D2.Psy.21.9-12: How Psychological Science Can Address Domestic and Global Issues

Overview

Lesson Procedure

60-70 minutes of class time across 5 phases.

1. Warm-Up5-10 minutes
2. Direct Instruction20 minutes
3. Guided Practice15 minutes
4. Independent Practice15 minutes
5. Closure5-10 minutes

1. Warm-Up5-10 minutes

   Warm-Up Prompt

   "Name one problem that many people face, either in your own town or across the world. What would you need to know about how people think, feel or act to make it smaller?"

   Pairs write one problem and one "people question" on a sticky note. Post the notes in two columns, In one country and Across borders, and leave a space between them for problems that belong in both. Keep the notes up: students return to them in Closure.

2. Direct Instruction20 minutes

   Key terms. Psychological science is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. An application uses what that science has learned to change something outside the laboratory: a school, a clinic, a public message, a program. A domestic issue is a problem within one country; a global issue is shared across borders, such as war (Source 2) or improving mental health care in many countries (Source 4). Many issues are both: disasters strike one county, but they happen in every country.

   Four moves in applying psychological science (written for this page)

   Move	Question it answers	Example from this page
   Understand	What thoughts, feelings or habits keep the problem going?	Witmer examines each child who is falling behind in school (Source 1)
   Design	What practice could change them?	A worksheet that turns "make a plan" into three concrete blanks (Source 5)
   Test	Did the practice work, compared with what?	Two randomly chosen groups of households, one with the worksheet (Source 5)
   Adapt	Will it work for other people in other places?	NIMH funds research that adapts interventions to communities (Source 4)

   Read Source 1. Lightner Witmer directed the psychology laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania; this passage opens his article "Clinical Psychology," printed in 1907 in the first issue of the journal The Psychological Clinic. Outdated view: Witmer's phrase "moral defects" labels children rather than describing what they do, and elsewhere the article uses terms such as "retarded" that are no longer used for children who learn differently. Today's educators describe a specific need and the support that helps.

   1During the last ten years the laboratory of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania has conducted, under my direction, what I have called "a psychological clinic". Children from the public schools of Philadelphia and adjacent cities have been brought to the laboratory by parents or teachers; these children had made themselves conspicuous because of an inability to progress in school work as rapidly as other children, or because of moral defects which rendered them difficult to manage under ordinary discipline.

   2When brought to the psychological clinic, such children are given a physical and mental examination; if the result of this examination shows it to be desirable, they are then sent to specialists for the eye or ear, for the nose and throat, and for nervous diseases, one or all, as each case may require. The result of this conjoint medical and psychological examination is a diagnosis of the child's mental and physical condition and the recommendation of appropriate medical and pedagogical treatment. The progress of some of these children has been followed for a term of years.

   [...]

   3Although clinical psychology is closely related to medicine, it is quite as closely related to sociology and to pedagogy. The school room, the juvenile court, and the streets are a larger laboratory of psychology. An abundance of material for scientific study fails to be utilized, because the interest of psychologists is elsewhere engaged, and those in constant touch with the actual phenomena do not possess the training necessary to make their experience and observation of scientific value.

   Then read Source 2, from William James's essay "The Moral Equivalent of War," first published in 1910. James asks why nations keep choosing war and whether the feelings behind it could be turned to peaceful work. Outdated views: the essay writes as if the "youthful population" it would draft were young men, judged by how "the women would value them," and it treats nature as an enemy to be conquered. James's plan was an argument, not a tested program, and whether any national service is a good idea is a question on which people disagree: students judge his reasoning, not the policy.

   1The war-party is assuredly right in affirming and reaffirming that the martial virtues, although originally gained by the race through war, are absolute and permanent human goods. Patriotic pride and ambition in their military form are, after all, only specifications of a more general competitive passion. They are its first form, but that is no reason for supposing them to be its last form. Men now are proud of belonging to a conquering nation, and without a murmur they lay down their persons and their wealth, if by so doing they may fend off subjection. But who can be sure that other aspects of one's country may not, with time and education and suggestion enough, come to be regarded with similarly effective feelings of pride and shame? Why should men not some day feel that it is worth a blood-tax to belong to a collectivity superior in any ideal respect? Why should they not blush with indignant shame if the community that owns them is vile in any way whatsoever? Individuals, daily more numerous, now feel this civic passion. It is only a question of blowing on the spark till the whole population gets incandescent, and on the ruins of the old morals of military honor, a stable system of morals of civic honor builds itself up. What the whole community comes to believe in grasps the individual as in a vise. The war-function has grasped us so far; but constructive interests may some day seem no less imperative, and impose on the individual a hardly lighter burden.

