A practical guide to teaching introductory psychology through a decolonial approach: Interrogating knowledge with theoretical perspectives.

Recent scholarship has identified that factual errors have been common in introductory psychology textbooks. These errors tend to be in the direction of making psychological research appear more consistent than it is, as well as promoting viewpoints consistent with politically progressive ideologies. Some famous experiments in psychology have also seen serious questions raised about their validity. Given that these conversations have gone on for about a decade, it is worth considering whether identification of these issues resulted in improved coverage in introductory textbooks. Textbooks were sampled at two time points. Sixteen textbooks were sampled in 2018, and 18 in 2023. Although some improvements are seen from earlier studies, results indicated that errors in textbooks have remained common even after this issue had been clearly identified in the published literature. Misreporting of basic scientific information remains common in introductory textbooks, despite improvements in some areas. Textbook authors should be alert to potential misinformation, particularly related to controversial topics. Introductory psychology teachers may need to be aware that not all information presented in textbooks is true.

Learning assistant-generated versus instructor messages: Supporting struggling students in online introductory psychology.

Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) disparities are often observed in individuals who are questioning or unsure of their sexual identity. Sexual identity uncertainty (SIU) is evident when people acknowledge that their sexual feelings, actions, and identities do not align within or across time. SIU is argued to function as an internal source of stress, which some may attempt to mitigate via alcohol misuse. Objective: The present study hypothesized that the association between participants' SIU scores and AUD symptomology would be moderated by coping motives as well as tension reduction expectancies for drinking, such that the relation would be stronger among drinkers who are motivated to use alcohol to cope with distress and who believe alcohol reduces tension. Results: Participants (n = 451) were recruited from either an introductory psychology or a media and communications course. Results supported young adults who are experiencing SIU and who are typically motivated to drink to alleviate stress are at greater risk of alcohol misuse. Findings suggest tension reduction expectancies also moderate the relation between SIU and AUD symptomology, though results differed between women and men. Conclusion: Results suggest that, among sexually diverse young adults, interventions should be tailored to provide adaptive identity exploration and alternative ways to cope with sources of identity-related stress.

Background What are the most important concepts in psychology? Introductory psychology courses aim to cover the field's main topics, but there is no universally agreed-upon list of key terms for educators. Instructors frequently rely on textbooks, but these texts vary in the key terms they emphasize. Another possible source of key terms is the keywords of published research literature. While textbook authors aim to keep their books current, it remains an open question whether textbook key terms accurately reflect key terms from current published research. Objective This study aims to compare keywords from peer-reviewed publications with those in widely used introductory psychology textbooks. Method We collected keywords from articles in the top 10 psychology journals over 5 years and compared the most frequently used terms to key terms from five widely adopted introductory psychology textbooks. Results Less than 1% of journal keywords appeared in six or more journals, which highlights the diversity of psychological research topics. When we compared the top 10 journals and five textbooks, only 33 key terms, or 3% of key terms, overlapped. Teaching Implications This study offers instructors a list of common keywords in current psychological research to enhance course relevance. Conclusion A significant gap exists between the keywords used in academic research and the key terms in introductory psychology textbooks.

Abstract The acquisition of products and services from the commercial contract cheating industry has an extensive history, with the industry experiencing significant growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, these commercial entities have added generative artificial intelligence (genAI) to their websites to ensure continued use of their services by postsecondary students. Cheating providers use various other persuasive features (e.g., assurance of quality work, use of the words ‘guarantee’ and ‘secure’) to convince students to trust them and become customers. To counter the efforts of commercial cheating services, education about the cheating industry and academic integrity should reduce any trust that students have in them. We developed an academic support literacy module about appropriate (e.g., university assistance, legitimate tutors) and inappropriate (e.g., contract cheating services) academic support. Before and after the module, 39 introductory psychology students rated how much they trusted various websites using a 12-item consumer trust scale. Although a drop in trust after viewing the module was significant for all three types of academic support websites, it was greatest for contract cheating websites. Significant correlations were also found between the non-planning aspects of impulsiveness (as measured by the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale [BIS-11]; Patton et al. J Clin Psychol 51(6):768–774, 1995) and reputation ratings given for the contract cheating websites. Further study of perceptions (using objective and subjective measures) of contract cheating websites and how aspects of impulsiveness on website perceptions is necessary for the continued development of educational interventions to reduce temptations to engage with the industry. Our study findings contribute to the literature on the promotion of academic integrity and prevention of academic misconduct, particularly contract cheating, through education.

“Correlation does not equal causation” is perhaps the most familiar phrase to any student or instructor in an Introductory Psychology class. While short and pithy, we argue that this phrase and its variants can lead to confusion among students, who may incorrectly interpret it to mean that “correlation cannot mean causation.” Unfortunately, this misinterpretation trades one type of reasoning error (incorrectly drawing a causal conclusion from a correlational study) for a separate type of reasoning error (incorrectly concluding there cannot be a causal relationship reflected in a correlational study). Drawing on patterns of student responses on an exam question targeting this issue, we demonstrate that this latter reasoning error is observed in over 30% of Introductory Psychology students. We end by proposing a set of possible sources of this confusion and call on instructors of Introductory Psychology to develop and assess methods to better teach this scientific reasoning skill.

