ERIC Number: EJ1113370
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Oct
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0098-6283
EISSN: N/A
Instructors' Use of Trigger Warnings and Behavior Warnings in Abnormal Psychology
Boysen, Guy A.; Wells, Anna Mae; Dawson, Kaylee J.
Teaching of Psychology, v43 n4 p334-339 Oct 2016
College students have been increasingly demanding warnings and accommodations in relation to course topics they believe will elicit strong, negative emotions. These "trigger warnings" are highly relevant to Abnormal Psychology because of the sensitive topics covered in the course (e.g., suicide, trauma, sex). A survey of Abnormal Psychology instructors (N = 131) indicated that the majority of them regularly warned students to avoid course-specific behaviors such as stigmatizing mental illness, diagnosing people they know, and sharing personal information. In contrast, the majority of instructors did not provide regular warnings over the course topics that might trigger students, and most instructors had neutral or negative opinions about trigger warnings. Overall, the results suggest that most Abnormal Psychology instructors do not view trigger warnings as essential to the teaching of sensitive topics.
Descriptors: Psychology, Controversial Issues (Course Content), Affective Behavior, Teaching Styles, Teacher Attitudes, Educational Practices, Prompting, Teaching Methods, Incidence, Teacher Surveys, Student Reaction, Emotional Response, College Faculty, Online Surveys
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
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