The continuing erosion of financial support for undergraduate laboratories makes cost an increasingly important factor in the choice of undergraduate animal experiments. Projects employing insect predation by rodents, which require minimal equipment and pose a number of interesting questions about animal behavior, are described. (RM)

Describes the hardware, priced at under $600 in 1984, required to adapt an Apple IIe microcomputer for use as a physiograph. Gavlanic skin response (GSR), electromyograph (EMG), skin temperature, and heart rate data can be recorded at user-specified intervals, displayed on a monitor, saved to a disk, and printed on paper. (Author/JDH)

A computer-controlled experimental psychology investigation suitable for use in an undergraduate laboratory is described. The investigation examines the relationship between aesthetic preference and speed of reaction in making choices between colors generated on a video monitor. (Author)

Described is an exercise involving the measurement of temperature in a peripheral tissue, brown adipose, that is readily accessible in the laboratory rat. (RM)

Chickens, instead of rats, were used in an upper-level laboratory course on animal learning. To help other instructors interested in using chickens for a lab course, a discussion of the physical and behavioral characteristics of chickens is provided. Student reaction to the course is also discussed. (RM)

A laboratory project introduced physiological psychology students to research by requiring them to identify an unknown drug given to laboratory animals. Students read material about drugs and animal drug studies, designed behavioral tests, constructed the testing apparatus, conducted the tests, and wrote progress reports. (SR)

A departmental staff has integrated research participation for its majors in a plan based upon a well developed, active-service-system conceptual model. (Author)

Describes different research activities that can be used in a college dining facility to make it a real-life laboratory where students can apply research skills and learn about the scientific method. Offers evidence that the experience provides an effective tool to teach the scientific method. (CMK)

Discusses the use of a teaching fellows program (undergraduates teaching undergraduates) in a psychology laboratory class. Examines the goals, outcomes, curriculum, and implementation of the laboratory class and how these were impacted through the use of teaching fellows. Includes a table showing curriculum, content area, laboratory activities,…

A general laboratory course should include projects that familiarize college students with the variety of methods available to the researcher. Described are four research projects that address questions about human behavior by means of experimental, observational, survey, and archival research methods. (RM)

Describes two new exercises in classical conditioning that use earthworms and houseflies. The animals are available year-round and pose no risk to the students or instructor. The conditioned stimuli are odorants. These elicit a conditioned response of contraction in worms or proboscis extension in flies. (MJP)

Failure is frequently the end point of laboratory exercises in physiological psychology that involve stereotaxic surgery by inexperienced students. Lab instructors should caution students to pursue the potential location of misplaced brain lesions using a variety of simple behavioral tests and the Thompson stereotaxic atlas. (Author/RM)

The mirror drawing apparatus (MDA) is a valuable experiential learning tool with specific applications in general psychology, educational psychology, and recruiting. Specific applications are described. (Author/RM)

Compares the advantages of using chickens over rats in college-level introductory psychology lab courses. Chicks are cheaper, gentler, easier to handle, and require less time to adapt to laboratory conditions than rats. They are also easy to condition and impervious to distraction by room noise. (AM)

Describes an experiment using the method of magnitude estimation to scale odorant intensities when the subject is in a nonadapted state, in an adapted state, and in a cross-adapted state. (Author/KC)