, so 17 - 11 = 6. A starts from week 8 (10) instead of week 9. B is only the change from week 10 to week 11. D starts from week 1 (3) instead of week 9.
Question 12 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which statement about Maya's log in Source 4 goes beyond what the data can show?
Answer: B
B claims a cause. One invented record cannot separate her practice from other changes, and the teacher's note adds that the recording was different every week, so week 10's recording may simply have been easier. A, C and D can be read straight off the log: 18 in week 12, a drop from 11 to 10 in week 8, and a rise from 11 to 15 in week 10.
Question 13 of 20 · Multiple Choice
What weakness of the log does Maya's teacher point out in Source 4?
Answer: A
The teacher notes that "the recording was different every week, so some of the ups and downs may come from easier or harder recordings." B is false: she practiced on most school days. D reverses the log, which says she chose recordings she found hard. C is not a weakness the teacher names.
Question 14 of 20 · Multiple Choice
A classmate reads Source 3 and says, "Any message that sounds urgent is a scam." Which correction fits the source best?
Answer: B
The FTC lists pressure "to act immediately" as one of four signs and advises "Resist the pressure to act immediately," but a sign is not proof: a real school or doctor can send an urgent message too. Slowing down and checking is the application. A, C and D contradict the source, which describes scams by phone, text and email that often claim to come from the government.
Question 15 of 20 · Short Answer
Use Source 1, paragraph 4 and the data in Source 4 to explain to Maya why weeks 5-9 do not have to mean she stopped learning. Then name one limit of this advice.
Model answer: Bryan and Harter describe a long stretch when "the student can feel no improvement, and when objective tests show little or none," followed by a sudden change: "within a few days, the change comes." Maya's log has the same shape: 10 to 11 over weeks 5-9, then 15 in week 10. So a flat stretch is a known part of learning a skill by ear, not proof that she cannot learn. Limit: the 1897 study was of telegraph learners, Maya is one invented learner, and her recordings changed every week. Rubric: 1 point for the quotation, 1 point for linking it to Maya's numbers, 1 point for a real limit.
Question 16 of 20 · Short Answer
Apply Sources 2 and 3 to Case 1 in Source 5 (Dev's text message). What is the message trying to make Dev do, and what two steps should he take?
Model answer: The text comes from an outside "object" and pushes Dev to act within 15 minutes, which is Scott's suggestion: an action with "less than the normal amount of deliberation." It also fits two FTC signs: a "PROBLEM" (his account will be shut down) and pressure "to act immediately." Steps: "Resist the pressure to act immediately" and do not send a password, since "Honest organizations won't call, email, or text to ask for your personal information"; then "Stop and talk to someone you trust," such as a parent or the school's technology office. Rubric: 1 point for naming suggestion or pressure, 1 point for each correct step with a quotation (3 points).
Question 17 of 20 · Short Answer
Apply Source 2, paragraph 3 to Case 2 in Source 5 (Lena and the sneakers). What has probably happened, and what could Lena do before buying?
Model answer: Like Scott, who "forgot where I had received my information and assumed that I had received it from a friend," Lena may have turned a month of ads into the belief that "everyone says" the sneakers are the best. She could ask herself where she actually learned it, look for a review from a real person or a test, and decide after comparing two other pairs. Rubric: 1 point for the source-confusion link with a quotation, 1 point for a specific check before buying, 1 point for explaining why the check adds deliberation.
Question 18 of 20 · Short Answer
Apply Source 1 to Case 3 in Source 5 (Omar and the guitar). What would you tell Omar, and how close is the match between his situation and the one Bryan and Harter studied?
Model answer: Two flat weeks may be a plateau, which Bryan and Harter found to be a normal part of learning a skill, and they found that "it is intense effort which educates," so Omar should keep practicing the hard parts and record a weekly recording or score rather than judge by feel. The match is loose: they studied telegraph learners, not musicians, and they warn in paragraph 5 that the curve "should, however, by no means be taken for granted" for other abilities. Rubric: 1 point for the plateau advice with a quotation, 1 point for a specific action, 1 point for judging the match with paragraph 5.
Question 19 of 20 · Short Answer
Run Case 4 in Source 5 (Keisha's plan to study with music) through Steps 1, 2 and 5. What would Keisha need to know before following the post's advice?
Model answer: Step 1: the post names no source and no study, so the principle has no known origin. Step 2: even if a study existed, Keisha would need to know who was studied, what kind of music and what kind of memory task, to judge whether it matches finals review. Step 5: the word "always" is a warning sign, because the sources on this page avoid claiming that a finding holds for everyone, as Bryan and Harter do in Source 1, paragraph 5. Before changing every session, she could plan a self-check on paper comparing review with and without music. Rubric: 1 point for each step applied correctly (3 points).
