Realizing that students usually approach an introductory statistics course on the college level with a mixed set of fears, a course instructor devised a course introduction which emphasized that statistics were no more than tools to make sense out of research data and could be used by students much in the way that other tools were used. (DB)

Describes rationale and framework for the psychology program at Loyola University, Chicago. The two major components of the curriculum are a core consisting of basic perspectives, phenomena and methods and a variety of special interest areas that students can pursue in depth. (Author/DB)

Emphasizes that the philosophy of psychology (which deals with issues such as the role of theories and the conflict between mechanistic and purposivistic explanations of behavior) is too often emphasized in college-level psychology courses. Presents rationale and suggests methods for teaching such a course. (DB)

Describes an introductory psychology course using a traditional text and study guide as well as a novel about cults. One objective was that students be able to make informed decisions about cults. (CK)

Examines a psychology course intended to teach graduate students how to develop and run groups for training in helping skills, human relations, assertion training, weight reduction, and anxiety management. (DB)

To increase student competence in writing and other basic skills in undergraduate psychology courses, several psychology instructors devised a approach for integrating writing into existing psychology courses. Suggested writing activities include asking students to write down their ideas during class discussion and write summaries of readings and…

Discusses the goals and the problems of psychology practica, offers strategies for avoiding pitfalls, and analyzes the costs and benefits. Emphasizes the necessity of careful supervision and planning. (CK)

Low-level content and cheating are two problems that are serious threats to the personalized system of instruction (PSI). The use of behavioral objectives can reduce book-boundness and consequently raise the level of course content. To prevent cheating in PSI courses, rigorous checks on proctor grading must be built into courses. (RM)

Describes a college level history of psychology course designed to use art and music as a means of aiding students in recognizing the relationship between their present research and service interests and psychology's past. The course approached history in a less abstract fashion and stressed the interrelationship between the development of…

Recommends that an anchor test be used in college level psychology courses to regulate grading. An anchor test means a core of items on content which is common to all sections within a particular course. Items are distributed throughout the test and scored in comparison with how an individual class performs in relation to all other classes. (DB)

Teaches students how to conduct assessment interviews and conceptualize client problems. Student teams interview the instructor who role plays a client. Students receive feedback and are asked questions designed to develop hypotheses concerning the nature and etiology of the problem. Examines advantages of this approach. (NL)

Describes undergraduate teaching assistant (TA) system designed to maintain high standards of grading by TAs and to assure students and colleagues that TA grading is consistent and fair. A description of TA training and monitoring and data on TA performance are presented. (Author/KC)

Characteristics of undergraduate psychology research conferences (UPRC) are discussed, the role of UPRCs in undergraduate education is examined, and guidelines for organizing such a conference are presented. (RM)

A graduate level practicum that introduces clinically-oriented psychology students to the applied and practical aspects of the field of psychiatry is described. The course format, goals, and benefits are examined. (RM)

Reports on a national survey of 520 psychology programs on the number of mathematics and science courses required as part of the general education requirements for an undergraduate degree. Finds that an average of one mathematics course and two science courses are required. (CFR)