Chapter 1. Introduction

Welcome to Developing Lives

model.r6 == 0

model.r6 == 1

model.r6 == 2

model.r6 == 3

model.r6 == 4

model.r6 == 5

Welcome to Developing Lives! You’re about to take on the exciting responsibility of raising your very own imaginary child.

You’ll have the opportunity to apply the key concepts you’re learning about child development as you tackle some serious life events and bring up your very own imaginary child.

Starting with prenatal development, you’ll experience both the joys and challenges of raising a baby until he or she grows into your very own young adult. Hang on—it’s going to be an adventure!

Tutorial

In this tutorial, we’ll show how to interact with the program so that you can take advantage of all its features!

Developing Lives has five modules: Prenatal, Babies and Toddlers, Early Childhood, Middle Childhood, and Adolescence. Each module consists of a series of events. In most of these events, you will be presented with a scenario, offered relevant information, and then asked to make a decision about how to raise your child. Additional information is available throughout the program by clicking on the Explain or Learn More sections. You will also have a chance to read an article or watch a video and then answer some questions to earn tokens for use in the Virtual Store. With each event, there will be further opportunities for learning and sometimes even to save some precious memories of your child in the online Memory Book.

Now, let’s explore all the ways to use this program!

Tutorial

Here’s a quick review of all of the features available in Developing Lives.

The left-hand navigation provides access to content that is specific to your current event and module.

Glossary: Look up keywords and concepts.

Data: Review your child’s vitals, such as height and weight, and compare them to national averages.

Look Inside: Read more about what’s happening biologically in your child’s body as it develops.

Explain: Find out more about the topic of the event you are currently in.

Learn More: Access additional articles and videos that will give you even more great information. Take a quiz and earn tokens to spend in the store.

The top navigation provides access to content that is applicable to the whole simulation.

Memory Book: A personalized space where you can save items from various events throughout the simulation. From your first sonogram to high school graduation photos, you will be able to return to this memory book periodically as a memento of your experience!

Store: An online store where you can spend your tokens and buy fun and developmentally-focused goodies for your child.

Help: A global access point available throughout the game.

Before you begin raising your child you will need to create your own profile and avatar, choose a mate, and find out what sort of career you will start out in.

Am I Going To Be a Good Parent?

While using this program, you may wonder if you are making the correct decisions for your child. Don’t worry—it’s just a simulation! You may hit some bumps in the virtual road, but that’s all part of the experience. As you journey through each life stage, you’ll find that in here, as well as in the real world, there are many “right” ways to raise a child. If you ever have questions or need some guidance, there’s always helpful information right at your fingertips.

Plus… it’s not always about you! In this simulation, you will see that many factors influence an individual’s development. Parents are an important influence, but they are not the only one. The individual’s genetic make-up, peers, educational experiences, technology, and society at large all contribute to the path of development. This experience should demonstrate that development is complex, influenced by many factors, constantly changing, and unique to the individual.

In order to customize the developmental journey of your child, we need information about your personality, cognitive abilities, and demographic characteristics. In this world, you can choose to be anyone you want and answers don’t have to reflect exactly who you are in real life. However, we recommend that you make consistent and realistic choices so that your experience is authentic and meaningful. After all, just like in real life, your imaginary child will exhibit some similarities to you in personality and cognitive ability. Remember, since your child will inherit only half of your genes, you will most likely notice personality characteristics and cognitive abilities in your child that are different from your own.

Click 'Continue' to begin your journey.

Getting To Know You

We want to hear all about who you are so that we can build your virtual identity. Later on, we’ll also give you the option to tell us about your partner (or genetic donor). Or, you can choose to select a partner (or genetic donor) from several pre-programmed profiles.

Getting To Know You (cont.)

What Do You Look Like?

Why are we asking this? This is really just for fun. We’re building an avatar that will follow you throughout this program. And your future imaginary baby will be created from a combination of your chosen characteristics plus those of your partner. You don’t have to answer this honestly, although that may be fun! You can have any look that you want. Just remember, however, that you will have to live with this avatar throughout the semester.