Question 20 of 20 · Short Answer
Scott wrote Source 2 for advertisers. Explain how a buyer can use the same knowledge in daily life, and whether it matters that the source was written to help sellers.
Model answer: Scott says buyers often act on suggestion while believing "that we are performing a deliberate act." A buyer can use that by adding the deliberation back: waiting before buying, asking where an idea came from, or comparing options. His purpose matters because a writer helping sellers has reasons to stress how well suggestion works; the claim is a description from his experience, not a measured result, so it should be treated as a hypothesis. Rubric: 1 point for an application with a quotation, 1 point for a specific action, 1 point for a reasoned judgment about purpose.
0 of 20 answered · 0 correct
06
Frequently Asked Questions
10 Questions
What does D2.Psy.18.9-12 mean?
D2.Psy.18.9-12 asks high school students to apply psychological knowledge to their daily lives. It is part of the C3 Framework's psychology companion (Appendix B), in the group on applications of psychological knowledge. Students should be able to take a principle from psychology, decide whether it fits a real situation in their own lives, act on it, and judge how well the evidence supports that action.
What counts as applying psychology to daily life?
Using a principle to make a specific choice in an ordinary situation, such as how to practice a skill, how to respond to an ad or a pushy message, or when to ask for help. Repeating a tip is not enough: the student should name where the principle comes from, check that the situation matches, and look at the result.
Is D2.Psy.18.9-12 the same as giving students self-help advice?
No. The lesson teaches a way of testing advice, not a list of tips to follow. The five steps include checking the evidence and knowing the limits, and Step 5 makes clear that lasting worry, sadness or stress is a reason to talk with a trusted adult, such as a parent, school counselor or doctor, not a topic for a classroom exercise.
What is a learning plateau?
A stretch of practice in which measured progress levels off before it rises again. Bryan and Harter described long plateaus in their 1897 study of people learning to receive telegraph messages by ear, and they reported that teachers of foreign languages described something similar. Their evidence came from telegraph learners, so the lesson treats a plateau in any other skill as a hypothesis to check.
What did Walter Dill Scott mean by suggestion?
In his 1908 book for advertisers, suggestion is an idea or action prompted by another person or an object and taken up with less than the normal amount of deliberation. The same purchase can be suggestion or a real decision, depending on how much thought comes before it. Scott wrote to help sellers, so the lesson asks students to read his claims with that purpose in mind.
Why is a scam guide part of a psychology lesson?
Because the warning signs it lists are about how people make decisions: pretending to be someone trusted, inventing a problem or a prize, and pushing for quick payment. Recognizing those moves in a real message is a direct, daily use of psychological knowledge. The Federal Trade Commission guide (Source 3) supplies the signs and the advice in current, official form.
Are Maya and the four cases real?
No. Sources 4 and 5 were written for this page; their people and numbers are invented and are labeled as invented wherever they appear. Maya's log is one invented learner with a different recording each week, so it can illustrate a plateau but cannot prove anything about real learners.
Should students run the self-check plans in Activity 3?
The plans stay on paper in class. A teacher may later let students try a check on themselves only, with their own records, and never with data about other people or anything to do with health unless a parent or another trusted adult is involved.
How is D2.Psy.18.9-12 assessed?
By asking students to apply a principle to a new situation and to defend the application. A strong answer names the principle and its source, judges how well the situation matches, gives a specific action, and states a limit of the evidence. The homework rubric and the short-answer quiz items on this page use those criteria.
How does D2.Psy.18.9-12 connect to other C3 psychology indicators?
It builds on D2.Psy.16.9-12, which asks students to be careful consumers of psychological claims, and on D2.Psy.17.9-12, which shows how areas of psychology connect. It leads to D2.Psy.20.9-12, where students suggest ethical solutions to problems beyond their own lives, and to D2.Psy.22.9-12, on healthy lifestyle choices.
07
Related Standards
6 standards
These standards connect to D2.Psy.18.9-12: prerequisites to review first, parallel standards at the same level, and next steps that build on it.
Before this lesson
D2.Psy.16.9-12Prerequisite
Use critical thinking to become better consumers of psychological knowledge
Use psychological knowledge to promote healthy lifestyle choices
Lesson coming soon
Standard text: National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards: Guidance for Enhancing the Rigor of K-12 Civics, Economics, Geography, and History (Silver Spring, MD: NCSS, 2013). NCSS was not involved in the production of this lesson and does not endorse it.
