Abstract
Volume 42, No. 1, January 2015
Acknowledgement
Teaching of Psychology, 42(1): 3–4
(no abstract)
Outside the Classroom and Beyond Psychology: A Citation Analysis of the Scientific Influence of Teaching Activities
THOMAS J. TOMCHO, ROB FOELS, MARK I. WALTER, KYLE YERKES, BRITTANY BRADY, MOLLY ERDMAN, LINDSAY DANTONI, MEGAN VENABLES, AND ALLISON MANRY
Teaching of Psychology, 42(1), 5–13
A primary objective for researchers who publish teaching activities and methods in the Teaching of Psychology (ToP) is to inform best practices in classroom teaching. Beyond the learning effect in the classroom, these ToP teaching activity and method articles may also have a scientific effect that heretofore researchers have overlooked. Therefore, we conducted a bibliometric examination of 765 teaching activities published in ToP from 1975 to 2007. Teaching activities are cited a surprisingly high number of times. More important, approximately half of the citations were from sources other than ToP, demonstrating a broader scientific influence. Further, we found that teaching research citation rates are comparable to authors’ other peer-reviewed traditional psychology discipline research. We discuss findings in terms of implications for teaching as research, the potential effect of citations on tenure and promotion decisions, and ToP as a hub science.
Psychology’s Lost Boy: Will the Real Little Albert Please Stand Up?
RICHARD A. GRIGGS
Teaching of Psychology, 42(1), 14–18
This article is concerned with the recent debate about the identity of psychology’s lost boy—Little Albert, the infant subject in Watson and Rayner’s classic experiment on fear conditioning. For decades, psychologists and psychology students have been intrigued by the mystery of Albert’s fate. Now two evidentiary-based solutions to this mystery have been proposed. Given the present absence of coverage in introductory textbooks, the purpose of this article is to provide a cornerstone resource for teachers to use as an advance organizer to the literature on this debate. Synopses of the search and resulting evidence for each candidate are provided. A summative comparison of the evidence indicates that Albert Barger is likely Little Albert and that Douglas Merritte is not.
Further Validation of the Learning Alliance Inventory: The Roles of Working Alliance, Rapport, and Immediacy in Student Learning
DANIEL T. ROGERS
Teaching of Psychology, 42(1), 19–25
This study further examined the reliability and validity of the Learning Alliance Inventory (LAI), a self-report measure designed to assess the working alliance between a student and a teacher. The LAI was found to have good internal consistency and test–retest reliability, and it demonstrated the predicted convergence with measures of immediacy and rapport. The LAI enhanced the prediction of student learning beyond that which was possible only using measures of immediacy and rapport. Path analysis provided support for immediacy and rapport indirectly impacting student learning via their effects on the working alliance. Potential uses of the LAI in both research and applied contexts are discussed.
The Effect of Immersion Scheduling on Academic Performance and Students’ Ratings of Instructors
AARON S. RICHMOND, BRIDGET C. MURPHY, LAYTON S. CURL, AND KRISTIN A. BROUSSARD
Teaching of Psychology, 42(1), 26–33
During the past decades, little research has investigated the effects of immersion scheduling on the psychology classroom. Therefore, we sought to compare academic performance of students in two-week immersion psychology courses to that of students in traditional 16-week courses. In Study 1, students who received instruction in a two-week immersion course significantly outperformed their cohorts in a traditional 16-week course. In order to address potential limitations in the first study, in Study 2, we controlled for individual differences variables (e.g., cumulative grade point average), and results indicated significantly higher academic performance for students in the two-week immersion course. In both studies, students in the immersion courses consistently evaluated the courses and their instructors significantly higher than those students in the 16-week courses. In light of our results and in contrast to critics, immersion courses may be useful and effective when teaching psychology.
Highly Prevalent but Not Always Persistent: Undergraduate and Graduate Student’s Misconceptions about Psychology
SEAN HUGHES, FIONA LYDDY, ROBIN KAPLAN, AUSTIN LEE NICHOLS, HAYLIE MILLER, CARMEL GABRIEL SAAD, KRISTIN DUKES, AND AMY-JO LYNCH
Teaching of Psychology, 42(1), 34–42
Although past research has documented the prevalence of misconceptions in introductory psychology classes, few studies have assessed how readily upper-level undergraduate and graduate students endorse erroneous beliefs about the discipline. In Study 1, we administered a 30-item misconception test to an international sample of 670 undergraduate, masters, and doctoral students. Analyses indicated that participants identified and rejected the majority of misconceptions, with doctoral students performing better than their master’s or undergraduate peers. In Study 2, we administered a revised version of our questionnaire to a novel sample of 557 students while controlling for number of years spent at university, psychology courses completed, and need for cognition. Once again, we found that graduate students rejected more, affirmed less, and reported lower levels of uncertainty than their undergraduate counterparts. Educational implications and future research directions are discussed.
