Background: Prior research suggests that the teaching of abstract concepts can be enhanced by the use of concrete examples, but there are few controlled studies. Objective: To replicate key findings from experiment one from Rawson et al. (2015). Method: Experiment participants studied definitions of abstract concepts from psychology, either with…

High-impact experiences, such as service-learning opportunities or hands-on laboratories, have been shown to enhance student learning, course satisfaction, and attitudes and behaviors. Thus, it is essential to incorporate these experiences into psychology curriculums when possible. However, it is also critical to analyze the impact of these…

It is a common, if controversial, practice to recruit undergraduate psychology students as research participants. There is substantial research concerning putative educational benefits for students, but as students increasingly have freedom to choose between studies to meet participation requirements, factors underlying student choice of…

The purpose of this study is to show how Monte Carlo analysis of meta-analytic estimators can be used to select estimators for specific research situations. Our analysis conducts 1620 individual experiments, where each experiment is defined by a unique combination of sample size, effect size, effect size heterogeneity, publication selection…

Background: The goals of laboratory experiences include developing knowledge base, research skills, and scientific communication abilities. Objective: The aim was to assess an inquiry-based laboratory activity using the model organism "Caenorhabditis elegans" in relation to learning goals. Method: Students in a "Biopsychology"…

Deception detection is a topic covered in many psychology and communication courses. We designed and implemented an engaging class activity to facilitate the students' learning of several key concepts related to sender and receiver variability in lie detection. The pedagogical effectiveness of the activity was measured. In line with previous…

Cost and time constraints make it challenging to include hands-on laboratory experiences in psychology courses, yet engaging laboratory experiences can increase scientific literacy and appreciation. The present study tested whether learning by observing could also increase scientific literacy (knowledge of social neuroscience). We additionally…

Since physics is often a service course for college students, it is important to incorporate everyday examples in the curriculum that inspire students of diverse backgrounds and interests. In this regard, baseball has been a workhorse for the physics classroom for a long time, taking the form of demonstrations and example problems. In this…

Digital storytelling is a technology application that has emerged as a powerful teaching and learning tool that engages both teachers and students. Digital storytelling allows students to become creative storytellers through selecting a topic, conducting research, writing a script, and developing the story. However, the use of digital storytelling…

This paper examines an experiment conducted at a 2-year college with non-majors. The Immediate Feedback Assessment Technique (IFAT) is a cross between a lottery scratch ticket and a scantron form which was designed to replace scantrons (EpsteinEducation.com). Using the IFAT in an unconventional way (reviewing class material), we expected to find…

An experiment was conducted in which the face-name mnemonic was applied to the task of associating 14 artists' names with two styles of their artwork, portraits and thematic paintings. Following study of the 28 items, mnemonic students outperformed "own best method" control students on both immediate and delayed matching tests. Further,…

Events consist of diverse elements, each processed in specialized neocortical networks, with temporal lobe memory systems binding these elements to form coherent event memories. We provide a novel theoretical analysis of an unexplored consequence of the independence of memory systems for elements and their bindings, 1 that raises the paradoxical…

This article presents an innovative technique for teaching the principles of experimental design in a way that is entertaining and engaging for students. Following a lecture on experimental design, students participate in an experiment in which the teacher uses a funny segment from a movie to test the influence of implicit social norms. Randomly…

A key assumption of dual process theory is that reasoning is an explicit, effortful, deliberative process. The present study offers evidence for an implicit, possibly intuitive component of reasoning. Participants were shown sentences embedded in logically valid or invalid arguments. Participants were not asked to reason but instead rated the…

The American Psychological Association Board of Educational Affairs Working Group (APA) recommends providing some research experience to undergraduate students in the introductory psychology course. This nationwide survey of introductory psychology instructors explored the frequency of integrated research opportunities in introductory courses,…