1.1 Avatar Editor Player

1.2 Personality and Cognitive Traits

How much do you want to customize your experience? If you have some time to answer some questions, we can customize your experience so that it is a bit different to align with the strengths of your own personality and intellectual skills. These skills can sometimes affect how people parent—and how genetically-related children turn out—so it can be fun to add this extra level of information to the program.

Do you want to customize your personality and cognitive traits?

What Are You Like?

model.userSexValue == "Male"

Your personality and cognitive traits are important in terms of your own thinking, feelings, and behaviors as an individual. Scientists break up our intelligence and personality into different aspects—including a variety of factors including our level of interest in excitement, our level of moodiness, to our different types of intellectual skills. These aspects of who we are also something you pass to your offspring through genes and your interactions with your child. These questions measure in an informal way—some of the different parts of your personality but they shouldn’t be confused with an official intelligence or personality test.

Please respond to the following statements using the provided scale to determine how much each statement reflects you as compared to others.

Remember that this isn’t a real evaluation of what you’re really like. This is just for fun—and to help you see how these intellectual and personality characteristics may (or may not) end up in your offspring.

Here's How You Scored

model.userSexValue == "Female"

model.userSexValue == "Male"

How’d you do? Check out your scores below to see who your virtual self will be! Remember that these are just aspects of your personality and intelligence—and that this is not any kind of formal testing. Just because this report says you are “smart” or “not so smart” doesn’t really mean that that is reflecting who you are. This is just a result of some of the clicks you reported on the previous page. We ask for this information to show you—as the program goes along—how some of your personality and intelligence characteristics may impact how you raise your child and what your child’s intelligence and personality end up to be.

Your Better Half...or Not

Now that we’ve gotten to know a little bit about you, we need to learn more about what sort of relationship you are in. Remember, this is all just for fun. You can choose the characteristics of your real-life partner, or make someone up. This customization is just so you can see how your partner’s genetic characteristics do (or do not) influence your child.

You will also have the option to be single or in an opposite or same-sex relationship. If you are single or in a same-sex relationship your partner won’t be the biological parent to your child, so you will need to choose a profile from a sperm bank or from a surrogate mother who will provide the egg for the child you will raise in the program.

Remember, this is all just for fun. You can choose the characteristics of your real-life partner or make someone up or choose an identity from one of our pre-programmed profiles.

Your Child's Other Biological Parent

Your Better Half

Now let’s find out more about your partner.

Question

tUz1IVtnd8nuDoZ7UO+OxY38RpYy0eaEdy0ndKwcgLMmyocVFM8PLmycwgNBEklqOR95yZcje2g+1VskOL/dlyi4PoNsxjS2eNgaH3d2H0LGwKxedjxxxz5TNEfBOOblU3f1NC+8Ej4F2/UbZvMX4uL7wG4=

How old is your partner?

D7vZo80+K3nTAhiQbaQuudmIOlJwDiRtExNKGtoTUfkhmzx1DijM5UibassLjO+0QFMikg==

true

{true} setModel("partnerAge", qqMC2)

{qqMC2 == 0} setModel("partnerAgeValue", 18)

{qqMC2 == 1} setModel("partnerAgeValue", 19 + model.r6)

{qqMC2 == 2} setModel("partnerAgeValue", 25 + model.r6)

{qqMC2 == 3} setModel("partnerAgeValue", 31 + model.r5)

{qqMC2 == 4} setModel("partnerAgeValue", 36 + model.r5)

{qqMC2 == 5} setModel("partnerAgeValue", 41 + model.r5)

{qqMC2 == 6} setModel("partnerAgeValue", 46 + model.r5)

{qqMC1 == 0} setModel("partnerSex", "Male")

{qqMC1 == 1} setModel("partnerSex", "Female")

{true} setModel("track_Intro_Q7", "Partner age and gender")

{true} setModel("track_Intro_Q7_resp", model.partnerAgeValue + " and " + model.partnerSex)

{model.partnerSex == "Male"} setModel("partnerGuyGirl", "guy")

