Introductory Psychology Research Articles

Applying intro to psych lessons to university administration

The American Psychological Association estimates more than one million students take Introductory Psychology annually. Psych 101 syllabi expose students to dozens of lessons spanning the broad field of psychology.

Paying Attention in Class: Using In-Class Quizzes to Incentivize Student Attention

Background: Methods are needed to incentivize student attention to class material. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of in-class quizzing to incentivize student attention to class material to boost exam performance. Method: A randomized, alternating treatments design embedded in an introductory psychology class compared learning benefits of two types of quiz-based engagement activities, mastery quizzes, and concepts checks, as compared to a no-engagement activity control. Results: Students performed significantly better on exam content linked to classes with quiz-based engagement activities. Learning benefits of engagement activities extended across levels of cognitive complexity indexed to Bloom levels, although were stronger for low-level items. The effects of engagement activities were also stronger for content directly discussed in class. There were no significant differences in learning outcomes between the two engagement activities. Conclusion: Students performed better on exam content linked to class sessions with quiz-based engagement activities that incentivized attention to class material compared to those that did not. Teaching Implications: Using in-class quizzes as attentional cues offers instructors a means of incentivizing student attention to class material with minimal disruption of class time and lecture flow, while also improving exam scores.

Introductory psychology textbooks (still) more different than alike.

Introductory psychology textbooks (still) more different than alike.

Connecting Introductory Psychology to Climate Change Can Empower Students

Background Introductory psychology courses provide a unique opportunity to educate students in ways that can inform how they will address major issues of the day. Objective: We tested whether an integrative, last-day-of-class activity in which students applied pertinent psychological theories to climate change would empower students to address this issue. Method: Across multiple introductory psychology courses, pre- and post-course assessments (Study 1) and a comparison to a control classroom condition (Study 2) were used to evaluate changes in students’ climate change efficacy beliefs and intentions to act. Results: Students who experienced the activity were more likely to (1) believe their actions could make a difference in mitigating climate change and influence others to follow suit, (2) show increased intentions to adopt sustainable behaviors and take political action to address climate change, and (3) see psychology as relevant to solving societal issues like climate change. Conclusion Having students connect psychology to solving climate change led students to feel more empowered to address this global challenge. Teaching implications: This classroom activity could readily be scaled up to thousands of introductory psychology courses around the world every year, connecting psychology to a major issue of our time and potentially mobilizing students to action.

0938 Energy Drink Consumption and Motivation related to Sleep and Sleepiness Among College Students: Possible Clinical Implications

Abstract Introduction We examined prevalence and motives of energy drink consumption (EDC) and the relationship between EDC and sleep in college students. A literature review revealed most common motives for EDC in the general population include promoting wakefulness, increasing energy, and enhancing alcohol’s effects. Excessive daytime sleepiness has been found the day after EDC and EDC increases sleep latency (persisting up to eight hours). We pursued these questions as well as clinical implications in a college population. Methods Recruited from introductory psychology courses, 162 students (age: M=22.06 years, SD=5.87) met course requirements or obtained extra credit for participation. Participants completed demographic information, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), questions regarding associated features of inadequate sleep, the Sleep Hygiene Index, and questions assessing weekly quantity and motivation for energy drink consumption. Results 90.6% of participants consumed energy drinks (42% traditional consumer drinks such as RedBull, 77% tea/coffee, 66% soda). The most common motivations were taste (57%), completing projects (43%), staying alert (42%), preventing sleepiness (41%), and staying productive (37%). More EDC was significantly related to greater daytime dysfunction (PSQI-7) (r(156)=.158, p=.024), more maladaptive sleep hygiene (r(158)=.206, p=.005), poor sleep quality (PSQI-Global) r(155)=.154, p=.027), shorter sleep duration (r(155)=-.161, p=.022), and associated features of poor sleep (daytime sleepiness: r(158)=.280, p<.001, worry: r(158)=.139, p=.04, and reduced attention: r(158)=.174, p=.014). Logistic regression models showed for each one additional energy drink per day, increasing odds of sleepiness (OR=1.71, CI=1.21-2.40) poor sleep quality (OR=1.63, CI=1.04-2.55), and short sleep duration (OR=1.56, CI=1.14-2.13). Conclusion EDC, including coffee/tea, is widespread among college students and is most frequently motivated by liking the taste and promoting productivity/alertness. The active ingredient most frequently associated with energy drinks, caffeine, is viewed as relatively innocuous. Causality is unclear, however, these data suggest frequent EDC in college students is associated with sleep problems and may oppose motivations for use (e.g., one consumes ED to combat sleepiness and/or improve efficiency and instead finds attention and sleep impaired). Education and clinical guidance could help users understand associated risks and that changes in even one drink per day could lead to clinically important improvements. Support (if any)

