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This ten-part series introduces students to key theorists whose concepts are basic to an understanding of psychology. Rare archival materials bring these seminal thinkers to life, while meticulously shot contemporary footage reinforces the vocabulary and concepts necessary to understanding psychological research. In addition, the narrator of each program has played a significant role in extending the work of the giants of psychology he or she presents. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. 10-part series, 25–41 minutes each.

Titles in this Series:

Mary Ainsworth: Attachment and the Growth of Love (FULL VIDEO) 

Mary Ainsworth’s Strange Situation procedure is now basic to understandings of infant-parent interactions and, thus, later emotional development. This program details the developmental course of attachment behaviors and the different patterns that are captured by the controlled observational techniques of the Strange Situation. Using arch...

Davidson Films Grade(s): 9 - 12, Academic/AP

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Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory: An Introduction (FULL VIDEO) 

Albert Bandura’s work has become basic to an understanding of how social forces influence individuals, small groups, and large groups. From his early Bobo doll experiments up through his work with phobias and self-efficacy, Bandura has given researchers a sense of how people actively shape their own lives and those of others. Utilizing ar...

Davidson Films Grade(s): 9 - 12, Academic/AP

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John Bowlby: Attachment Theory Across Generations (FULL VIDEO) 

John Bowlby’s Attachment Theory shows how relational patterns set early in life affect emotional bonds later in life. This program’s focus is on attachment theory as it explains many aspects of personality development from childhood through adulthood, with a special emphasis on issues related to attachment in later life as people seek to...

Davidson Films Grade(s): 9 - 12, Academic/AP

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John Dewey: An Introduction to His Life and Work (FULL VIDEO) 

Although John Dewey lived in a markedly different era, many of his concerns are still highly relevant to life today. This program introduces students to his philosophy and his critical studies of education, the arts, and the implications of democracy for the lives of individuals and their communities. Contemporary examples of the influenc...

Davidson Films Grade(s): 9 - 12, Academic/AP

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Erik H. Erikson: A Life’s Work (FULL VIDEO) 

Using archival materials and newer footage, this program introduces students to the rich wisdom of Erik H. Erikson. Best known for his identification of the eight stages of the life cycle, Erikson spent a lifetime observing and studying the way in which the interplay of genetics, cultural influences, and unique experiences produces indivi...

Davidson Films Grade(s): 9 - 12, Academic/AP

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William James: The Psychology of Possibility (FULL VIDEO) 

William James, more than anyone else, was responsible for introducing the wide range of topics that now make up the broad field of psychology. This program presents some of James’s most important formulations, including his discussions of habit, consciousness, will, and religious experience, as well as what he referred to as the fringe of...

Davidson Films Grade(s): 9 - 12, Academic/AP

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Maria Montessori: Her Life and Legacy (FULL VIDEO) 

Born more than 25 years before Piaget or Vygotsky, Maria Montessori understood the constructivistic nature of all learning. Montessori’s conception of the changing roles the classroom environment and teacher should play for students of various ages is presented in this program through carefully shot film of toddler, preschool, elementary...

Davidson Films Grade(s): 9 - 12, Academic/AP

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Piaget’s Developmental Theory: An Overview (FULL VIDEO) 

The work of Jean Piaget has become the foundation of developmental psychology and the basis for changes in educational practice. In this program, David Elkind—author of The Hurried Child and Miseducation and a student of Piaget—explores the roots of Piaget’s work and outlines important vocabulary and concepts that structure much of the st...

Davidson Films Grade(s): 9 - 12, Academic/AP

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B. F. Skinner: A Fresh Appraisal (FULL VIDEO) 

Other than Freud, no psychologist has been so discussed, critiqued, and, at times, maligned as B. F. Skinner. Using both archival and newer film, this program takes a penetrating look at who Skinner was and what he really said in his 20 books. Skinner’s specialized terminology is introduced in context so students will understand how it wa...

Davidson Films Grade(s): 9 - 12, Academic/AP

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Vygotsky's Developmental Theory: An Introduction (FULL VIDEO) 

The work of Lev Vygotsky is cited as the theory and practice of constructivist education. This program reconsiders the life, vocabulary, and concepts of Vygotsky, illustrating four basic concepts integral to his work: children construct knowledge, learning can lead development, development cannot be separated from its social context, and...

Davidson Films Grade(s): 9 - 12, Academic/AP

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