Abstract
Students of comparative cognition must learn to read and evaluate scholarly writings such as journal articles and textbooks, and to think critically about information they hear from talks and lectures from experts in the field. They also must develop a healthy skepticism for popular-media portrayals of the mental and behavioral competencies of animals, whether those appear in serious formats such as documentaries and non-refereed popular science magazines or blogs, or even in media portrayals of animals that are intended purely for entertainment. Across a ten-year period, students in either a senior psychology course or a freshman honors seminar completed multiple assignments each semester called “Animal Minds in the Media” requiring identification and evaluation of popular media portrayals of the cognitive capabilities of animals, viewed through the lens of the comparative-psychology literature. The assignment was designed to motivate students to cultivate scientific skepticism and develop a “comparative psychologist’s way of seeing the world” by identifying implications or assumptions of popular-media treatment of animals and by bringing scientific literature to bear on the question of whether animals can actually think in the way implied by the commercial, comic, film, meme, or other media example.
Highlights
12 sections of the “Animal Minds” course have been taught—6 at the senior psychology-major level, and 6 as a freshman seminar for honors students across majors
100 students (50 freshmen, 50 seniors) were selected at random to have both of their Minds in the Media” (MiM) papers included in this sample. (Students consented at the end of each course for their de-identified MiM papers to be used for purposes of quality control, scholarship of teaching and learning, and instruction.) Figure 1 displays the mean number of points awarded as a function of assignment number (1 = early in the semester, 2 = late in the semester) and course level
One goal for undergraduate training in psychology is to equip and motivate students to see the world as a psychologist does, that is, to show curiosity, skepticism, and critical thinking, while bringing scientific evidence to bear on opinions and beliefs
Summary
Title Animal Minds in the Media: Learning outcomes for a critical-analysis assignment for students of comparative psychology Animal Minds in the Media: Learning Outcomes for a Critical-Analysis Assignment for Students of Comparative Cognition
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