Examining the Effects of Nature and Animal Videos on Stress

ABSTRACT Animals are often prohibited in public areas, which limit opportunities for people to experience improvements in well-being from their presence. Visual representations of animals, such as videos, may serve as an alternative intervention to the physical presence of live animals. University students, in particular, may benefit from virtual animal-assisted interventions, given that they report high rates of stress, and opportunities to interact with live animals at tertiary institutions are generally limited. This study recruited 200 participants from introductory psychology courses through a research participant pool at Toronto Metropolitan University in Canada. Following exposure to a mental arithmetic stressor that was 3 minutes in length, participants were randomly assigned to watch a 3-minute video that featured either a dog, puppy, nature, or blank screen. In light of previous research that found that infantile facial features elicit greater attention and positive affect among viewers compared with mature facial features, this study hypothesized that the video of the puppy would be the most effective at enhancing wellbeing. Data were collected through the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and the Subjective Appraisal of Video Affects (SAVA). The results revealed that the puppy video produced significantly higher scores of happiness relative to the nature and control videos (F (8.54,557.94) = 3.29, p < 0.001, ηp 2 = 0.05). Additionally, participants reported that the puppy video was significantly more effective at inducing relaxation compared with the control video (F (3,199) = 7.58, p < 0.001, ηp 2 = 0.10). These results suggest that watching a video of a puppy can be useful to improve wellbeing among university students. This study offers novel contributions to the limited literature examining the impact of visual representations of infant animals on stress.

Randomized study strategy intervention in a large introductory psychology course.

Randomized study strategy intervention in a large introductory psychology course.

""On Being Sane in Insane Places" … it is a work half done."

""On Being Sane in Insane Places" … it is a work half done."

An examination of health locus of control in relation to antibiotic resistance perceptions and antibiotic use behaviors among college students

Objective: The aim of the present study was to examine the role of health locus of control (HLOC; internal, chance, powerful others) in antibiotic resistance perceptions and antibiotic use behaviors among college students. Participants: Participants were 366 students recruited from the introductory psychology pool at a university in the northeastern United States. Methods: Participants completed the study via Qualtrics in 2015 (October–December). They completed the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (measuring internal, chance, powerful others HLOC) and questions about their antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance perceptions. Results: Linear regression analyses were employed to examine the role of the HLOC in antibiotic use behaviors and antibiotic resistance perceptions. With the exception of the regression with antibiotic resistance concern as an outcome, powerful others HLOC was the strongest predictor across all models. Conclusions: Antibiotic misuse was prevalent in our sample and powerful others HLOC was associated with problematic antibiotic use.

A Tale of Two Rats: The Backstory of a Clever Cartoon.

A well-known cartoon among psychologists and behavior analysts depicts two rats in a Skinner box, leaning over a response lever as one says to the other, "Boy, do we have this guy conditioned, every time I press the bar down he drops a pellet in." Anyone who has ever conducted an experiment, worked with a client, or taught someone can relate to the cartoon's message of reciprocal control between subject and experimenter, client and therapist, and teacher and student. This is the tale of that cartoon and its impact. It begins mid-20th-century at Columbia University, then a hotbed of behavioral psychology, which bears an intimate connection to the cartoon's appearance. The tale expands from Columbia to follow the lives of its creators from their undergraduate days there to their deaths decades later. The infusion of the cartoon into American psychology begins with B. F. Skinner, but, over the years, it also has appeared in introductory psychology textbooks and in iterative form in mass media outlets such as the World Wide Web and magazines like The New Yorker. The heart of the tale, however, was stated in the second sentence of this abstract. The tale ends with a review of how reciprocal relations like those depicted by the cartoon's creators have influenced research and practice in behavioral psychology.

Busting Myths to Increase Critical Thinking in Psychology Majors

Background Increasing students’ ability to think critically allows them to engage more fully with psychology material. Objective The current study used a critical thinking assignment called PsychBusters to examine critical thinking and interest in psychology in two sections of introductory psychology designated for first-year psychology majors. Method The experimental section completed two PsychBusters presentations including a poster presentation. The control course section also completed poster presentations but did not do the PsychBusters assignment. For both sections, critical thinking skills and levels of interest in psychology were measured at the start and end of the semester. Results Students in both sections maintained a high interest in psychology across the semester. The section that worked on the PsychBusters misconception assignment had similar critical thinking skills as the control at the start of the semester but had higher scores at the posttest. Conclusion Assignments that direct students to focus on critical thinking may not improve one's interest in psychology. However, class assignments that hone critical thinking skills should be integrated into psychology courses with the aim of improving students’ reasoning. Teaching Implications The development of critical thinking skills in psychology majors should start early in the curriculum.

