Justin Harrison (aka – the Devil’s Advocate...)School of PsychologyCSUED Conference November 26, 2009

FULT – session actively encouraged the transmission of the lecturer’s opinion via implicit means.

Anathema to development of information literacy

The TTC then instructed us to teach information literacy such that students would assess evidence independently.

What are we teaching?

Good rhetoricians capable of preaching to the choir?

Thinkers capable of examining the evidence/theory and forming an independent argument?

Reason has no grandchildren (apologies to any theologians present!).

Closed public debates – what

Accepted (and therefore unexamined) conclusion in public discourse. If highly morally loaded; better still.

For example –

Environmental studies - “Anthropocentric Global Warming”

Epidemiology – “Hep C can be transmitted sexually”

High likelihood of confirmation bias (usually all in the same direction)

Confirmation bias – common and serious barrier to information literacy.

Without the ability to identify and address one’s tendency to ignore inconvenient evidence, poorly prepared for public debate.

Closed public debates – why?

Context – PSY202 Developmental Psychology

Issue – Claims in popular media of ‘Overwhelming evidence of psychological damage to children caused by sexualised images (of children) in the media’ (Devine, 2008).

Particular reference to Bill Henson’s controversial exhibition.

FormatAn expert submission (as a developmental psychologist) to

Senate Standing Committee addressing three TOR’s.

1.Definition of premature sexualisation (in & via the media) based on developmental theory and research.

2.Assess evidence of psychological harm resulting from exposure to PS as defined in TOR 1.

3.Three concrete recommendations to the Committee with respect to 1) legislation/industry regulation 2) further research 3) parent education & support – linked to findings in TOR 2.

GuidelinesGenerally universally accepted that children are entitled to protection from

harm.

No secondary sources – none whatsoever. Instead of citing ‘Westen, 2008’ who cited ‘Piaget, 1962’, read Piaget!

Think of all the possible ways someone with a view that opposes yours might attack your evidence/argument. Assess your evidence on this basis.

Transparent – informed students that the goal was to set morally loaded traps.

Weekly online discussion – Justin as the devil’s advocate. Pick pick pick!

FindingsPremature Sexualisation difficult to define. But some good

theoretical arguments made based on developmental theory.

No ‘smoking gun’ where evidence of (psych) damage is concerned. Most (not all) evidence is indirect and correlational.

Causal (experimental) ‘proof’ would probably be, from an ethical and logistical standpoint, impossible to obtain.

Discussion of error in legislative and social application of behavioural sciences – precautionary principle?

Learning outcomesStudents reported – Being astonished at how much changes between the peer-

reviewed paper and secondary reporting of it.Being curiously sceptical when hearing/reading news reports

of psychological scienceGreater confidence in their beliefs about the issue (whether

changed or unchanged) as they were clearer about why they held those beliefs

Confidence in tracing secondary (tertiary) citations back to the original peer-reviewed source

Regardless of claimed ‘expertise’ every argument should be weighed on its own merits.

Likes and DislikesLiked – Sense of being an investigator (as opposed to regurgitator)Online debates and discussions.Honing reasoning powers and applying concepts learned in psychology

introduction.Sense of equality – if argument was logically sound and evidence

available, were encouraged to go ‘toe to toe’ with the lecturer.

Disliked – Getting to original source became an obsession!Word limit.Topic encouraged students to spend far more time than the piece was

worth.

Epilogue

Argument re: Henson between Social Sci and Visual Arts academics.

Rapidly devolved into a bitter ad hominem slanging match.

I was very proud of my second year students.