{model.partnerSex == "Female"} setModel("partnerGuyGirl", "girl")

{model.partnerSex == "Male"} setModel("partnerSelf", "himself")

{model.partnerSex == "Female"} setModel("partnerSelf", "herself")

{model.partnerSex == "Male"} setModel("partnerHeSheCap", "He")

{model.partnerSex == "Female"} setModel("partnerHeSheCap", "She")

{model.partnerSex == "Male"} setModel("partnerHeShe", "he")

{model.partnerSex == "Female"} setModel("partnerHeShe", "she")

{model.partnerSex == "Male"} setModel("partnerHimHer", "him")

{model.partnerSex == "Female"} setModel("partnerHimHer", "her")

{model.partnerSex == "Male"} setModel("partnerHisHerCap", "His")

{model.partnerSex == "Female"} setModel("partnerHisHerCap", "Her")

{model.partnerSex == "Male"} setModel("partnerHisHer", "his")

{model.partnerSex == "Female"} setModel("partnerHisHer", "her")

{model.partnerSex == "Female"} setModel("partnerLeave", "maternity")

{model.partnerSex == "Male"} setModel("partnerLeave", "paternity")

{model.userSexValue == "Male" && model.partnerSex == "Male"} setModel("GayMan", "true")

{model.userSexValue == "Male" && model.partnerSex == "Male"} setModel("Gay", "true")

{model.userSexValue == "Female" && model.partnerSex == "Female"} setModel("GayWoman", "true")

{model.userSexValue == "Female" && model.partnerSex == "Female"} setModel("Gay", "true")

{model.userSexValue == "Female"} setModel("donorSex", "Male")

{model.userSexValue == "Male"} setModel("donorSex", "Female")

{model.donorSex == "Male"} setModel("donorSpermSurrogate", "donor")

{model.donorSex == "Female"} setModel("donorSpermSurrogate", "surrogate")

{model.donorSex == "Male"} setModel("donorSpermSurrogate_long", "sperm donor")

{model.donorSex == "Female"} setModel("donorSpermSurrogate_long", "surrogate mother")

{model.donorSex == "Male"} setModel("donorSpermSurrogate_long_cap", "Sperm Donor")

{model.donorSex == "Female"} setModel("donorSpermSurrogate_long_cap", "Surrogate Mother")

{model.donorSex == "Male"} setModel("donorSpermSurrogate_cap", "Sperm donor")

{model.donorSex == "Female"} setModel("donorSpermSurrogate_cap", "Surrogate mother")

{model.userSexValue == "Male" && model.GayMan == "false"} setModel("Mother", "partner")

{model.GayMan == "true"} setModel("Mother", "donor")

{model.userSexValue == "Female" && model.GayWoman == "false"} setModel("Mother", "user")

{model.GayWoman == "true"} setModel("Mother", "user")

{model.userSingleFemale == "true"} setModel("Mother", "user")

{model.GayWoman == "true"} setModel("Mother", "user")

{model.userSingleMale == "true"} setModel("Mother", "donor")

{true} setModel("donorSex", "")

{model.GayWoman == "true" || model.userSingleFemale == "true"} setModel("donorSex", "Male")

{model.GayMan == "true" || model.userSingleMale == "true"} setModel("donorSex", "Female")

{model.Mother == "user"} setModel("motherAgeValue", model.userAgeValue)

{model.Mother == "partner"} setModel("motherAgeValue", model.partnerAgeValue)

{model.Mother == "donor"} setModel("motherAgeValue", model.donorAgeValue)

{model.Mother == "user" && model.userSingleFemale == "false" && model.GayWoman == "false"} setModel("Father", "partner")

{model.Mother == "user" && model.userSingleFemale == "true"} setModel("Father", "donor")

{model.Mother == "user" && model.GayWoman == "true"} setModel("Father", "donor")

{model.Mother == "partner"} setModel("Father", "user")

{model.donorSex == "Female"} setModel("donorHeSheCap", "She")

{model.donorSex == "Male"} setModel("donorHeSheCap", "He")

