s (2007) curricular guidelines recommend that students develop both an understanding of how psychologists do research and an appreciation for why scientific thinking is necessary. We surveyed a large sample of psychology majors on specific interests, as well as individual difference variables relevant to scientific thinking. Our results suggest that over time, students' knowledge of scientific thinking increased, whereas their tendency to see psychology as a science did not. Further, students reported greater interest in practitioner activities than scientific ones, and these divergent interests were associated with differential ways of thinking and of viewing the field of psychology. We discuss some implications for conceptualizing undergraduate instruction given that some student characteristics are more malleable than others.
Without an objective metric for identifying how funny humorous material “really” is, a person may rely on external information in evaluating the humor of a particular humorous joke. In two experiments, we examined the effect of expectations on participants' ratings of jokes. When participants received a message that jokes had previously been rated as either funny or unfunny, they rated the jokes accordingly. In addition, participants who were told less plausible messages about the jokes (“hysterically funny” or “horribly unfunny”) tended to discount the messages and give ratings comparable to the control group. In a second experiment, we examined the effect of testing participants individually or in groups. As predicted from previous research, group effects, which may be social and emotional, did not influence participants' ratings of jokes. We discuss the findings in terms of the role of information in cognitive evaluation versus affective appreciation of humor.
What are the desired outcomes of an undergraduate education in psychology? It is vital to identify the desired outcomes that benefit departments, students, and society, because the pursuit of these goals helps psychology educators achieve the best possible learning experience for their students. When psychology educators meet their instructional and educational goals in a high school, community college, college or university setting, knowledge of psychology and human behavior adds richness to the fabric of society. Psychology educators invest daily in the development of intellectual capital and professional abilities of their students while simultaneously fostering personal development through enrichment and growth. Their current knowledge of human behavior places them in a formidable position to harness psychology to anticipate and resolve problems for the greater good of all. Psy-145
Students in a small experimental design class obtained information about statistical and research applications concerning a variety of products advertised by different companies. The resulting data were perceived to have several advantages for the students: (a) it made collecting and interpreting data more interesting and less mysterious, (b) it helped them to understand how research design and statistics are used in real-life situations, and (c) it helped them to make more discerning judgments about advertisers' claims for their products.
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