Teaching Introductory Psychology: Using Repetition, Spacing, and Lag Effects

Abstract

Following a theoretical account of the repetition, spacing, and lag effects, their application to the teaching of certain ideas in an introductory psychology course is described. The structure and sequence of course topics is described, including the timing of the presentation of particular concepts: Hebb's physiological behavioristics, Skinner's radical behaviorism, the operational definition, adaptation/habituation, and bottom-up/top-down processing. The paper concludes with a description of the course grading scheme, which incorporates repeated testing of material and the possibility of improving components of the final grade.