Introductory Psychology Course Research Articles

Earlier Start Time for an Undergraduate Introductory Psychology Course is Associated with Worse Academic and Sleep-Related Outcomes

Background Few studies have examined the effects of later class start times in college, even though developmentally driven sleep phase changes persist into the mid-20s. Objective We hypothesized that sleepiness would be higher in an 8 a.m. versus 10 a.m. section of Introductory Psychology, and grades, engagement, enjoyment, attendance, assignment completion, ease of waking and staying awake, and student evaluations of teaching (SETs) would be lower. Method Eighty-two students enrolled in an 8 a.m. ( n = 39) or 10 a.m. ( n = 43) section of Introductory Psychology reported their GPA and completed the Stanford Sleepiness Scale, Likert-scale items from the College’s SET form, and other questions. Results Students in the 8 a.m. section reported lower GPA, class grade, and assignments completed; more sleepiness; and a harder time waking up and staying awake for class. Several findings held when controlling for GPA. Conclusion Results extend previous research and suggest the importance of offering later classes in college. Limitations include a small sample size, quasi-experimental design, and use of self-report data. Future researchers should test whether findings replicate with other kinds of classes and in other subjects. Teaching Implications To maximize student success and well-being, later courses should be offered at the college level whenever feasible.

The effect of offender race/ethnicity on public opinion of appropriate criminal sentences

AbstractPurposeThere has been a long history of sentencing disparities in the United States criminal justice system, in particular amongst defendants of different races or ethnicities. The most commonly noted disparity is that Black defendants are typically sentenced more harshly than White defendants. This study analysed the relationship between an offender's racial/ethnic status and the layperson's opinion of an appropriate sentence by investigating an array of racial/ethnic categories amongst a variety of crimes.MethodUndergraduate students (Experiment 1, N = 594; Experiment 3, N = 263) recruited from introductory psychology courses and a community sample (Experiment 2, N = 124) recruited via Amazon MTurk were presented with crime vignettes and photos of offenders and asked to assign a punishment that they deem appropriate (operationalized as number of months of imprisonment). Participants were also randomly assigned to either receive the 2018 Federal Guidelines’ recommended sentence for each crime or not.ResultsTwo findings were the most striking: 1) White offenders were sentenced significantly more harshly than any other race/ethnicity for assault crimes and 2) significant differences in sentencing due to offender race/ethnicity were only apparent when participants were exposed to all five race/ethnicity categories (Experiments 1 and 2) rather than just one race/ethnicity (Experiment 3).ConclusionsThe results of the present study may be time‐sensitive and reflective of the current sociopolitical climate following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Future research may benefit from replicating this study longitudinally to assess the longevity of these results.

Festival of Audiovisual Micro-Stories in Psychology (Microfest): An Innovative Teaching Project for Students of Audiovisual Communication and Journalism

Introductory psychology courses can be demotivating for students of social sciences degrees such as Audiovisual Communication and Journalism. Although the importance of this subject is more than justified, it is essential to design and apply innovative strategies that stimulate the teaching–learning process among first-year students, so that, through activities other than traditional lectures, their interest in behavioural sciences is aroused and they understand the importance of this subject for the future development of their professional careers. The aim of this paper is to present MICROFEST, a PIEU-UMH teaching innovation project, which has been applied as part of the continuous evaluation of students of the Fundamentals of Psychology course, taught in the first year of the Audiovisual Communication, Journalism and Joint Honours degree programmes at the Miguel Hernández University, during the 2020/21 academic year (n = 167). Through a format similar to that of a short film festival, an activity was proposed that involves the development of a series of sequential tasks aimed at creating, in pairs, a fictional audiovisual micro-story that addresses content or a theme directly related to psychology. The results obtained after the implementation of the project during the four months of the course show that the students of the three degree programmes presented a high level of performance in this part of the course, have favourable attitudes towards it and valued the initiative very positively. The indicators of satisfaction with the project were found to be good predictors of motivation towards the subject as a whole. Thus, continuance of the design and application of teaching innovation strategies that favour the teaching–learning process is recommended, and students’ satisfaction and attitudes toward it.

The introductory psychology course in the 21st century: The challenge of finding common ground.

The introductory psychology course in the 21st century: The challenge of finding common ground.

An introduction to the special issues on teaching the introductory psychology course.

An introduction to the special issues on teaching the introductory psychology course.

The Strategy Project: An Exploration of Enhancing Self-Regulated Learning in an Introductory Psychology Course

College success requires development of self-regulated learning skills. This study describes a self-regulated learning strategy intervention in a large general education Introductory Psychology course, focusing on the second exam. Students' reflection responses across five time periods were compared with exam performance. Increased self-regulated learning strategies usage correlated with decreased passive learning strategies usage, increased hours of study, and increased academic performance. Strategy project interventions can be effective for introductory courses. However, because students may revert to passive strategies that worked in the past, strategy instruction should be extended throughout a course.