{model.donorSex == "Female"} setModel("donorHisHer", "her")

{model.donorSex == "Male"} setModel("donorHisHer", "his")

{model.donorSex == "Female"} setModel("donorHisHerCap", "Her")

{model.donorSex == "Male"} setModel("donorHisHerCap", "His")

{model.donorSex == "Female"} setModel("donorHimHer", "her")

{model.donorSex == "Male"} setModel("donorHimHer", "him")

{model.donorSex == "Female"} setModel("donorHeShe", "she")

{model.donorSex == "Male"} setModel("donorHeShe", "he")

{model.donorSex == "Female"} setModel("donorSelf", "herself")

{model.donorSex == "Male"} setModel("donorSelf", "himself")

{model.donorSex == "Female"} setModel("donorGuyGirl", "girl")

{model.donorSex == "Male"} setModel("donorGuyGirl", "guy")

{true} setModel("r6", Math.floor(Math.random()*6))

Create My Own Partner

I8A

Pick a Partner from a Pre-Programmed Profile

I8B_new

model.Relationship != "single"

Your Child's Other Biological Parent

Getting to Know Your Partner

Customizing Your Partner's Avatar

1.3 Avatar Editor Partner

{model.donorSpermSurrogate_cap}'s Demographics and Appearance

Can you let us know a little more about the {model.donorSpermSurrogate} or the biological parent you have in mind to contribute to your future child?

What Do They Look Like?

Now you need to create an avatar for your {model.donorSpermSurrogate}. Remember your future child will be created from a combination of your avatar and the one that you are creating for your {model.donorSpermSurrogate}.

1.4 Avatar Editor {model.donorSpermSurrogate_cap}

What Is Your {model.donorSpermSurrogate_long_cap} Like?

model.donorSex == "Female"

model.donorSex == "Male"

The personality and cognitive traits you select for your child's {model.donorSpermSurrogate} can also be passed on to your child, giving you an opportunity to see how genes—and the environment a child is raised in—affect the development of a child. Please respond to the following statements using the provided scale to determine how much each statement reflects your child's other biological parent.

Remember that this isn’t a real evaluation of what your child's other biological parent is really like. This is just for fun—and to help you see how these intellectual and personality characteristics may (or may not) end up in your offspring.

Pick a Biological Parent... Just One

You have been given several profiles of potential {model.donorSpermSurrogate}s. Remember that these are just for fun—and to help you see how these intellectual and personality characteristics may (or may not) end up in your offspring through your {model.donorSpermSurrogate}'s genes.

{model.donorName1} model.r7 == 1 {model.donorName1} model.r7 == 2 {model.donorName1} model.r7 == 3 {model.donorName1} model.r7 == 4 {model.donorName1} model.r7 == 5 {model.donorName1} model.r7 == 6 {model.donorName1} model.r7 == 7	{model.donorName2} model.r7 == 1 {model.donorName2} model.r7 == 2 {model.donorName2} model.r7 == 3 {model.donorName2} model.r7 == 4 {model.donorName2} model.r7 == 5 {model.donorName2} model.r7 == 6 {model.donorName2} model.r7 == 7	{model.donorName3} model.r7 == 1 {model.donorName3} model.r7 == 2 {model.donorName3} model.r7 == 3 {model.donorName3} model.r7 == 4 {model.donorName3} model.r7 == 5 {model.donorName3} model.r7 == 6 {model.donorName3} model.r7 == 7
{model.donorName4} model.r7 == 1 {model.donorName4} model.r7 == 2 {model.donorName4} model.r7 == 3 {model.donorName4} model.r7 == 4 {model.donorName4} model.r7 == 5 {model.donorName4} model.r7 == 6 {model.donorName4} model.r7 == 7	{model.donorName5} model.r7 == 1 {model.donorName5} model.r7 == 2 {model.donorName5} model.r7 == 3 {model.donorName5} model.r7 == 4 {model.donorName5} model.r7 == 5 {model.donorName5} model.r7 == 6 {model.donorName5} model.r7 == 7	{model.donorName6} model.r7 == 1 {model.donorName6} model.r7 == 2 {model.donorName6} model.r7 == 3 {model.donorName6} model.r7 == 4 {model.donorName6} model.r7 == 5 {model.donorName6} model.r7 == 6 {model.donorName6} model.r7 == 7

model.donorSex == "Female"