Testing the independent effects of refutations and summaries on understanding

ABSTRACT The present experiment explored the independent effects of refutations and summaries to prevent student misunderstandings when learning from an introductory psychology text on cognitive dissonance. Explicitly presenting and refuting a common misconception about cognitive dissonance did not improve performance on comprehension questions that required understanding of the topic, but adding a final summary paragraph did. The present findings suggest that explanations that aid the integration of correct ideas within a student’s mental model of a phenomenon are more important for supporting conceptual understanding than just the co-activation and recognition of correct and incorrect conceptions.

Supplemental Material for Online Course Formats and Student Self-Efficacy in Academic Skills Predict Persistence in Introductory Psychology

Supplemental Material for Online Course Formats and Student Self-Efficacy in Academic Skills Predict Persistence in Introductory Psychology

Online course formats and student self-efficacy in academic skills predict persistence in introductory psychology.

Online course formats and student self-efficacy in academic skills predict persistence in introductory psychology.

The Importance of Perception and Personality on the Association Between Childhood Neglect and Adult Social Competence

ABSTRACT Social competence is a key component in engaging and sustaining everyday interactions. As such, it is prudent to identify factors that protect the development of social competence. In the present study, sociability and locus of control were examined as protective factors in two separate three-way interaction models of the effects of childhood physical and emotional neglect on adult social competence. Participants were 405 introductory psychology students from a public Southern California University. Students answered a computerized battery of assessments examining multidomain regulation. In the physical neglect model, a significant three-way interaction was found, such that for those with an internal locus of control, sociability was a protective factor: there was a strong negative relationship between physical neglect and social competence only when sociability was lower (b = −2.763, p = .024). However, for externally controlled individuals, higher sociability acted as a risk factor, strengthening the association between physical neglect and social competence (b = −2.205, p = .037). Childhood neglect has enduring effects in the lives of maltreated individuals, but their effects are not entirely uniform. Individual traits and perceptions can serve as potential intervention targets to mitigate the effects of childhood neglect on important outcomes.

A longitudinal multisite study of the efficacy of retrieval and spaced practice in introductory psychology.

A longitudinal multisite study of the efficacy of retrieval and spaced practice in introductory psychology.

I Believe I Can Try: Self-Efficacy, Pandemic Behaviors, Coping, and Learning.

While colleges and universities grapple with delivering instruction face-to-face during the pandemic, there is still a lot to learn from remote teaching experiences. The present study aimed to predict self-reported learning during the first year of the pandemic. Building on previous scholarship on the topic, we focus on the moderating effects of self-efficacy, and the mediating effects of coping styles on the relationship between stress and self-reported learning experiences. We also included self-perceptions of class effort, the instructor, and changes in class, personal, professor, and health behaviors. Students (N = 272) in Introductory Psychology classes participated in an online survey as part of a class research requirement. Analyses demonstrated that self-efficacy predicted differences in many measures associated with learning and predicted learning over and above all other variables entered in a hierarchical regression. The relationship between stress and learning was mediated by coping, but not moderated by self-efficacy. These results suggest student beliefs about their ability to perform online are important to learning outcomes, but coping mechanisms mediate the relationship of stress and learning. Especially while teaching during pandemic times using different modalities, instructors will do well to directly address students' perceptions of their own ability and build self-efficacy.

Topical coverage in teaching introductory psychology: A national survey of instructors.

Topical coverage in teaching introductory psychology: A national survey of instructors.

A national study of student and instructor perceptions of introductory psychology.

A national study of student and instructor perceptions of introductory psychology.

Differential relations among expectancy, task value, engagement, and academic performance: The role of generation status

IntroductionWe investigated differences in domain-general expectancy, value, and engagement in school by generation status and how the relationship among these constructs and academic performance differ by generation status.MethodsA total of 573 college students enrolled in introductory psychology courses participated in the study. We collected data on generation status, expectancy-value beliefs, school engagement, and official GPA data from participants, tested measurement invariance of expectancy-value beliefs and engagement between first-generation college students (FGCS) and continuing generation college students (CGCS), and conducted multigroup modeling to understand the differential relations of expectancy-value, engagement, and GPA between the two groups.ResultsWe discovered that the latent mean of expectancy beliefs differed significantly by generation status, with FGCS reporting higher expectancy than CGCS. There were no differences in the latent mean of task value. Multigroup structural equation modeling revealed that the effect of expectancy-value motivation on behavioral engagement was similar across groups, but its effect on cognitive engagement was greater for the FGCS than for the CGCS. For both groups, expectancy impacted academic performance via behavioral engagement. Finally, neither expectancy-value motivation nor cognitive engagement directly predicted academic performance for either group.DiscussionThe findings have important theoretical implications for understanding motivation and achievement of FGCS and CGCS and critical practical implications regarding undergraduate education.