In its traditional form, the introductory psychology course creates special challenges for both students and teachers. Its goals are lofty, its scope so broad that many of its seemingly disjointed topics lie outside the typical instructor's comfort zone and, especially when taught in a single term, allows little more than superficial content coverage. There is also uncertainty about its long-term impact. Introductory students may be learning valuable lessons about psychological science, but low scores on follow-up tests suggest that their new knowledge involves something other than facts, definitions, and vocabulary (e.g., Landrum & Gurung, 2013), and surveys show that the course fails to dislodge common misconceptions about human behavior and mental processes (e.g., Bernstein et al., 2023, 2025). In this article we trace the history of the course, summarize reformulation efforts designed to address its shortcomings, and describe the contours of an introductory course that could lead to more enduring and socially significant outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is becoming increasingly popular at the university level as a means to bolster student success and achievement. Previous research has suggested that UDL, which highlights student choice, has many positive benefits for students. In particular, UDL may increase internal locus of control, the belief in one’s ability to influence outcomes in one’s life. However, the relationship between UDL, internal locus of control, and the perceived availability of choices in the classroom has not been empirically tested. The present study measured locus of control and the perceived number of instructor-provided options across several sections of Introductory Psychology, comparing courses that used a choice-infused UDL approach to traditional (non-UDL) approaches. Our results suggest that while implementation of UDL was associated with both a larger perception of choice and higher internal locus of control, students with high internal locus of control generally perceived more choices, regardless of UDL implementation. Implications for college-level instructors are discussed.

Corrigendum to Gender and Race Representation in Introductory Psychology Textbook Images: A Comparison Between Open Educational Resources and Commercial Textbooks

Abstract Japan is experiencing increased diversity due to the rising number of tourists and foreign residents. However, research on diversity ideologies in Japan is limited, and how cultural harmony is fostered remains unclear. The present study explored whether a cultural psychology course promotes identity‐conscious ideologies (multiculturalism and polyculturalism) and positive attitudes toward cultural diversity in Japan. A preliminary analysis of previous data revealed that polyculturalism aligns well with cultural psychology course content. In the main study, a questionnaire was administered to cultural psychology and introductory psychology students before and after the courses to assess the impact of cultural psychology classes on diversity ideologies. Results indicated that while diversity ideologies did not significantly change after the course, polyculturalism was marginally associated with a tendency to enroll in a cultural psychology course. Despite limitations in measurement and design, this study provides valuable insights for institutions aiming to foster acceptance of diversity.

Background One way to improve educational equity for historically marginalized student groups is to include more representation of diversity in course materials. The Open Education movement emphasizes the customizability of openly licensed material as a way to diversify course content. Given that textbook images are often the first content that students encounter, it is essential to evaluate the representation of diverse images in course materials. Objective The current study assessed the current level of diversity in images in both openly licensed and commercial Introductory Psychology textbooks. Method We coded all images ( N = 1,928) from 10 Introductory Psychology textbooks (six commercial, four openly licensed) for their representation of race and gender. Results Women were underrepresented in textbook images compared to men, and People of Color were underrepresented compared to White people. Commercial text images included more women and POC than openly licensed texts. Conclusion Historically marginalized students may not see themselves depicted in Introductory Psychology textbook images, which may lead to lower engagement. Teaching Implication Given that images in course materials may not accurately reflect the diversity of our students, psychology teachers could address this by including diverse images and/or engaging their students in open pedagogy to increase the diversity of images presented.

The present study examined the relative difficulty of example-based test questions framed inductively and deductively in relation to each other and to basic knowledge questions in two introductory psychology courses across two semesters. Results showed that students had more difficulty with deductively-framed questions on exams than basic knowledge questions and inductively-framed questions, with inductive and basic knowledge questions not differing significantly in difficulty. Test items tapping deductive reasoning skills may pose a greater challenge to students than other types of exam content. Instructional techniques designed to strengthen deductive reasoning skills may facilitate student ability to think deductively in generating examples of psychological concepts in daily life.

Appearance Pressure From the Media Mediates the Relationship Between Internalized Weight Bias and Eating Disorder Risk for Young Women: A Cross-Sectional Study.

This mixed methods participatory study was co-authored by 19 undergraduate students and their instructor in an introductory psychology class, with help from two research assistants. Participant observers evaluated and reflected upon the use of artificial intelligence (AI) language models as surrogate agents to support classroom discussion forums. The study forms a practical example of the use of generative AI in collaborative learning where human agents take the dominant role in conversation, acting as an applied effort to bring life to contemporary theoretical literature in educational technology. An M- and P-individual framework rooted in Gordon Pask’s cybernetics is used to structure out human-computer interaction feedback loops occurring during class discussions. Live chats were held during each lecture on a Google community, wherein students would respond to a weekly prompt posted by the instructor and respond to peers. Two of these sessions were held on the Character.AI and DeepAI platforms. Four groups of students interacted with language models of Freud and Piaget during sessions related to human consciousness and development, with one student “driver” prompting the AI following group brainstorming. Comparable discussions from the business-as-usual classes on the nervous system and human learning are compared to AI discussions, using the igraph network analysis package in RStudio. Comparative network visualizations highlight the possibility to create transitive distributed discussions using AI in college classrooms. To better understand student-to-student interactions guiding the driver’s prompting in AI chats, qualitative insights are shared from each group.