The Voices Project: Reducing White Students’ Racism in Introduction to Psychology
ALICIA H. NORDSTROM
Teaching of Psychology, 42(1), 43–50
This study examined the impact of an assignment involving intergroup contact (The Voices Project (TVP)) on student racism toward Muslims, African Americans, Asians, and Hispanics in Introduction to Psychology. TVP students interviewed members from racial groups and wrote autobiographical memoirs of their lives. A faculty-writing team integrated the stories into a staged reading program and presented to the class and campus. Students completed attitude surveys during the first and last weeks of a 15-week semester as well as one year later. TVP class showed significant reductions in prejudice toward racial groups across the semester and improvements remained 1 year later. Compared to a control class, TVP class demonstrated significantly greater attitude changes toward Muslims, Hispanics, and acknowledgment of White privilege.
Using a Movie as a Capstone Activity for the Introductory Course
STEPHEN B. BLESSING AND JENNIFER S. BLESSING
Teaching of Psychology, 42(1), 51–55
A capstone experience serves as a culminating exercise for students to assimilate the information learned in a course and to realize how to use the material and skills in different contexts. Both majors and non-majors benefit from having the material in the introductory course consolidated in such a way, for later study in the field and to more firmly establish its main themes in their memory. For such an experience in the introductory course, we used the classic film 12 Angry Men as the basis for discussion and an assignment. The film contains many scenes that highlight various psychological phenomena from across the curriculum that can be used to integrate those phenomena. We tested the experience in a classroom setting and found that students accessed and integrated material from across the semester significantly better than those who did not have the capstone assignment.
Predicting Student Success in a Psychological Statistics Course Emphasizing Collaborative Learning
BENJAMIN J. GORVINE AND H. DAVID SMITH
Teaching of Psychology, 42(1), 56–59
This study describes the use of a collaborative learning approach in a psychological statistics course and examines the factors that predict which students benefit most from such an approach in terms of learning outcomes. In a course format with a substantial group work component, 166 students were surveyed on their preference for individual learning, their preference for group learning, and their discomfort with group learning. They were also surveyed about their attitudes toward statistics, including their anxiety about learning statistics, their interest in learning statistics, and their belief in the value of learning statistics. Findings indicated that students reporting a higher preference for group work and lower levels of anxiety about statistics had better learning outcomes as measured by final percentage of total points in the course. We suggest that course instructors utilizing collaborative approaches in their teaching are well served by considering how students’ preexisting attitudes may influence their engagement with the material and final performance in the course.
A Successful Model of Collaborative Undergraduate Research: A Multi-Faculty, Multi-Project, Multi-Institution Team Approach
JULIE A. WOODZICKA, THOMAS E. FORD, ABBIE CAUDILL, AND ALYNA OHANMAMOORENI
Teaching of Psychology, 42(1), 60–63
A collaborative research grant from the National Science Foundation allowed the first two authors to provide students at primarily undergraduate institutions with a multi-faculty, multi-institution team research experience. Teams of undergraduate students at Western Carolina University and Washington and Lee University collaborated with one another on multiple projects. Research teams used Skype and Dropbox to facilitate meetings and the sharing of research articles, documents, and data. Through collaboration across institutions, students gained a fuller appreciation of research as a dynamic process that involves discussing and critiquing ideas and complementing one another’s skills.
Writing Cover Letters That Address Instructor Feedback Improves Final Papers in a Research Methods Course
FRANCES DANIEL, CATHERINE M. GAZE, AND JASON L. G. BRAASCH
Teaching of Psychology, 42(1), 64–68
We examined how writing cover letters to the instructor influenced final papers in research methods courses. After receiving instructor feedback on drafts of each section of an American Psychological Association style research paper throughout the semester, students in two classes wrote cover letters to the instructor explaining how the instructor feedback was incorporated into their final paper. Students in the two control classes received the same type of feedback throughout the semester but were not required to write cover letters. Students enrolled in the cover letter classes showed more improvement in the quality of their papers than the students in the control classes. Using cover letters to articulate how feedback is being incorporated may help students more efficiently organize and respond to instructor feedback. Future researchers might investigate whether students’ reflective ability is a significant moderator in effective feedback utilization.
