60 Making Connections (IntroPSYC and SDG 15): Life on Land

By Meghan E. Norris and Riley J.T. Bonar

In this unit, we are exploring cognitive development. Cognitive development is a term that represents how we build the abilities to learn, remember, think, reason, and make decisions throughout the lifespan.

We would like to introduce you to SDG15 in this Making Connections. SDG 15: Life on Land, is about conserving life on land. Our forests and ecosystems are important factors when considering cognitive development.

Did you know that the ecosystems in which we develop impact how we think? We invite you to watch this optional video with Dr. Lera Boroditsky, Professor of Cognitive Science at The University of California, San Diego.

In considering recent units in this course, you are likely noticing the importance of language, and how much language varies by geographic location and culture. Recall at the beginning of this course we highlighted that there is not a debate: nature and nurture interact. As we enter the next series of units in our course, you will see continued examples of the interaction between nature (genetics) and nurture (environment). We encourage you to continue to pay attention to this interaction, and to continue asking the questions of who, what, where, why, when, and how, as we explore different phenomena.

To learn more about research happening at Queen’s in cognitive development, check out the work of Dr. Mark Sabbagh! Dr. Sabbagh explores Theory of Mind, social learning, executive functioning, and conceptual change in preschool aged children.

References:

Boroditsky, L. (2018, May 2). How language shapes the way we think [Video]. TED. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKK7wGAYP6k

United Nations. (n.d.). Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/biodiversity/

How to cite this using APA Style:

Norris, M. E., & Bonar, R. J. T. (2026). Making connections (IntroPSYC and SDG 15): Life on land. In PSYC 100: Principles of psychology. eCampusOntario. https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/testbookje/chapter/making-connections-intropsyc-and-sdg-15-life-on-land/