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…

Undergraduate psychology education has also faced the fact that two-thirds of its graduates immediately apply for jobs in the private or public sector rather than pursuing master's studies (Norcross et al.,2016). In this context, faculty members of psychology departments deliberated at an American Psychological Association (APA) conference in2008…

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…

Introduction: We propose a visionary working model to normalize the pursuit of social justice praxis in educational psychology courses. Using our undergraduate course as an example, we discuss our roles as instructors, curriculum, and pedagogical strategies for forward progress. Statement of the Problem: Despite stated commitments to diversity,…

Background: A philosophical shift in statistics regarding emphasis on "New Statistics" (NS; Cumming, G. (2014). The new statistics: Why and how. Psychological Science, 25(1), 7-29.) over conventional null hypothesis significance testing (NHST) raises the question of appropriate material coverage in undergraduate statistics courses.…

Introduction: Psychology instructors face decisions about adopting new approaches to lectures, readings, and assessment in their courses. Statement of the Problem: These choices about course structure can be both intimidating and confusing in terms of the costs and benefits for different options. Literature Review: As framed by anecdotal and…

Background: Research suggests growth mindset interventions can support student achievement, particularly among students at risk of academic struggle, but it remains underspecified which at-risk populations will benefit from such interventions. Objectives: This study aimed to experimentally evaluate whether highly (vs. moderately or minimally)…

Background: Introductory Psychology students rarely learn about unethical biomedical research outside the Tuskegee syphilis study, but these practices were widespread in U.S. public health research (e.g., at the Willowbrook State School researchers infected children with disabilities with hepatitis). Objectives: Replicate and extend Grose-Fifer's…

Background: Reading comprehension and writing ability are critical to students' success in introductory psychology. However, these generally are not prerequisites. There is conflicting evidence with regard to the effectiveness of remedial reading and writing classes for students with low placement exam scores. Objectives: To explore whether…

Introduction: Research suggests benefits for incorporating popular press books into courses to encourage critical thinking and student-instructor interactions about concepts. Objective: This article offers a summary and critique of "7 ½ Lessons about the Brain" by Lisa Feldman-Barrett along with pedagogical strategies for integrating the…

Background: Psychology courses provide a good opportunity for instructors to teach students effective learning strategies integrated with content. Objective: This replication and extension study explored changes in students' self-reported use of learning strategies before and after a term paper assignment and examined the relationships between…

Background: Findings from the testing effect literature suggest several ways to achieve testing effects in an authentic classroom, but few consider instructor workload, equity, and resources that determine feasibility and sustainability of testing effect methods in practice. Objective: To determine elements and procedures from the testing effect…

Background: Multimedia creation and curation for assignments have the potential to engage students in deeper learning. Objective: This study explored whether the same homework assignments delivered in paper versus multimedia format resulted in different student experiences. Method: Introductory psychology students submitted either traditional…

Background: Research shows distributed practice enhances learning and skill development, but less is known about the effect on perceptions and attitudes toward the material being learned. Objective: This study examined whether distributed practice could improve performance and attitudes in statistics, a subject that students report finding…