{model.donorName1} model.r7 == 1 {model.donorName1} model.r7 == 2 {model.donorName1} model.r7 == 3 {model.donorName1} model.r7 == 4 {model.donorName1} model.r7 == 5 {model.donorName1} model.r7 == 6 {model.donorName1} model.r7 == 7	{model.donorName2} model.r7 == 1 {model.donorName2} model.r7 == 2 {model.donorName2} model.r7 == 3 {model.donorName2} model.r7 == 4 {model.donorName2} model.r7 == 5 {model.donorName2} model.r7 == 6 {model.donorName2} model.r7 == 7	{model.donorName3} model.r7 == 1 {model.donorName3} model.r7 == 2 {model.donorName3} model.r7 == 3 {model.donorName3} model.r7 == 4 {model.donorName3} model.r7 == 5 {model.donorName3} model.r7 == 6 {model.donorName3} model.r7 == 7
{model.donorName4} model.r7 == 1 {model.donorName4} model.r7 == 2 {model.donorName4} model.r7 == 3 {model.donorName4} model.r7 == 4 {model.donorName4} model.r7 == 5 {model.donorName4} model.r7 == 6 {model.donorName4} model.r7 == 7	{model.donorName5} model.r7 == 1 {model.donorName5} model.r7 == 2 {model.donorName5} model.r7 == 3 {model.donorName5} model.r7 == 4 {model.donorName5} model.r7 == 5 {model.donorName5} model.r7 == 6 {model.donorName5} model.r7 == 7	{model.donorName6} model.r7 == 1 {model.donorName6} model.r7 == 2 {model.donorName6} model.r7 == 3 {model.donorName6} model.r7 == 4 {model.donorName6} model.r7 == 5 {model.donorName6} model.r7 == 6 {model.donorName6} model.r7 == 7

model.donorSex == "Male"

Here's How Your Child's Other Biological Parent Scored

model.donorSex == "Female"

model.donorSex == "Male"

Pick a Partner... Just One

We’ve come up with some options for you to choose from. Remember that these are just for fun—and to help you see how these intellectual and personality characteristics may (or may not) end up in your offspring.

{true} setModel("r7", Math.floor(Math.random()*7 + 1)) {model.partnerName1} model.r7 == 1 {model.partnerName1} model.r7 == 2 {model.partnerName1} model.r7 == 3 {model.partnerName1} model.r7 == 4 {model.partnerName1} model.r7 == 5 {model.partnerName1} model.r7 == 6 {model.partnerName1} model.r7 == 7	{true} setModel("r7", Math.floor(Math.random()*7 + 1)) {model.partnerName2} model.r7 == 1 {model.partnerName2} model.r7 == 2 {model.partnerName2} model.r7 == 3 {model.partnerName2} model.r7 == 4 {model.partnerName2} model.r7 == 5 {model.partnerName2} model.r7 == 6 {model.partnerName2} model.r7 == 7	{true} setModel("r7", Math.floor(Math.random()*7 + 1)) {model.partnerName3} model.r7 == 1 {model.partnerName3} model.r7 == 2 {model.partnerName3} model.r7 == 3 {model.partnerName3} model.r7 == 4 {model.partnerName3} model.r7 == 5 {model.partnerName3} model.r7 == 6 {model.partnerName3} model.r7 == 7
{true} setModel("r7", Math.floor(Math.random()*7 + 1)) {model.partnerName4} model.r7 == 1 {model.partnerName4} model.r7 == 2 {model.partnerName4} model.r7 == 3 {model.partnerName4} model.r7 == 4 {model.partnerName4} model.r7 == 5 {model.partnerName4} model.r7 == 6 {model.partnerName4} model.r7 == 7	{true} setModel("r7", Math.floor(Math.random()*7 + 1)) {model.partnerName5} model.r7 == 1 {model.partnerName5} model.r7 == 2 {model.partnerName5} model.r7 == 3 {model.partnerName5} model.r7 == 4 {model.partnerName5} model.r7 == 5 {model.partnerName5} model.r7 == 6 {model.partnerName5} model.r7 == 7	{true} setModel("r7", Math.floor(Math.random()*7 + 1)) {model.partnerName6} model.r7 == 1 {model.partnerName6} model.r7 == 2 {model.partnerName6} model.r7 == 3 {model.partnerName6} model.r7 == 4 {model.partnerName6} model.r7 == 5 {model.partnerName6} model.r7 == 6 {model.partnerName6} model.r7 == 7