   2Let me illustrate my idea more concretely. There is nothing to make one indignant in the mere fact that life is hard, that men should toil and suffer pain. The planetary conditions once for all are such, and we can stand it. But that so many men, by mere accidents of birth and opportunity, should have a life of nothing else but toil and pain and hardness and inferiority imposed upon them, should have no vacation, while others natively no more deserving never get any taste of this campaigning life at all,--this is capable of arousing indignation in reflective minds. It may end by seeming shameful to all of us that some of us have nothing but campaigning, and others nothing but unmanly ease. If now--and this is my idea--there were, instead of military conscription a conscription of the whole youthful population to form for a certain number of years a part of the army enlisted against Nature, the injustice would tend to be evened out, and numerous other goods to the commonwealth would follow. The military ideals of hardihood and discipline would be wrought into the growing fibre of the people; no one would remain blind as the luxurious classes now are blind, to man's relations to the globe he lives on, and to the permanently sour and hard foundations of his higher life. To coal and iron mines, to freight trains, to fishing fleets in December, to dishwashing, clothes-washing, and window-washing, to road-building and tunnel-making, to foundries and stoke-holes, and to the frames of skyscrapers, would our gilded youths be drafted off, according to their choice, to get the childishness knocked out of them, and to come back into society with healthier sympathies and soberer ideas. They would have paid their blood-tax, done their own part in the immemorial human warfare against nature; they would tread the earth more proudly, the women would value them more highly, they would be better fathers and teachers of the following generation.

   • A domestic issue at the scale of one child: Source 1

     Which issue does Witmer's clinic address, and what does the clinic do with each child?

     Result: The issue is children in Philadelphia-area public schools who show an "inability to progress in school work as rapidly as other children" (paragraph 1), a domestic issue. The clinic examines each child and, where needed, "they are then sent to specialists for the eye or ear, for the nose and throat, and for nervous diseases" (paragraph 2). The application is a combined medical, psychological and teaching plan for one child at a time, and Witmer's evidence is the progress of the children he followed.

   • A global issue and a psychological argument: Source 2

     What psychological claim does James make about war, and what does he think could replace military pride?

     Result: His claim is that military pride is one form of a wider human motive: "Patriotic pride and ambition in their military form are, after all, only specifications of a more general competitive passion" (paragraph 1). He asks whether other aspects of one's country may not, with time and education and suggestion enough, come to be regarded with similarly effective feelings of pride and shame (paragraph 1), that is, whether pride in civic work could carry the same force. The evidence is reasoning from history and observation; James does not test the claim.

   • Guidance to the public: Source 3

     Ready.gov writes, "Profound sadness, grief and anger are normal reactions to an abnormal event." Why would a disaster agency put a sentence about emotions on its website?

     Result: The sentence (paragraph 5) treats strong feelings as an expected part of recovery, not a sign that something is wrong with the person. The page then links naming feelings to recovery ("Acknowledging your feelings helps you recover," paragraph 6) and lists practical steps, such as keeping "a normal family and daily routine" (paragraph 15). The page states guidance; it does not name the research behind it.

   • A global research agenda: Source 4

     Why does a United States institute fund mental health research in other countries, and what does that research add?

     Result: Source 4 says the research aims to improve mental health "in the United States and abroad" (paragraph 2), and it names work on "developing and adapting evidence-based interventions to the unique needs of communities and settings" (paragraph 5). A practice that helps in one place is a hypothesis in the next place until it is tested there.

   • Reading an invented test: Source 5

     In Source 5 (Guided Practice), what percent of each group of 150 answered yes?

     Result: Group A: 27 / 150 = 0.18, so 18%. Group B: 45 / 150 = 0.30, so 30%. The worksheet group answered yes more often, by 12 percentage points, which matters only because the households were split at random.

   Close the segment: Which of the sources so far report a test of an application? Only Source 5, an invented one, does. Source 1 reports cases, Source 2 is an argument, Source 3 is guidance and Source 4 is a plan for research. Each is a different step on the way from a claim to an application.

3. Guided Practice15 minutes

   Read Source 5 together. It is an invented study with invented data, written for this page to show how an office could test one application of psychological science to a domestic issue: getting households to prepare for a disaster.

   1Invented study summary, written for this page. The county, the office and every number are invented. A county emergency office wanted more households to write a family disaster plan. In March it chose 300 households at random from the county's address list and split them at random into two groups of 150.

   2Group A received a one-page flyer that listed reasons to make a plan. Group B received the same flyer plus a fill-in worksheet with three blanks: the place where the family would meet if they had to leave home, the out-of-town person every family member would call, and the date on which the family would sit down to fill in the plan.

   3Six weeks later, volunteers phoned every household and asked one question: "Does your household now have a written disaster plan?" In Group A, 27 households answered yes, and 15 could not be reached. In Group B, 45 households answered yes, and 30 could not be reached. Households that could not be reached were counted as not having a plan.