Adverse childhood experiences and adult psychopathological symptoms: The moderating role of dispositional mindfulness

BackgroundAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a common occurrence that increase risk for psychopathological symptoms in adulthood. Dispositional mindfulness is modifiable and inversely related to childhood adversity, adult psychopathology, and mechanisms that account for this relationship. ObjectiveThis study examined mindfulness as a moderator of relationships between ACEs and adult psychopathological symptoms. MethodParticipants were undergraduate students (N = 560, Mage = 18.5 years, 69% female, 71% White) at a large southwestern public university. Students were recruited from Introductory Psychology courses to complete an online survey and received research credit for participating. The survey assessed ACEs, mindfulness, and symptoms of depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, posttraumatic stress, and eating pathology. ResultsModerator analyses revealed that mindfulness moderated the ACEs-generalized anxiety relationship, F (6, 552) = 48.55, p < .001, R2 = 0.33; interaction (t = 2.62, p = .01). As mindfulness increased, the ACEs-generalized anxiety relationship weakened. ConclusionsMindfulness may be a useful target for generalized anxiety treatment or prevention for individuals who have experienced ACEs.

Research experience in recitation sections within introductory psychology courses: The effectiveness of a semester-long laboratory component.

Research experience in recitation sections within introductory psychology courses: The effectiveness of a semester-long laboratory component.

Is it worth it? The costs and benefits of bringing a laptop to a university class.

Students often bring laptops to university classes, however, they do not limit their laptop use to class-related activity. Off-task laptop use occurs frequently in university classrooms and this use negatively impacts learning. The present study addresses whether potential benefits of class-related laptop use might mitigate the costs of off-task laptop activity. We used tracking software to monitor both class-related and off-task laptop use by undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory psychology course, and we observed how types of laptop use related to course performance. We found a positive correlation between class-related use and exam scores that was driven by viewing lecture slides during class. We also found a negative correlation between off-task laptop use and exam scores, but class-related activities did not predict an increase in off-task use. Thus, for students who constrain their laptop use to class-related activity, the benefits outweigh the costs. While a laptop may be beneficial for some, it is unclear which students are able to constrain themselves to class-related activities and whether the benefits of class-related laptop use obtained by slide viewing could be achieved by other means. Thus, students and educators should carefully consider the costs and benefits of laptop use in the classroom.

The impact of student-athlete social identity on psychosocial adjustment during a challenging educational transition

Student-athletes in their first-year transition to university experience many psychological and social stressors as they balance multiple commitments. Our study examined whether a student-athlete social identity affected psychosocial adjustment as students transition to postsecondary, and whether it acted by reducing stress to foster academic adjustment. Student-athletes enrolled in an introductory psychology course at a Canadian university (n = 331) were recruited. We assessed whether a relationship existed between student-athlete social identity and key academic indicators of psychosocial adjustment (perceived control, perceived stress, learning-related anxiety); and whether ratings of perceived stress mediated the relationship between student-athlete social identity and psychosocial adjustment measures five-months later. Our findings revealed that student-athlete social identity (a) predicted psychosocial adjustment later in the course; and (b) indirectly enhanced academic control and lowered negative emotions via reductions in perceived stress. This study offers insights on how social identities may promote positive adjustment during the critical transition to university.

Affordances of Audience Response Systems: Effects of Instant and Regular Feedback

Audience Response Systems (ARS), also known as clickers, are wireless devices commonly used in instruction. The present study explored the effects of ARS on students’ performance in an introductory psychology course. The study also described the trajectories of students during the course. Participants in the experimental group used ARS to solve ten true/false questions throughout a three-hour lecture, held once a week. They received feedback immediately after providing an answer. The control group was exposed to the same questions in a paper-and-pencil format at the beginning of each lecture. They received feedback after seven days. The key dependent variable was quantitative performance on course quizzes and exams. Results show that students in the experimental group had statistically significant superior performance compared to the control group. Additionally, analysis of learning trajectories of students in both groups showed that the ARS group gradually progressed to higher performance, whereas the paper-and-pencil group maintained similar performance through the study. These results are discussed within the context of previous findings related to the effects of ARS on instruction. Particularly, we revisit research related to environmental affordances, learning monitoring, motivational factors, feedback density, and ecological validity.

