Background: Prior research suggests that the teaching of abstract concepts can be enhanced by the use of concrete examples, but there are few controlled studies. Objective: To replicate key findings from experiment one from Rawson et al. (2015). Method: Experiment participants studied definitions of abstract concepts from psychology, either with…

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: 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:…

Introduction: Activities that illuminate the psychological underpinnings of privilege and oppression are an important part of social justice pedagogy. Statement of Problem: There are numerous issues with current simulations of privilege and oppression that leave social justice educators limited in the choice of activity. Literature Review:…

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,…

Introduction: As an organization with a 75-year history of supporting the teaching of psychology, the Society for the Teaching of Psychology (STP), which also operates as Division 2 of the American Psychological Association, has a significant influence on psychology learning and teaching. Statement of the Problem: In this article, four former STP…

Background: Psychology students can and sometimes do develop skills and career readiness in their courses, but these outcomes are rarely made explicit. Objective: This research jointly examines how two potential factors may improve student skills and career readiness: explicit instruction on skill development in an advanced laboratory course,…

Background: Since its integration into the European Higher Education Area, the Spanish educational system has evolved, introducing innovations into university teaching methodologies. This new approach entails the development of capacities, competencies, and skills that enable students to develop their critical thinking. Objective: This work aims…

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: Individuals in various career fields will interact with people who have experienced trauma while engaging in their work responsibilities, and many have limited, if any, trauma training. Therefore, there is a need to provide trauma training within undergraduate degree programs. Statement of Problem: Online learning is a viable method…

Introduction: Relatedness--a sense of meaningful connectedness and belonging--is one of the basic psychological needs proposed by self-determination theory. Statement of the Problem: The current literature lacks evidence-based strategies that support student relatedness in the college classroom. In education, research has indicated…

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: Persuasion Wars are exercises for teaching social influence that have not been directly assessed with the use of students' knowledge gain as an indicator. Objective: This study aimed to establish the extent to which these exercises led to students' knowledge increase in comparison to traditional teaching method. Method: In a between…

Background: Critical thinking is an important student learning outcome in all psychology courses and included in the American Psychological Association's (APA's) goals for the undergraduate major. Objective: The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of integrating a general model of critical thinking into the instruction,…