Describes an undergraduate Psychology of Social Problems course. The course focuses on the psychological aspects of legal abortion for adolescents and women, the consequences of denied abortions on unwanted children, and psychological ramifications of alternatives to abortion. Summarizes student evaluations of the course. (CFR)

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)

Reports on a study of 88 students in an introductory college psychology course to determine whether a media assignment increased students' ability to apply psychological concepts to real-world events. Finds mixed results but concludes that media assignments may enhance student learning. (CFR)

Describes an undergraduate course in psychology that addresses concepts relating to women's mental health. Explains that the course emphasizes the impact of social variables on mental health issues for women. Includes a list of topics and student activities for the course. Presents student reactions and assessment. (DK)

Uses imaginary tools to create distributions of sample means, the differences among them, the mean difference scores, and the raw score populations. Using this technique helps students grasp the distinctions between them. Generalizes to hypothesis testing aids in answering probability questions, and enhances teaching techniques. (Author/NL)

Examines 539 undergraduate course catalogs to determine the percentage of institutions offering courses in physiological psychology, biological psychology, both, or neither. Finds 64.1 percent of the institutions studied offered physiological psychology, and 11.3 percent offer biological psychology. Finds catalog descriptions reveal confusion over…

Suggests a videotape illustration is highly effective in teaching Kelley's covariation attribution model. Notes the use of videotapes improves the students' understanding of attribution concepts. Claims students are able to make appropriate attributions using Kelley's model and to apply them to real-life situations. (Author/NL)

Examines the need to incorporate ethnic issues into psychology of women courses. Suggests topics for inclusion, such as family relationships among ethnic groups and cultural versus gender identity. Identifies issues for class discussion, including the experiences of a variety of ethnic women and the methodological concerns that differentially…

Discusses the relationship between psychological ethics and the teaching of psychology. Reviews the manner in which ethics is presented in college psychology instruction through textbooks and specific ethics courses. Analyzes ethical psychology instruction principles set forth by the American Psychological Association and how these principles…

Discusses an interdisciplinary course on the psychology and philosophy of William James. Describes course organization and goals. Explains that the course includes sections on James' life and personal characteristics, his psychological and philosophical works, and specific psychological and philosophical topics that he addressed. Assesses…

Presents results of a name recognition questionnaire testing the historical awareness of psychology majors and faculty members. Reports that students showed a low level of name recognition prior to taking a course in the history of psychology. Concludes that explicit instruction is required to impart knowledge of the history of the discipline. (DK)

Presents findings of a national survey regarding high school psychology instruction. Identifies the personality-developmental orientation of most courses. Reveals that most schools have one psychology teacher. Concludes that most of the teachers majored in social studies or history, and less than half are certified separately to teach psychology.…

Argues that instructors in the psychology of women need to incorporate scholarship on ethnicity into their courses. Proposes a structure for incorporation that organizes course discussions around major themes. Suggests films, topics, exercises, and popular books that could be used. Discusses the implications of the incorporation for other…

An advanced undergraduate seminar in adolescent psychopathology is described. Course content, course materials, and special problems to be considered by the instructor are discussed. (RM)

Describes the benefits and drawbacks of teaching a course outside one's area of expertise. Claims this enhances faculty development and alleviates burnout. Finds the positive aspects, personal and institutional, outweigh the negative. Results show favorable student evaluations. (Author/NL)