   4The office concluded that the worksheet works and that it should be mailed to every household in the state.

   1. Variables. What did the office change between the groups, and what did it measure? (It changed the mailing: flyer only or flyer plus worksheet. It measured the answer to one phone question.)
   2. Design. Why does it matter that the 300 households were chosen and split at random? (The groups should be alike in everything except the mailing, so a difference in answers can be traced to the worksheet.)
   3. Measure. Paragraph 3 counts a household that could not be reached as having no plan. Who might be harder to reach, and how could that rule change the comparison? Students find the counts in paragraph 3 and discuss; the reached-only percents are left for homework.
   4. Conclusion. Paragraph 4 says the worksheet "works" and should be mailed statewide. Name two things the study did not show. (It did not check that plans were written, only that people said so; it did not show that the plans helped in a real disaster; it tested one county.)

   Discuss: the worksheet applies an idea the office treats as a hypothesis, that a goal is easier to act on when it is broken into specific steps with a place, a person and a date. If a country on another continent wanted to use the worksheet, what would have to change, and what would have to be tested again? Connect the answer to the word "adapting" in Source 4.

4. Independent Practice15 minutes

   Students read Sources 3 and 4 on their own. Source 3 is FEMA's current Ready.gov page on coping after a disaster, a domestic application written as public guidance. Source 4 is the National Institute of Mental Health page describing its Center for Global Mental Health Research. The quiz and homework use all five sources.

   1Disasters are upsetting experiences for everyone involved. The emotional toll that disaster brings can sometimes be even more devastating than the financial strains of damage and loss of home, business or personal property.

   2Children, senior citizens, people with access or functional needs, and people for whom English is not their first language are especially at risk. Children may become afraid and some elderly people may seem disoriented at first. People with access or functional needs may require additional assistance.

   [...]

   3Everyone who sees or experiences a disaster is affected by it in some way.

   4It is normal to feel anxious about your own safety and that of your family and close friends.

   5Profound sadness, grief and anger are normal reactions to an abnormal event.

   6Acknowledging your feelings helps you recover.

   7Focusing on your strengths and abilities helps you heal.

   8Accepting help from community programs and resources is healthy.

   9Everyone has different needs and different ways of coping.

   [...]

   10The following are ways to ease disaster-related stress:

   11Talk with someone about your feelings - anger, sorrow and other emotions - even though it may be difficult.

   12Seek help from professional counselors who deal with post-disaster stress.

   13Do not hold yourself responsible for the disastrous event or be frustrated because you feel you cannot help directly in the rescue work.

   14Take steps to promote your own physical and emotional healing by healthy eating, rest, exercise, relaxation and meditation.

   15Maintain a normal family and daily routine, limiting demanding responsibilities on yourself and your family.

   16Spend time with family and friends.

   1The Center for Global Mental Health Research (CGMHR) supports the National Institute of Mental Health's (NIMH) mission to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through a global lens. By supporting mental health research in various global contexts, CGMHR helps advance scientific knowledge and generate valuable insights that inform efforts to improve mental health outcomes in the United States.

   2CGMHR-supported research leverages global settings essential to accelerating scientific discovery at NIMH by harnessing diverse, real-world data to continuously improve mental health outcomes in the United States and abroad. By understanding how mental health conditions manifest across various populations, testing novel innovations across various settings, and strengthening the design and implementation of sustainable interventions, research supported by CGMHR can inform the development of accessible and affordable evidence-based mental health services across the care continuum. By supporting innovative and groundbreaking research, CGMHR seeks to promote the mental health and wellbeing of individuals and communities in the United States and globally.

   [...]

   3CGMHR-supported research studies include but are not limited to:

   4Biological, psychological, and social determinants of mental health to identify critical intervention targets and optimal timing for intervention delivery.

   [...]

   5Digital mental health research that leverages technological innovations to improve access, quality, and efficiency of mental health services as well as prevention efforts by developing and adapting evidence-based interventions to the unique needs of communities and settings.

   Task: make a two-column table with the headings Domestic and Global. Under each, write one issue from the sources, the psychological knowledge applied to it, one quotation with its source and paragraph number, and the kind of evidence (case reports, argument, guidance, research agenda or experiment). Finish with one sentence on what a psychologist would need to test next.

5. Closure5-10 minutes

   Exit ticket: "Go back to your Warm-Up sticky note. Name one psychological claim that could help with your problem, one way to test it, and one reason the result might change in another country."

   Teacher notes: Sources 1 and 2 contain views now considered outdated, flagged where they appear; keep the sources' words as printed and discuss them as evidence of their time. Source 3 is about the feelings that follow a disaster. Some students may have lived through one; keep the discussion general and remind the class that anyone who feels worried or upset can talk with a trusted adult, a school counselor or a doctor. No student is asked to share a personal experience.

