The purpose of this class exercise is to increase undergraduate psychology students' awareness of common persuasion techniques used in advertising, including the appeal to or creation of needs, social and prestige suggestion, and the use of emotionally loaded words and images. Television commercials and magazine advertisements are used as…

Two experiments designed to assess brain hemispheric specialization of function are described. The first experiment involves tactile letter and number identification; the second one, verbal interference with a manual task. The experiments provide an excellent introduction to research methodology for undergraduate students. (Author/RM)

Two procedures--a consensual procedure and an independent procedure--for measuring personality, and a demonstration designed to help students understand which is more accurate and why, are described. Independent ratings are found to be more valid than group consensus. (RM)

Describes a board game used to facilitate the learning of theoretical principles associated with the psychoanalytic perspective on personality. Covers rules governing play and special advantages of this learning experience. Game board is reproduced. (Author/LS)

Pedagogical research on Web-based learning and instruction has not kept pace with the proliferation of Web-based courses offered by colleges and universities. Consequently, we encourage the application of the "Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education" (American Association of Higher Education, 1987) to guide the design and…

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)

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…

A technique used in an undergraduate psychology class to reduce student incentives to fake data as they undertook a research project concerning marriage relationships is described. An evaluation of the technique suggested that it works. (RM)

Discusses a classroom role-playing exercise in which students and teacher re-enact interviewing techniques that cause subjects to assume characteristics of the multiple personality. Demonstrates the social psychological aspects of multiple personality disorder. Considers the pedagogical and ethical implications of creating the multiple personality…

Compares a content analysis of 60 college introductory psychology textbooks published or revised between 1969 and 1975 with another analysis of 52 texts published or revised between 1980 and 1989. Finds recent texts more voluminous and more comprehensive, yet more readable than their predecessors. (CFR)

Reports on a study of 110 students in advanced undergraduate psychology courses to assess their retrospective impressions about their introductory psychology course, current course selections and performance, and future academic plans. Finds that students who had participated in a science fair gave significantly higher ratings. (CFR)

The blend of applied behavior analysis and on-site business experience, provided in the undergraduate seminar described here, is an excellent way for increasing the expertise and employment potential of undergraduate psychology majors as well as for involving the university with its surrounding community. (RM)

Describes a program in which undergraduate psychology students submitted questions about homosexuality prior to a panel discussion by a gay rights organization. Suggests that such a program helps students understand that discrimination and abuse are not justifiable responses to homosexuals. Includes questions about family relationships,…

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)

A method for evaluating undergraduate field experiences in psychology that takes into account attainment of individual goals and quality of supervision is evaluated. Results showed that the most satisfactory field placements are those in which there is a well-organized, explicitly structured training program. (RM)