Introduction: In an increasingly diverse world, there has been a call for psychology educators to make efforts to integrate diversity into the psychology curriculum. Statement of the Problem: Researchers who have surveyed psychology faculty have found the amount of time devoted to diversity content in nondiversity-focused courses is limited, with…

Introduction: Designing and conducting an intervention study is an arduous task for students that requires strong teaching and mentoring practices from psychology instructors. Statement of the Problem: Most research methods textbooks simply describe how an intervention is incorporated into a research study design (Johnson & Christensen, 2016),…

Introduction: Individuals in various career fields will interact with people who have experienced trauma while engaging in their work responsibilities, and many have limited, if any, trauma training. Therefore, there is a need to provide trauma training within undergraduate degree programs. Statement of Problem: Online learning is a viable method…

Integral to most undergraduate psychology degree programs are research methods courses. Students learn about theory, study design and hypothesis testing, and gain knowledge that is assessed by laboratory reports. We describe a problem-based learning approach with an emphasis on acquisition of study design skills. Working in small groups, students…

Instructors often use spreadsheet software (e.g., Microsoft Excel) in their statistics courses so that students can gain experience conducting computerized analyses. Unfortunately, students tend to make several predictable errors when programming spreadsheets. Without immediate feedback, programming errors are likely to go undetected, and as a…

Classic personality theories, although intriguing, are outdated. The five-factor model of personality traits reinvigorated personality research, and the resulting findings spurred a new generation of personality theories. These theories assign a central place to traits and acknowledge the crucial role of evolved biology in shaping human…

There has been a rapid growth of diversity across North America in recent years, and hence the delivery of culturally sensitive services has found itself at the forefront of the field of psychology (Carter, 2001; Sue & Sue, 2008). Consequently, the need for multicultural education and training is increasingly critical, with a focus being placed on…

Students in research methods courses, especially those taught in an intense format, might be hard pressed to actually conduct research studies due to logistics and time constraints. I describe the use of single-case research design and a personalized behavior project as an alternative research project for students in an undergraduate psychology…

The online virtual world Second Life (www.secondlife.com) has multiple potential uses in teaching. In Second Life (SL), users create avatars that represent them in the virtual world. Within SL, avatars can interact with each other and with objects and environments. SL offers tremendous creative potential in that users can create content within the…

This article describes an in-class activity designed to demonstrate Freud's structural theory of the psyche, specifically the roles of the id, ego, and superego, as well as the interplay among them. Additionally, the activity visually illustrates Freud's ideas about the levels of consciousness associated with these 3 components. Pre-post quiz…

Describes the three phase plan a psychology department used to revise its curriculum. The plan involved: (1) collecting data on educational expectations of faculty, students, and peer institutions; (3) developing a structural model of the major; and (3) re-designing courses to fit the new program. (GEA)

Presents the use of a poster session as an integral part of an experimental design course. Describes how the principles of experimental design are demonstrated when undergraduates design and conduct original experiments, using radishes as subjects, and present their results in a poster session. Discusses the benefits of using radishes as subjects.…

Describes a course that bridged the disciplines of clinical and experimental psychology and the law. The course included discussion of issues such as the reliability of confessions, victimization, and child custody. Course objectives, requirements, and teaching aids are outlined, and thoughts on integrating these diverse topics are included.…

Outlines an approach that integrates the microcomputer into the entire research process. Describes student use of the microcomputer before, during, and after an experiment. Discusses the benefits that students derive from conducting research using microcomputers. (Author/GEA)

Students critiqued research contained in the book "Rival Hypotheses" (Huck and Sandler, 1979), which contains studies dealing with knowledge claims of practical importance, e.g., the evidence that saccharine causes cancer. (RM)