Contributors

Contributors Numbers in parentheses indicate the pages on which the authors' contributions begin. Elliot Aronson (209), Distinguished Visiting Professor, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 Joshua Aronson (279), Department of Applied Psychology, New York Univer~ sity, New York, New York 10003 K. Denise Bradley (363), Department of Educational Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 Geoffrey L. Cohen (303), Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8205 Michelle Damiani (89), University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904 Edward L. Deci (61), Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627 Carol S. Dweck (37), Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027 Jacquelynne Eccles (159), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 Andrew J. Elliot (xix), Department of Clinical Social Sciences in Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14727 Pamela J. Gaskill (185), The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210 Amanda W. Harrist (363), Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078 X~ XVi Contributors Mark R. Lepper (135), Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stan~ ford, California 94305-2130 Stanley B. Malos (329), Department of Organization and Management, San Jose State University, San Jose, California 95192 Frank Pajares (3), Division of Educational Studies, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322 David A. Pizarro (247), Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511 Anthony R. Pratkanis (329), Department of Psychology, University of Califor~ nia, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95064 Frances H. Rauscher (267), Department of Psychology, University of Wiscon~ sin Oshkosh, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901 Frederick Rhodewalt (109), Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112 Robert Rosenthal (25), Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California 92521 Richard M. Ryan (61), Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627 Peter Salovey (247), Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511 Dale H. Schunk (3), School of Education, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina 27402-6171 Nicole Shelton (89), Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 Claude M. Steele (303), Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 Robert J. Sternberg (227), Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8205 Michael Tragakis (109), Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112 Marlene E. Turner (329), Department of Organization and Management, San Jose State University, San Jose, California 95192 Allan Wigfield (159), University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742 Timothy D. Wilson (89), University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904 Contributors xvii Anita Woolfolk Hoy (185), The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210 Maria Woolverton (135), Department of Pediatrics, Child Development Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C. 20007 Foreword Providing children with a quality education is a value near and dear to the hearts and minds of parents, teachers, administrators, politicians, and the community at large. The experiences children have at school are formative. School is not only a place where children accumulate facts and learn academic skills, but it is also a place in which their basic motivation toward competence and achievement is established, their affiliative tendencies and relational patterns take root, their view of themselves as persons of worth and value develops, and their sense of the world as a safe or dangerous place is formu~ lated. What transpires at school can have a foundational impact on a child's life, serving as an impetus for or impediment to future growth and functioning. This quality education that we hold in such high regard would appear to be jeopardized by many recent developments in school settings. A concern over "slipping standards" and global rankings in subjects such as math and science has evoked numerous supposed remedies, many of which are likely to exacer~ bate rather than eradicate the perceived problem. An unusually large number of children appear to be divesting from intellectual pursuits and the standard educational process altogether, for reasons that are grounded in the school experience and beyond (i.e., social stratification, family structure). School violence of unimaginable proportions is becoming increasingly common, to the point that physical safety is no longer a given, but is a concern that prevents students, teachers, and administrators from allocating full energy and attention to the learning process. These problems that plague our educational system are clearly in need of immediate and extensive attention. However, we must not allow the negative to overshadow the positive. The majority of children today, as in the past, undoubtedly receive a good education in a safe school environment delivered by teachers and administrators firmly and energetically dedicated to the training and well~being of the students under their care. xix XX Foreword Psychologists, and perhaps social psychologists in particular, would seem unusually well-positioned to provide guidance regarding how to address what ills our educational system, and how to build on the strengths and resources currently present. Many of the issues that are part and parcel of social~ psychological study are of direct applicability to the educational process, and the contents of this edited volume nicely bear testimony to this fact. Among the foci of this volume are such central social~psychological topics as intrinsic motivation, achievement motivation, the self~concept, attribution theory, social~cognitive strategies, self-efficacy, stereotyping and prejudice, and interpersonal relations. Given the natural interface between social psych~ ology and education, it is surprising that there are few works presently available that address this connection. In fact, to the best of my knowledge one could count the number of such works on a single hand. As such, this volume represents a valuable addition to a dramatically underdeveloped literature. In this volume, we not only have discussions of some of the core topics of psychology (particularly social psychology) as they relate to education, but we are also guided in these discussions by some of the most influential scholars in the field today. Indeed a number of the chapters are written by individuals who have made a or even the seminal contribution to their topic of inquiry. Thus, this book not only fills a lacuna in the literature, but it does so with the help of an unusually qualified and adept set of scholars. Kurt Lewin, a pioneer in the field of social psychology, offered the oft quoted dictum, "There is nothing as practical as a good theory." The chapters in this volume nicely illustrate the veracity of this statement, as the authors clearly articulate the direct educational implications of basic, empirically established, theoretical principles from social psychology and beyond. Many have made passing reference to the applicability of such principles to the classroom or have sounded the call for work in this area; the present volume answers this call in explicit, elaborate, and expert fashion. Another noteworthy and unusual aspect of this volume is that it includes coverage of both cutting~edge, contemporary research, and the more estab~ lished work that deservedly bears the label "classic." These chapters on classic research programs such as the jigsaw classroom and the impact of teacher expectations on student achievement are perhaps particularly noteworthy, because they not only reiterate the basic premises fundamental to the classic contributions, but they also overview the research that has been conducted in these areas over the years, and suggest directions for subsequent empirical and/or conceptual development. In a field in which researchers and theorists too often exhibit a tendency to bypass the old and established in search of the new and innovative, a reiteration of the enduring value of these classic contri~ butions, and indeed a demonstration of their continued relevance, is quite welcome. In short, this edited volume is a rich compilation that represents an import~ ant contribution to the literature. It should be of equal value to psychologists Foreword xxi interested in exploring the way in which research and theory can be directly applied "in the field," and to educators seeking to ground their classroom and school wide practices in solid empirical and conceptual work. As we enter the 21st century, surely rectifying what ills our educational system and building on the strengths and resources already in place must be among our top priorities. It is books such as this that will help us achieve this important task. Andrew/. Elliot University of Rochester Preface I decided to create this book when I became aware that some wonderful educational research was unfamiliar to its most likely beneficiaries. A few years ago I was asked to talk about my research to a large audience of education students, most of whom were about to graduate and begin their teaching careers. A funny thing happened. Early on in my talk, I made reference to a classic line of social psychological research that demonstrated the powerful effects of subtle social dynamics

Load more