Adolescent Risk Taking:
Class Announcements
(please check regularly)

4/2: There are some short readings for Wednesday.  Please check back as I am still misisng osme.

             Melissa Thomas:  Sexual Health Knowledge Summary
             Matthew Durham:  Regret (just read the first few pages)
             Jason Mouritsen:
             Zac Snow:  Predicting Risk for Pregnancy pages to read from: p.1235
 

3/5:  There is a new discussion topic (actually the same one for the next three weeks).  The postings will involve commentary or reaction to a new review of adolescent risk taking literature (Boyer, 2006).  See the WebCT question. 

The exam will be due on Monday., March 12th at 11:59pm. 

2/14:  The take home exam is now available (click here).  It is due in 3 weeks (by Friday. March 10).

2/11:  A new version of Johnson & Green is available online and in the box in front of my office.  This version contain all relevant tables.

2/3:  The discussion for this week was posted on Friday morning (I am getting better!).  Thanks for the comments from last week. I found them very informative. 

The lecture for next week should be ready shortly.  I will bring copies of the PDF file for students.  The background reading (Arnett 1992) is a classic paper in the field which I have photocopied and left outside my door (SS 370).  I appreciate that few of you may have time to get to it this week.  I will review it in lecture.

1/26:  This week's question is up in WebCT. Sorry for the delay.  I added one reading for next week.  They are listed below:

Fairbanks (2003) :  In a follow-up of the vervet monkey study, Fairbanks examines risk taking in Girvet monkeys and connects their risky behavior to levels of serotonin.

Garber et al., (2004).  Garber examines early or late timing of puberty and its relation to mental heath and risky behavior.  This finding finds a big sex differences!!!!
     
Susman (1987).  Susman examines hormone levels in 9-14 year-olds and relates it to pubertal level and various behavior indices and found relation between testosterone  level and aggressive behavior in boys (just in case you needed scientific evidence of this effect!) 
     
Overman et al (2004)  Overman examines a well known neurocognitive measure of impulsivity - the Iowa Card Problem -- and its relation with risk taking in adolescence.

1/10:  Check out the WebCT page (click here).  While my web site (the one you are in) will be where you go to get readings, assignments etc., the WebCT site is the place for discussions.  Indeed, the extra hour of our three hour course is meant for you to be in discussion on the WebCT system.  I have already set up the first discussion, which I have placed in the discussion folder. Typically, I will set up one discussion from each class, but you are free to start your own.  Each week's discussion will be graded.  The on-line and on-campus discussion is worth 20% of your grade. But more to the point, it will offer you a chance to weigh in thoughtfully on the issues after digesting the reading and lecture.