This study addresses a critical gap in understanding the differential effects of AI-based tools in higher education on diverse student populations, focusing on first-generation and minority students. Conducted as a case study in an introductory psychology course at a peripheral college, this research employed a mixed-methods approach, combining surveys (n = 110), in-depth semi-structured interviews (n = 20 selected to reflect class diversity), and the lecturer’s reflective journal. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (t-tests, Chi-square) and thematic analysis, with triangulation across data sources to examine how AI-based simulations influenced learning experiences and outcomes. The findings reveal that while AI enhanced content understanding and engagement across groups, it also highlighted and potentially widened educational gaps through an emerging “AI literacy divide.” This divide manifested in varying AI engagement patterns and differences in applying AI knowledge beyond the course, which was significantly more pronounced among majority and non-first-generation students compared to minority and first-generation peers. Qualitative data linked these disparities to prior technological exposure, cultural background, and academic self-efficacy. This study proposes an integrative framework highlighting AI literacy, AI engagement, and AI-enhanced cognitive flexibility as mediators between cultural/technological capital and AI adoption. The conclusions underscore the need for inclusive pedagogical strategies and institutional support to foster equitable AI adoption.

LearningCurve as a textbook technology supplement when teaching introductory psychology: Follow-up research.

More than a million undergraduates take introductory psychology each year in North America. Numerous studies show that they soon forget the details of what they learn about psychological science but retain many misconceptions about behavior and mental processes that can misguide them in important personal, social, political, and economic matters. To confirm and elaborate on this picture, we administered a 72-item misconceptions survey before and after students took an introductory psychology course taught by one of 35 instructors at one of nine U.S. colleges and universities. Analysis of 430 pre-course responses and 471 post-course responses showed that the 10 misconceptions that were most confidently endorsed at the beginning of the course remained in the top 10 afterward, suggesting that, overall, belief in misconceptions did not change from pretest to posttest. Endorsement of misconceptions was negatively correlated with reported grade point average and, at pre-course, significantly higher for females. The scores of 90 students whose pre- and post-course responses could be matched showed a small but significant reduction in misconceptions, particularly those that introductory psychology instructors most often address. These results are consistent with other evidence that the introductory course has great potential for correcting socially significant misconceptions, but in our view, its traditional focus on overly detailed, easily forgotten content leaves instructors with too little time to exploit that potential. We offer suggestions for focusing the course on content that is more memorable as well as more likely to correct their misconceptions about psychology. Statement of public significance : Misconceptions about human behavior and mental processes are widespread and potentially harmful. Like other forms of misinformation, they may misguide actions and decisions taken by voters, jurors, parents, teachers, consumers, journalists, filmmakers, writers, and people in many other social roles. It is important to strengthen the effectiveness of introductory psychology at combating such misconceptions in the more than 1 million students who take the course each year.

Background Recent changes to Introductory Psychology curricula emphasize the importance of building research skills, but instructors may need additional support. Objective This paper examines outcomes of the Ready Through Research (RTR) program in which research mentors from local universities guide Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology students to design, conduct, analyze, and present their research projects. Method Studies 1 ( N = 72) and 2 ( N = 124) compare changes in students’ research skills and science/psychology persistence self-efficacy and examine student perceptions of RTR outcomes across two program iterations. Results RTR students’ research skill self-efficacy grew significantly in both studies. Further, RTR students in both studies reported that the program made them more interested in pursuing research and psychology in the future. In Study 1, students’ science persistence self-efficacy did not change over time, but in Study 2, RTR students’ psychology persistence self-efficacy increased. Conclusion RTR programming benefits AP Psychology students’ research understanding, skills, and persistence, but students may not consider psychology a science discipline. Teaching Implications To meet new curriculum standards, teachers should engage students in psychological research and emphasize that psychology is a science.

ABSTRACT Standardized test scores play a significant role in college admission, it is thus crucial to examine factors influencing their fairness. An underexamined issue is the association between participation in test preparation programs and test scores’ predictive validity of academic performance. Very few studies have explored this issue, and none of them was conducted in a field setting using actual academic outcomes. To fill the gap, we analyzed how test preparation is related to the association between ACT scores and student performance in a sample of around 1,000 students in an introductory psychology class. Although our results showed that ACT scores were more predictive of two course elements for students who received more coaching, the effects were trivial in magnitudes and practical significance. Overall, we conclude that involvement in admission test preparation programs is not strongly associated with the fairness of using these scores in admission decisions.