A motivation perspective on achievement appraisals, emotions, and performance in an online learning environment

Control-value theory (CVT) posits that cognitive appraisals and emotions govern motivation and learning in achievement settings. Within this framework, we used latent profile analysis to identify multifaceted motivation profiles involving academic control and value appraisals and achievement emotions (boredom, anxiety, enjoyment). Three motivation profiles were identified that comprised co-occurring appraisals and emotions at the start of a two-semester online university course: high control-enjoyment, low control-boredom, low value-boredom. These motivation profiles related to achievement perceptions and performance on six tests over the two-semester introductory psychology course. High control-enjoyment students reported greater success and expected better grades than low control-boredom and low value-boredom students, and outperformed low control-boredom students on all tests. These findings document the nature of adaptive (vs. maladaptive) CVT-related motivation profiles that predict academic attainment in an online course.

Mere Presence of a Cell Phone: Effects on Academic Ability

Prior research has suggested that cell phone use in the classroom and during learning-related tasks is detrimental to academic performance. Recently, the mere presence of a cell phone has been found to negatively affect relationships and to impair performance on learning and cognitive tasks. This study explored whether the presence (visibility without use) of a cell phone negatively impacts one’s performance on tests measuring preexisting academic ability. The study evaluated 45 participants; some were enrolled in an introductory psychology course, and others were members of the public. Three subtests from the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT-4) were completed: spelling, sentence comprehension, and mathematics. During testing, half of the participants had cell phones, and the other half did not. Statistical analyses revealed no significant difference between the cell phone-present and cell phone-absent group on the sentence comprehension (p=.52), spelling (p=.07), and mathematics subtest (p=.11). Unexpectedly, a non-significant trend was observed in the opposite direction; that is, the cell phone-present group outperformed the cell phone-absent group on all subtests. Therefore, the original hypothesis suggesting that the cell phone-present group would be significantly poorer at demonstrating preexisting skills on tests of academic ability in comparison to the cell phone-present group was not supported.

Intended and Actual Changes in Study Behaviors in an Introductory and Upper-Level Psychology Course

We examined self-directed studying of students in an introductory (Study 1) and upper-level (Study 2) psychology course. Students reported their study behaviors for Exam 1 and 2, and wrote Exam 2 study plans. In both studies, students planned to and ultimately did use more active strategies for Exam 2 than Exam 1. However, they struggled to follow through on plans to space studying over time. In Study 1, we also found that greater use of active strategies (e.g., retrieval practice) was associated with higher exam scores when controlling for factors such as study time. Our findings highlight that students across course levels are interested in changing their study behaviors and we note implications for instructors.

An attribution-based motivation treatment to assist first-generation college students reframe academic setbacks

First-generation college students face unique obstacles that can erode their psychological well-being, academic motivation, and educational development during school-to-college transitions. Although research shows attribution-based interventions foster academic attainment among at-risk students (Hamm et al., 2020; Perry & Hamm, 2017), little is known about treatment efficacy for students with socioeconomic risk factors such as first-generation status (Gutiérrez, 2008). In a randomized treatment study, we administered attributional retraining (AR) to first- and continuing-generation college students who differed in academic control beliefs (low, high) in an online two-semester introductory psychology course. For low-control first-generation students, AR recipients outperformed their no-AR peers by a letter-grade (B vs. C+) and were 55% less likely to drop the course. AR-grade efficacy was mediated by causal attributions and control beliefs in a path sequence specified by Weiner’s (1979, 1985, 2018) attribution theory. AR decreased attributions to uncontrollable causes, which negatively predicted final course grade and increased academic control beliefs, and these positively predicted final course grade. These findings advance motivation intervention research by demonstrating that an AR treatment can have salutary benefits for first-generation students mediated by theory-derived cognitive processes.

Why Age Matters: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Intergenerational Contact With Older Adults With Dementia

This integrated mixed methods analysis examined outcomes for students enrolled in an experiential course (BATL), a didactic psychology of aging course, and introductory psychology courses. Students in the experiential course showed increased empathy, F(2, 345) = 29.058, p = .000 (M = 47.52, SD = .75), improved attitudes towards persons with dementia (PWDs), F(2,355) = 8.98, p < .0001 (M = 14.25, SD = .36), and greater increased interest in working with older adults, F(2,361) = 30.228, p=.000 compared to the other courses. A qualitative phase II follow-up explanations model (Creswell et. al., 2003) of participants’ journals using a hermeneutic coding process was employed to explore underlying mechanisms for such changes. These identified underlying mechanisms have significant implications for increasing interest and ability among students to work effectively with older adults with and without cognitive impairment. Further, this information yields insights for addressing workforce shortages in geriatric care.