model.partnerSex == "Female"

{model.partnerName1} model.r7 == 1 {model.partnerName1} model.r7 == 2 {model.partnerName1} model.r7 == 3 {model.partnerName1} model.r7 == 4 {model.partnerName1} model.r7 == 5 {model.partnerName1} model.r7 == 6 {model.partnerName1} model.r7 == 7	{model.partnerName2} model.r7 == 1 {model.partnerName2} model.r7 == 2 {model.partnerName2} model.r7 == 3 {model.partnerName2} model.r7 == 4 {model.partnerName2} model.r7 == 5 {model.partnerName2} model.r7 == 6 {model.partnerName2} model.r7 == 7	{model.partnerName3} model.r7 == 1 {model.partnerName3} model.r7 == 2 {model.partnerName3} model.r7 == 3 {model.partnerName3} model.r7 == 4 {model.partnerName3} model.r7 == 5 {model.partnerName3} model.r7 == 6 {model.partnerName3} model.r7 == 7
{model.partnerName4} model.r7 == 1 {model.partnerName4} model.r7 == 2 {model.partnerName4} model.r7 == 3 {model.partnerName4} model.r7 == 4 {model.partnerName4} model.r7 == 5 {model.partnerName4} model.r7 == 6 {model.partnerName4} model.r7 == 7	{model.partnerName5} model.r7 == 1 {model.partnerName5} model.r7 == 2 {model.partnerName5} model.r7 == 3 {model.partnerName5} model.r7 == 4 {model.partnerName5} model.r7 == 5 {model.partnerName5} model.r7 == 6 {model.partnerName5} model.r7 == 7	{model.partnerName6} model.r7 == 1 {model.partnerName6} model.r7 == 2 {model.partnerName6} model.r7 == 3 {model.partnerName6} model.r7 == 4 {model.partnerName6} model.r7 == 5 {model.partnerName6} model.r7 == 6 {model.partnerName6} model.r7 == 7

model.partnerSex == "Male"

What Is Your Partner Like?

model.partnerSex == "Female"

model.partnerSex == "Male"

Remember that this isn’t a real evaluation of what your partner is really like. This is just for fun—and to help you see how these intellectual and personality characteristics may (or may not) end up in your offspring.

Here's How Your Partner Scored

model.partnerSex == "Female"

model.partnerSex == "Male"

How did {model.partnerHeShe} do? Remember that these are just aspects of personality and intelligence—and that this is not any kind of formal testing. Just because this report says your partner is “smart” or “not so smart” doesn’t really mean that that is reflecting who he or she may really be. This is just a result of some of the clicks you reported on the previous page. We ask for this information to show you—as the program goes along—how some of your personality and intelligence characteristics may impact how you raise your child and what your child’s intelligence and personality end up to be.

Here's How Your Donor Scored

model.donorSex == "Female"

model.donorSex == "Male"

Ready, Set, Go!

{model.endParagraph1}

End of Introduction

You’ve now come to the end of the first, introductory module. Soon you’ll be the parent of a child. Your instructor may have assigned some study questions for you to complete at the end of this module that you’ll find separately as part of this LaunchPad. We’d love to hear your feedback. Just click here to let us know what you think. Thank you for sharing your feedback.