This Old Thing? Using Old Laboratory Equipment to Enhance Student Learning
MIRARI ELCORO AND NANCY MCCARLEY
Teaching of Psychology, 42(1), 69–72
Using a surplus of older laboratory instruments, 48 students in a learning and behavior course completed an assignment designed to provide an introduction to the history and use of some instruments in psychology. Students worked in pairs, were assigned one instrument, and created labels in which they identified several keys characteristics of an instrument. Assessments indicated that students learned from and also enjoyed this assignment. Sixteen of the 48 students presented and demonstrated each instrument to 19 students enrolled in a history and systems class. Pre- and posttest assessments in the history and systems class indicated significant increases in knowledge about these instruments. This is a simple, versatile activity than can be used in a variety of psychology courses.
Topical Versus Chronological Organization of Lifespan Development: Does It Make a Difference in Student Retention and Understanding?
BROOKE R. SPANGLER AND ELIZABETH J. KIEL
Teaching of Psychology, 42(1), 73–78
This study aimed to determine whether taking a chronological approach (CA) or topical approach (TA) to teaching developmental psychology resulted in different learning outcomes. Across two semesters, in four classes, 354 students participated (Mage = 19.76, SDage = 2.93 years), 66% identifying as female. One instructor taught one course type across the two semesters. Identical information about Piaget’s theory was presented in each condition. Around 5 weeks after instruction, concept checks were administered to measure understanding. Exam performance was also compared across courses, as were instructor evaluations. The data suggest that CA-instructed students may be better able to comprehend more difficult concepts. This is informative for instructors with the option of presenting information in contrasting ways and may inform textbook choices.
Industrial–Organizational and Human Factors Graduate Program Admission: Information for Undergraduate Advisors
ELIZABETH L. SHOENFELT, NANCY J. STONE, AND JANET L. KOTTKE
Teaching of Psychology, 42(1), 79–82
Many psychology departments do not have industrial–organizational (IO) or human factors (HF) faculty members. As such, potential IO and HF graduate students may miss career opportunities because faculty advisors are unfamiliar with the disciplines and their graduate programs. To assist advisors, this article highlights the content of IO and HF disciplines, presents tips on how to advise undergraduates for admission to IO and HF graduate programs, provides sources of IO and HF information, suggests employability options in IO and HF, and offers an advising brochure that is available upon request. A wide variety of career options exist in both IO and HF. Advisors assisting students in evaluating potential careers and identifying graduate programs should find this information useful.
Chinese College Students’ Perceptions of Characteristics of Excellent Teachers
SHUJIE LIU, JARED KEELEY, AND WILLIAM BUSKIST
Teaching of Psychology, 42(1), 83–86
We employed the Teacher Behavior Checklist (TBC) to investigate Chinese college students’ perceptions of excellent teachers’ qualities and then compared the results to those from previously collected data from American and Japanese students. Chinese students tended to favor additional structure both in the classroom and in teachers’ roles than either Japanese or American students. Teachers wishing to use the TBC to improve teaching quality should carefully consider subtle cultural differences that influence students’ perceptions of their teachers.
Using Quizzing to Assist Student Learning in the Classroom: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
KHUYEN NGUYEN AND MARK A. MCDANIEL
Teaching of Psychology, 42(1), 87–92
Recently, the testing effect has received a great deal of attention from researchers and educators who are intrigued by its potential to enhance student learning in the classroom. However, effective incorporation of testing (as a learning tool) merits a close examination of the conditions under which testing can enhance student learning in an authentic classroom setting, where a number of factors may deviate from the laboratory. Based on existing evidence, we highlight several studies that encompass a few of the complexities of using testing to enhance course performance, including situations in which quizzing is beneficial for summative test performance, contexts in which quizzing does not appear to be as beneficial, and instances in which quizzing may actually hamper final test performance.
Greetings from the President
Teaching of Psychology, 42(1): 93
(no abstract)