The pedagogical value of capstones has been regularly discussed within psychology. This study presents results from an examination of a national random sample of department webpages and an online survey that characterized the typical capstone course in terms of classroom activities and course administration. The department webpages provide an…

Although syllabi provide students with important course information, they can also affect perceptions of teaching effectiveness. To test this idea, we distributed 2 versions of a hypothetical course syllabus, a brief version and a detailed version, and asked students to rate the teacher of the course on qualities associated with master teaching.…

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…

Research methods and statistics courses constitute a core undergraduate psychology requirement. We analyzed course syllabi and faculty self-reported coverage of both research methods and statistics course learning objectives to assess the concordance with APA's learning objectives (American Psychological Association, 2007). We obtained a sample of…

College students participated in a study on the "psychology of note taking" during which they took notes on video content and later completed a multiple-choice test on the material. Researchers assigned 71 participants to either the ringing condition (the video was disrupted by a ringing cell phone) or the control condition (no cell phone rings…

Lurking on the Internet aims to put a human face on psychopathology for the abnormal psychology course. Student groups are assigned major diagnostic categories and instructed to search the Internet for discussion forums, individual blogs, or YouTube videos where affected individuals discuss their symptoms and lives. After discussing the ethics of…

This article describes the design and implementation of a 1-credit-hour seminar in comparative psychology as a supplement to an introductory biopsychology course. The purpose of the course was to introduce students to the ecological and evolutionary aspects of animal behavior by building on topics that are introduced in many biopsychology courses.…

Early study of the curriculum focused on the ideal array of experiences that should comprise the psychology major. We developed a standardized coding scheme to identify common curricula and course titles across institutions and current implementation of the curriculum. We compared psychology major programs in 2005 to programs described a decade…

Genius-level achievement is a natural draw for undergraduate students, both as a cultural phenomenon and as a topic domain within the science of psychology. Yet within the teaching of psychology literature, the psychology of genius has been largely ignored. I designed a course that combines primary source material drawn from existing empirical…

Increasingly, psychologists practicing as clinicians, researchers, and educators are concerned about nutrition, obesity, dieting, and body image. This article describes the development and teaching of an interdisciplinary undergraduate class on the Psychology of Food and Culture. I describe the course philosophy and curriculum as well as make…

In this team teaching effort, the psychology teachers planned the course together, prepared the exams together, and most important, when one instructor was lecturing, the other attended the class acting as an observer-participant. (RM)

This article provides a description of an undergraduate research course with an experimental orientation toward learning research methods. Included are descriptions of both class and individual projects and the skills developed in critical reading, ethical issues, and research design. (JDH)

A graduate course in mental health administration that combines classroom, field visit, and practicum components is described. The course provides students with an overview of the major responsibilities, concerns, and issues in the management of mental health facilities. Course evaluation data indicate that the course has been meeting its goal of…

A college course devoted to radical behaviorism and cognitivism as competing viewpoints is outlined. The course was team taught by a psychologist and a philosopher. Benefits and potential problems are discussed. (Author/RM)

This article describes how "Psychology Today" articles were used to increase the relevance of an introductory psychology course. The articles were selected to match the interests of various academic majors and career areas. Includes a sample list of articles and information on where to obtain the complete bibliography. (DH)