Alice in Wonderland and cognitive development: teaching with examples

Alice in Wonderland can be used to give interesting examples of many of the basic concepts of adolescent psychology. Alice's experiences can be seen as symbolic depictions of important aspects of adolescent development, such as initiation, identity formation, and physical, cognitive, moral, and social development. The psychology instructor may choose a part of the story, then point out the parallels between it and particular aspects of adolescent development. This approach enables the instructor to create and maintain a high level of student interest in the course material.