Incorporating research experience into the introductory psychology course is a major recommendation from the report of the APA Task Force on (PDF, 220KB) (APA, 2014). Exposure to hands-on research, whether by participating in a virtual lab, designing simple experiments, or otherwise collecting and analyzing data, provides multiple benefits to students. Understanding the scientific method through direct application is an important aspect of scientific literacy, and contributes to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)-related competencies. One way to provide this experience is through the development of an actual physical lab, common in four-year colleges, but an exception at community colleges. Naugatuck Valley Community College in Connecticut and John Tyler Community College in Virginia are two examples of community colleges that have developed laboratories and incorporated the lab experience into introductory psychology classes. Survey results show high student satisfaction with the experience.

• Introductory Psychology Pdf

Based on the experience at these and other schools, we offer the following guidelines for developing a psychology laboratory. Build favor and consensus for establishing a psychology lab Successful promotion of a psychology lab will require internal allies and a stellar proposal.

You can make an argument that the lab experience will greatly benefit students, resulting in increased engagement, better outcomes, higher satisfaction, greater retention and higher completion rates (there is data to support this). Begin a conversation with as many of your teaching faculty colleagues as possible before approaching your dean or any other administrator with your idea. Expect opposition, as many faculty do not view psychology as a science. Colleagues in the other science areas, particularly colleagues who teach anatomy and physiology (A & P) or physics, both disciplines that run dry labs similar to psychology labs, could prove helpful.

Provide documentation showing the inclusion of psychology as a STEM science. Present psychology as a course that increases students’ scientific literacy (i.e. Uses the scientific method and falsifiable hypotheses). Show that psychology, especially when offered with a lab, can introduce students to STEM concepts, statistics, computer analytics, and data collection, to name a few areas of mastery. In fact, psychology could serve as a foundational course, easing the way into and encouraging enrollment in other science courses. Prepare a budget Offering a lab course will require extra funds, but the new lab course will be relatively inexpensive and could also produce additional enrollment in psychology courses. Keep in mind, however, that the additional lab course will impact space, faculty load, the class schedule, the department budget and equipment purchases.

Have your needs, wants and wish list appropriately broken down. Discuss the details with a friendly colleague who teaches physics, chemistry or biology for assistance with your budget proposal. External funding is a wonderful possibility for securing the support needed to create a first rate psychology lab (for example, the NSF Funding Opportunities to Community Colleges and the National Institutes of Health Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research Funding Opportunities). Only seek external funding, however, if your administration supports your idea for the lab. Secure space A large room that will comfortably hold 24-36 students is ideal for adequate lab space. Four to six students positioned at each table is a good management plan.

Take a look at how the physics lab room is set up at your college. Obtain counter height tables with flat smooth surfaces, capable of accepting hardware such as clips, clamps and vices, or electronics, including computers. Ideally electronic sockets are available at the table for plugging in electronic devices. A sink in the corner of the room, not at the tables, would be good for cleaning any dishes, containers, or equipment that are soiled during use.

Cases and drawers for storage, with countertops open for use are also ideal. A separate, but attached, prep room will be helpful, especially if storage space is limited in the laboratory.

Obtain equipment The lab experiments that you plan for your students will dictate what type of equipment and other items you will need. A refrigerator for storing perishable items to be used in labs, plastic bins for small non-perishables and other smaller items that need to stay organized and together, and a drying rack beside the lab sink are typical equipment items likely needed. Thermometers, blood pressure cuffs, rulers, measuring sticks, clamps, cameras, computers — all of these items could be found on your equipment list.

Amazon sells Ishihara plates and there are plenty of other companies, such as Colonial Scientific and Flinn, selling lab equipment. Teach lab procedures Model your lab manner and approach after your physics and A&P teaching faculty colleagues.

As with both A&P and physics, correct lab procedure is necessary even with dry labs. Present students with lab safety guidelines, such as no eating or drinking in the lab, use of designated materials in the manner prescribed and application of safety procedures. Useful lab procedure and safety guidelines can be found on the Internet. Determine what is worthy of a lab experience and provide it Students will not be pleased if you bring them into the laboratory to sit in front of a computer.

Many websites have online psychology experiences that dazzle. Study some of those and bring them into your face-to-face lab. Examples of relevant sites are included at the end of this article. Collect data Assess the lab experience. Turn this endeavor into an empirical question regarding how to learn and how best to learn certain psychological concepts. Interestingly, there is not much in the literature at this time that definitively points to the superiority of learning a science via lab experiences versus only lecture — for any science.

However, the literature does show that any activity that builds on prior learning, or activity that reinforces prior learning enhances mastery. Deeper cognitive processing affords better retention of information. Have fun Be confident that you can and should create a psychology lab for your students. As Edward Titchener said in 1898, “There is probably no psychologist of note at the present day who does not confess to the influence exerted on his systematic thinking by the results of the experimental method, while there are not a few biologists, moralists and metaphysicians who acknowledge a similar indebtedness to laboratory psychology.” Sample sites providing potential laboratory activities. Lab manuals. (PDF, 118KB).

McBride, D.M. & Cutting, J.C. Lab Manual for Psychological Research.

Los Angeles, CA: Sage References American Psychological Association. Strengthening the Common Core of the Introductory Psychology Class.

Retrieved from Titchener, E. A psychological laboratory. Mind, 7, 311-331. About the authors Avis Donna Alexander, PhD, professor of psychology and vice president of Instruction and Student Development at Rappahannock College, graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BA in English, and an MS and PhD in psychology.

Starting with adjunct faculty appointments and then moving to full-time faculty status, Donna has taught at both community colleges, as well as colleges and universities. During her years as a graduate student, Donna worked part-time for Virginia Commonwealth University as an academic and career counselor, ESL instructor, adult education tutor, and researcher. Alexander is married with four children. The youngest is twelve and the three older children are now young adults.

Larry Venuk, MS, earned his MS in experimental psychology with a concentration in behavior analysis under the direction of Albert Neal, PhD, at Central Michigan University in 1998. He has been a board certified behavior analyst since 2003. Larry has enjoyed assisting and teaching individuals and students in a variety of settings for the past 20 years. He has taught at Naugatuck Valley Community College (NVCC) since 1999. He also maintains a live operant conditioning laboratory. In addition to teaching at NVCC, Larry has consulted or supervised on over two hundred individual cases in numerous school systems, family homes and group homes since 1999.

Larry served on the APA’s Committee of Psychology Teachers at Community Colleges (PT@CC) from 2008-11, and on the Connecticut Association for Behavior Analysis Executive Committee twice since 2008. Larry regularly attends regional and national conferences and has presented as a behavior analyst and as a post-secondary educator. Larry lives in Connecticut with his wife Jamie, and their two daughters, Chloe and Ava. He enjoys gardening, playing basketball, kayaking, playing bass guitar and drums, and life with his family and friends. Share this page:.

Introductory Psychology Pdf

Books.google.co.th - Co-written by an author who garners more accolades and rave reviews from instructors and students with each succeeding edition, INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY: GATEWAYS TO MIND AND BEHAVIOR, TWELFTH EDITION attracts and holds the attention of even difficult-to-reach students. The Twelfth Edition's hallmark. Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and Behavior.