Roseanna Hopper

Psych 1100
Marcia Flocken
28 April 2015
Reflection Questions
1. Reflect on what you learned about real life in doing this project. How has doing this
assignment changed the way you think, feel or behave in your own life or career?
The application of this project in real life has several possibilities for me. I think that after
writing an analysis of the inaccuracies of some peoples views on depression I feel better about
being able to articulate why the developmental and psychological models are more helpful ways
to address depression than the condescending denial of its existence. I also think that it helped
me to reflect on my own experience with depression and process that experience from the past,
although Im not sure exactly how that might change my behavior going forward.
I was surprised to find the ePortfolio portion of the final project assignment much more
engaging and educational than I thought I would, and I am grateful that now I know how to put
together a professional website and I can continue to improve my strategies for its layout and
presentation. The existence of the ePortfolio will also contribute to my future career in that I can
mold it to reflect my career goals and aspirations and potentially even use it when applying for
future jobs to display my work.

2. How has doing this project enhanced your understanding of developmental psychology? How
will you use this information in the future?
Reading the research-based articles added to my understanding of research in the field of
psychology since I have mainly read research articles in linguistics, anthropology, and
ethnography in the past. I really enjoyed seeing some of the similarities of research study
principles applied in a slightly different field but still within the realm of social sciences, since
the social sciences in general are my favorite area of study.
In terms of my understanding of developmental psychology, I think it really helped to
write about my own experience and apply developmental concepts from class to it as one way to
understand my own life. I will use the information from my own experience in my work in social
services, as well as the knowledge I gained from the cultural comparison of depression as I work
with people from various cultural backgrounds. I hope to continue studying cultural differences
in psychological and developmental phenomena in the future as well, since it combines my love
of cultures with my passion for social services and contributing to the wellbeing of others.