Background: Learner-centered syllabi influence students' perceptions of their instructors; however, studies have not investigated the gender identity of the instructor. Objective: We sought to investigate whether the gender of the instructor and the syllabus design affected students' perceptions of the instructor, course, and memory of the…

Background: College students have increasing mental health needs; however, there has not been a related increase in services available. Mental health apps offer an avenue to support access to student mental healthcare. Objective: This study incorporated an indirect service-learning project involving evaluating and recommending mental health apps…

Background: Attentiveness during class is critical for learning. Teachers have strategies to promote active engagement and active learning, yet little control over students' baseline level of alertness and focus upon arriving to class. Objective: To evaluate the effect of pre-lecture cognitive exercise on attention and learning in lectures.…

Background: Academic role (undergraduates, professors) and institutional context (liberal arts colleges, research universities) may affect how ethical psychology professors' behaviors seem. Objective: This study assessed whether academic role and institutional context related to ratings of professorial behaviors' ethicality. Method: A national…

Introduction: Improving students' experiences in courses has always been important; one important method for facilitating discussions is an effective icebreaker activity. Statement of the Problem: The move to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic presented new challenges for fostering connections among students. Given the constraints in…

Background: Research suggests improved retention for difficult concepts when courses incorporate retrieval practice with immediate feedback. Objective: This study assessed the utility of targeted feedback during learning on final exam performance for Introduction to Psychology's difficult concepts. Method: Students in Introduction to Psychology (N…

Introduction: Student motivation is a critical predictor of academic achievement, engagement, and success in higher education. Motivating students is a crucial aspect of effective teaching. Statement of the Problem: Although there is a wealth of research on student motivation, practical guidance for putting theory into practice in challenging…

Background: Research examining STEM fields has identified barriers for traditionally marginalized groups pursuing these fields including a lack of representation and adequate role models. Objective: Grounded with Minority Stress Theory (MST), the current study examines if a lack of inclusivity in typical course materials could create minority…

Background: Transfer students are a growing population of undergraduate psychology majors who are academically at-risk but often underserved by 4-year institutions. Objective: We describe a transfer learning community (TLC) for entering psychology transfer students and report its impact on participants social and academic integration and success.…

Background: College students frequently identify social media sites (SMSs) as in-class distractions, although students continue to use these sites during class. In a technology-driven world, students' fear of missing out (FOMO) may drive SMS behaviors, whereby classes and study time serve as obstacles to fulfilling one's social desires. Objective:…

Introduction: Psycholinguistics presents a challenge to teaching and learning because of the many abstract models in the field. Language-related games provide a vehicle for students to ground and demonstrate their understanding of these models. Statement of the problem: Models in psycholinguistics are challenging to teach and learn because they…

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult to proctor exams after the forced transition to remote teaching and learning. Objective: We evaluated students' experiences creating and answering their own exam items in an upper-level psychology course during the transition to remote teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method:…

Background: Professor-student rapport is associated with various important student success outcomes, highlighting the need for a good measure of this construct. Objective: The current study attempted to replicate the components of the Professor-Student Rapport Scale (PSRS) reported in Wilson and Ryan (2013). Method: 760 undergraduate students…

Background: American Psychological Association Guidelines for Undergraduate Education (2013) encourage workforce preparation among undergraduate students, and the field of psychology has implemented this recommendation in various ways. Objective: The present study investigated what sources undergraduate psychology students use to find information…

Background: Limited research exists on the prevalence of undergraduate research participant pools (URPs) in psychology departments or guidelines surrounding their use. Objective: The aim of the current study was to replicate older studies on the prevalence of URPs in the United States and the procedures and guidelines related to those…