Differentiation Strategies

Assessment Guidance

1. Question 1 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   In Source 1, paragraph 1, who brought the children to Witmer's laboratory?

   APhysicians or nurses BJudges or police officers CParents or teachers DNeighbors or relatives

2. Question 2 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   According to Source 1, paragraph 2, what does the combined medical and psychological examination produce?

   AA diagnosis and a treatment plan BA ranking of the children by ability CA report on the child's home life DA ruling on whether the child leaves school

3. Question 3 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   Besides medicine, which two fields does Witmer say clinical psychology is "quite as closely related to" in Source 1, paragraph 3?

   APhysics and astronomy BSociology and pedagogy CLaw and religion DEconomics and history

4. Question 4 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   In Source 1, paragraph 3, why does Witmer say material for scientific study "fails to be utilized"?

   ASchools refuse to let psychologists observe their pupils BCourts keep their case records closed to researchers CFamilies move away before any study can be finished DExperts look elsewhere; those on the spot lack training

5. Question 5 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   In Source 2, paragraph 1, what does James say grasps the individual "as in a vise"?

   AThe fear of being conquered by a neighbor BWhat the whole community comes to believe in CThe orders given by military officers DThe need to earn a living by hard work

6. Question 6 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   In Source 2, paragraph 2, what does James expect the drafted youths to bring back into society?

   AHealthier sympathies and soberer ideas BWealth earned in mines and on ships CTraining for fighting the next war DLoyalty to one political party

7. Question 7 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   In Source 2, paragraph 1, which feeling does James say "Individuals, daily more numerous, now feel"?

   AMilitary honor BCompetitive fear CCivic passion DNational hatred

8. Question 8 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   Which group does Source 3, paragraph 2 NOT name as especially at risk after a disaster?

   AChildren BFirst responders CSenior citizens DPeople for whom English is not their first language

9. Question 9 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   Which line in Source 3 applies the idea that support from other people helps recovery?

   A"Focusing on your strengths and abilities helps you heal." B"Do not hold yourself responsible for the disastrous event" C"Take steps to promote your own physical and emotional healing" D"Spend time with family and friends."

10. Question 10 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    According to Source 4, paragraph 1, what does NIMH say research in "various global contexts" helps do?

    AGain insights that also help people in the U.S. BReplace mental health research done inside the U.S. CTrain doctors from abroad to work in U.S. hospitals DCompare what hospitals cost in different countries

11. Question 11 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    In Source 5, what percent of all 300 households could not be reached?

    A10% B15% C20% D45%

12. Question 12 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Suppose all 30 unreached households in Group B of Source 5 really did have a written plan. What percent of Group B's 150 households would then have a plan?

    A30% B20% C50% D75%

13. Question 13 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Which conclusion do the invented data in Source 5 best support?

    AMailing the worksheet statewide would raise plan-writing everywhere BHouseholds in Group B will stay safer in the next disaster CThe worksheet made every Group B household write a plan DIn this county, more worksheet households said they had a plan

14. Question 14 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Which of these is best described as a global issue rather than a domestic one?

    AA school district moves its first bell later to help teens sleep BA state library tests text reminders to cut overdue books CAgencies in many nations help refugees cope after fleeing war DA city offers free counseling after a local factory closes

15. Question 15 of 20 · Short Answer

    Sources 1 and 3 both apply psychology to domestic issues. Compare them: whom does each try to help, at what scale, and what kind of evidence stands behind each?

    Show model answer

16. Question 16 of 20 · Short Answer

    In Source 2, paragraph 1, James suggests that pride in civic work could grow "with time and education and suggestion enough." Describe one small study, on paper only, that could test a part of this claim, and explain what your study could not show.

    Show model answer

17. Question 17 of 20 · Short Answer

    Source 3 was written for people in the United States. A health agency in another country wants to give the same advice to its own residents. Name two lines of Source 3 that might not fit as written, explain why, and say what the agency should check first. Use Source 4 in your answer.

    Show model answer

18. Question 18 of 20 · Short Answer

    Source 3 says, "Everyone who sees or experiences a disaster is affected by it in some way" (paragraph 3) and "Everyone has different needs and different ways of coping" (paragraph 9). Explain how these two sentences work together in a public message, and why a message that included only one of them would be weaker.

    Show model answer

19. Question 19 of 20 · Short Answer

    Source 4, paragraph 4 lists research on "Biological, psychological, and social determinants of mental health." Give one example of each kind of determinant (factor), and explain why studying them in many countries helps address a global issue.

    Show model answer

20. Question 20 of 20 · Short Answer

    Choose one domestic issue and one global issue from this page's sources. For each, describe one way psychological science can address it, the kind of evidence behind that way, and one limit.

    Show model answer

These standards connect to D2.Psy.21.9-12: prerequisites to review first, parallel standards at the same level, and next steps that build on it.

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.