Bridging the Past and the Future: Why Age Matters in Behavioral Health Training

This symposium presents data from three applied clinical research projects that involve intergenerational interaction as one component of effective treatment. The first paper describes learner outcomes in an intergenerational art therapy and reminiscence program provided in an adult day service facility. Results show that, in comparison with students in a didactic psychology of aging course or an introductory psychology course, learners in the experiential learning course demonstrated increased empathy, as well as better attitudes toward and increased interest in working with persons with dementia (PWD). The second paper focuses on observed outcomes for older PWD participants in this art therapy and reminiscence program, showing that intergenerational communication engagements exceed engagements with art. Mixed method data across time indicated that PWD benefitted from the treatment, facilitated by undergraduate student learners. The third paper focuses on cultural humility and the importance of racial diversity in providers conducting behavioral health screening in an integrated geriatric primary care clinic. Training issues and behavioral health outcomes regarding assessment of cognitive status, cultural mistrust, and test validity are considered. The fourth and final paper considers how intergenerational dynamics facilitated group cohesion and allowed for increased normalization of common challenges in mindfulness practice. Training issues for graduate student therapists are described. Consideration of level of behavioral health integration in each site, treatment efficacy, and the impact of intergenerational relationships are the foci of discussion. This symposium will show why age matters in behavioral health training.

Variation in which key motivational and academic resources relate to academic performance disparities across introductory college courses

BackgroundDifferences in post-secondary academic outcomes along dimensions of gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status are a major concern. Few studies have considered differences in patterns of academic outcomes and underlying mechanisms driving disparities across different STEM disciplines. Using data from about 4000 undergraduates in introductory STEM courses at a large, urban university in the eastern United States, this study examines how differences in course grades by gender, race/ethnicity, and parent education vary in introductory chemistry, physics, and psychology courses. In addition, structural equation modeling techniques examine whether academic resources and discipline-specific motivational attitudes are important mediators of demographic differences in course grades.ResultsThis study finds that women have higher course grades than men on average in psychology, and men have marginally higher grades than women in physics. In addition, students whose race/ethnicity is represented or overrepresented in these courses (students who are White and or Asian) have higher course grades in chemistry and physics and marginally higher grades in psychology on average compared with underrepresented students (who are Black, Latinx, Native American, Pacific Islander, and or other racial/ethnic backgrounds). Further, first-generation college students have lower course grades in physics and psychology on average than students with a college-educated parent. The largest average differences in course performance are about half a full letter grade (e.g., the difference between a B and an A−). This study also finds that some demographic differences in physics and chemistry performance are linked to math resources whereas some disparities in psychology are more related to verbal resources. In addition, the results suggest discipline-specific self-efficacy is a motivational attitude associated with course performance in chemistry, physics, and psychology, while discipline-specific interest is only relevant in chemistry.ConclusionsOverall, the findings emphasize that there are demographic differences in post-secondary course performance on average, and academic resources and motivational attitudes help explain these differences. Importantly, the specific findings differ across chemistry, physics, and psychology. Understanding these pathways and how they are similar and different across disciplines within STEM is crucial for developing interventions aimed at attenuating disparities in post-secondary academic outcomes.

First-Generation College Students’ Academic Challenges Understood Through the Lens of Expectancy Value Theory in an Introductory Psychology Course

Background: First-generation (FG) college students have been a popular subpopulation to study within educational literature as these students experience many unique challenges in their academic careers causing them to drop out within their first year. This gives courses with high first-time freshman numbers such as introductory psychology courses a unique opportunity to reach many of these students. Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine new perspectives of FG students that may further explain hindrances to retention and achievement. Method: One hundred and ninety-three undergraduate students in an introductory psychology course completed surveys on task values in reference to psychology content at three different time points across the semester. Students’ exam scores were also reported as a measurement of academic achievement. Results: Analyses showed that FG college students reported higher levels of cost value and growth in cost value across the semester compared to non-FG college students. Conclusion: FG college students experience academic challenges that may be related to their valuing of their educative experience in psychology courses. Teaching Implications: Educators should actively attempt to alleviate academic obstacles facing FG college students by increasing access to the professor, ease of access to help, and assignment clarity.

A Comparison of Multimedia and Traditional Paper Assignments in an Introductory Psychology Course

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 papers or multimedia projects to address the same assignment prompt, a process that was repeated seven times throughout four courses and was either instructor-determined or student-selected. Students were surveyed about the assignment formats, and assignment grades were analyzed. Results: Overall, students found the multimedia assignments more engaging, more enjoyable, more interesting, and more difficult than paper assignments. When assignments were instructor-determined, students reported higher perceived learning for the multimedia assignments. Assignment grades were not significantly different between assignment formats. Conclusion and teaching implications: These results suggest that moving traditional paper assignments into a multimedia format is a no-cost way to improve the student experience.