At first glance you might not think there was nothing wrong with this slide used in the AEP that was "field-tested" last year. I mean you do walk away feeling positive about a career in science.
OR DO YOU?
See way back in freshman Psychology they taught us about "faint praise", "negative reinforcement", and other such concepts that have unintended consequences, "psychological baggage" if you will.
While the overall message creates a positive image for engineers, LOT of people will walk away with this image of what an engineer looks like:
I think there are a few teachers out there that would testify to the fact that one or two of their elementary students don't have the longest attention spans, especially without proper, doctor prescribed medication. so maybe 30% of the students walk away with the image of a dork paired with an engineer. I believe the call that CLASSICAL CONDITIONING.
The same message could have been conveyed without the necessity of exposing young minds to such a negative stereotype.
Remember it's not just the end of a journey that matters but how you get there!
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