A Promising Change to Introductory Psychology: Thinking Like a Psychologist to Tackle Vexing Real-World Problems

Abstract

Background

The American Psychology Association's (APA) Introductory Psychology Initiative recommended strategies for teaching introductory psychology courses.

Objective

I describe a revised introductory course built to be consistent with APA recommendations. The revised course—taught across multiple small sections at my institution—focused on learning to think like a psychologist in tackling real-world problems. In this paper, I examine the extent to which students can successfully complete the high-level work associated with the revised course and whether students taking the revised course perceive their course differently from students in a more traditional version.

Method

I administered student surveys and examined student performance on final course projects.

Results

Students can successfully complete the work in the revised course. In addition, students perceived the revised course as having more emphasis on high-level thinking skills, such as close reading and using the scientific method. Students also rated the revised course higher on several items related to what Ken Bain refers to as “super courses,” including the level of student autonomy and the quality of feedback.

Conclusion

The revised course is a promising alternative to the more traditional introductory course.

Teaching Implications

I encourage readers to consider shifting the focus of introductory courses toward the thinking skills that psychologists regularly use in their professional lives.