Psychology Web Sites

Many psychology Web sites are geared toward college level students, adults, and professionals. The scientific terminology and language used in these sites may be too difficult for younger students who are just beginning their studies in psychology. A good starting place to find sites for the K-12 community is the psychology page from Ralph Chamberlain, a teacher at Cherry Hill High School East in New Jersey. The links in this directory are nicely organized under chapter headings that are common to introductory psychology textbooks. For each "chapter," there is a list of learning objectives, short descriptions of related sites, and several activities that teachers can adapt for their classrooms. Using this site and others, we have found the following examples for introducing students to psychological disorders and treatments, brain anatomy, perception, human behavior, notable figures in psychology, mental health, and more.

American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
http://www.aacap.org/

This nonprofit organization provides information as a public service to aid in the understanding and treatment of developmental, behavioral, and mental disorders. Most helpful for the classroom is the "Facts for Families" section with concise and up-to-date articles on issues that affect children, teenagers, and their families. Topics covered include child abuse, divorce, TV violence, learning disabilities, sleep problems, conduct disorders, and depression. Users can also find answers to frequently asked questions on child and adolescent psychiatry and a glossary of symptoms and mental illnesses affecting teenagers.

Neuroscience for Kids
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurok.html

Eric H. Chudler, a research associate professor at the University of Washington, Seattle, has created a wonderful site for examining the nervous system. He offers a wealth of information on topics such as brain anatomy and functions, the sensory system, the effects of drugs on the nervous system, and neurological and mental disorders. Experiments, crossword puzzles, online activities, games, coloring book pages, and worksheets available at the site can supplement the learning experience. Other information on the site includes a timeline of discoveries and advances in neuroscience research, a chart of Nobel prize winners in neuroscience, a list of metaphors for the brain, a guide to "good brain health," and articles on brain research news.

IllusionWorks
http://www.illusionworks.com/html/jump_page.html

To sample various optical illusions, students and teachers can go to this site from IllusionWorks, a company that makes toys, games, and puzzles related to illusions. In addition to a general overview of illusions, vision, and perception, there is an explanation detailing what is happening in the eyes and the brain for each illusion. The site contains many well-known illusions including "the profiles of two heads or a vase?" illustration, works by M.C. Escher and other "illusion artists," and interactive illusions where users can alter effects and move pieces of images using a mouse.

Understanding Human Behavior
http://library.thinkquest.org/26618/

Emiel Neggers and Jeroen Gielen from Kandinsky College in the Netherlands along with Shauna Rose from Bassett High School in Virginia have built this site for ThinkQuest. The content is divided into five chapters: "Psychology of Behavior," "Biological Base of Behavior," "Daily Behavior," "Behavioral Disorders," and "Cognitive Processes." In the "Psychology of Behavior" section, users can find discussions on the theories of Freud, Erikson, Adler, Rogers, Horney, Skinner, Maslow, and Frankl. The "Daily Behavior" section covers body language and non-biological influences on behavior. There is also an image/video clip archive of facial expressions and a "MEDguide" that explains the origins, symptoms, and treatments of common mental disorders.

Mind Over Matter
http://www.nida.nih.gov/MOM/MOMIndex.html

Designed by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Mind Over Matter encourages young people to learn about the effects of drug abuse on the body and the brain. The site is comprised of illustrated essays and short quizzes for studying the brain's response to marijuana, opiates, inhalants, hallucinogens, methamphetamine, nicotine, stimulants, and steroids. A teacher's guide to the site is also available.