Using computers in introductory psychology

This paper describes our experience during the past 2 years in establishing a computer-based laboratory for introductory psychology. Discussion includes selection of hardware; physical design of the laboratory; locating, reviewing, and selecting courseware; development of supplementary materials; operation and management of the laboratory; and integration of the laboratory into the curriculum. These factors are examined from the point of view of the decisions made, the difficulties encountered, and the lessons learned.     

Computer attitudes and the use of computers in psychology courses

Students enrolled in four psychology courses in which computers were used for different purposes completed both pre- and postcourse surveys regarding their prior computer experience, their attitudes toward computers, and their locus of control. A fifth psychology course in which computers were not used served as a control. Results showed that participation in the courses that involved computer activities led to more positive attitudes toward computers than did the control condition. In addition, the positive changes in computer attitudes were found to be independent of initial student characteristics and unrelated to course performance. There was also some suggestion that courses that have higher levels of direct involvement with computer applications may lead to the most positive attitude changes.     

Java experiments for introductory cognitive psychology courses

Interactive on-line experiments provide a unique and useful method for communicating material to students that is otherwise cumbersome and often confusing. The Java programming language is particularly suited for Internet-based programming applications of this sort because it bypasses many technical issues, including resource availability, security, and cross-platform compatibility. In most cases, topics appropriate to this medium of presentation should (1) not be easily demonstrated by other means, (2) represent an important finding in the field, and (3) be robust with respect to variations in both participants and equipment. The present paper outlines the integration of interactive experiments into an introductory cognitive psychology classroom, describing several experiments currently available on the World-Wide Web (WWW). Evaluation of the technical aspects of the technology as well as expansion of the format to other courses is discussed.     

On-line computers in psychology: A laboratory course for advanced psychology majors

This course is structured as a series of increasingly difficult projects which involve students in all aspects of using computers for experimentation. Projects range from programming simple experiments utilizing monitor displays and keyboard responses to the use of hardware interfaces to connect complex peripherals. Students not only design and develop their projects, but also engage in data collection and analysis. The course provides experience with hardware and software as well as the intricacies of debugging the resulting project.     

Survey on present and potential instructional use of computers in psychology

A survey of academic psychologists was taken to determine present use of computers in instruction, willingness to use good education software, and kinds of potential uses of computers in psychology courses. A majority of the respondents reported using computers in instruction. Respondents indicated substantial willingness to adopt computer-based courseware. Respondents believed that a variety of uses, including classroom demonstrations and student experiments, would facilitate student learning. The results of the survey are compared with the instructional modules the task force is developing.     

Evaluation of a Web-based introductory psychology course: I. Learning and satisfaction in on-line versus lecture courses

We offered introductory psychology on the World-Wide Web (WWW) and evaluated the on-line format relative to the traditional lecture-test format, using a pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design. Multiple sections of the introductory course were offered each semester; on-line and lecture sections were taught by the same instructor, the same textbook was used, and the same in-class examinations were taken. For on-line sections, mastery quizzes, interactive individual exercises, and weekly laboratory meetings replaced lectures. Increased content knowledge was greater for the students in the Web sections, as was in-class examination performance. Use of the WWW and computers for academic purposes increased more in the on-line sections, and the on-line students showed a greater decrease in computer anxiety. The students in the on-line sections expressed appreciation for course components and the convenience of the course, but the lecture sections received higher ratings on course evaluations than did the on-line sections. Learning and course satisfaction were dissociated in the two course formats.     

Teaching the introductory course in psychology circa 1900

Teachers of introductory courses in psychology and those who wrote the textbooks for the courses at the start of the 20th century represented the new psychology that replaced the old psychology of mental philosophy. Teachers and texts presented psychology as a natural science of the mind and mental processes, described its methods, and suggested its potential applications to practical concerns. Textbooks and teachers varied in their approaches to psychology, their priorities among its methods, and their emphases on applying psychology. The introductory course in psychology accurately reflected the state of the discipline at the turn of the century.     

Microcomputers in psychology laboratory courses

The implementation of a microcomputer-based laboratory curriculum is described and analyzed in terms of general guidelines for introducing computer-based instruction. Procedures are suggested for analyzing need, choosing a system, and implementing the project. Pedagogical considerations arising from the use of computer technology are also discussed.     

Design and evaluation of a programmed course in introductory psychology

The design of a programmed course in introductory psychology, utilizing an interview procedure, is described. The performance of students in this course was compared with that of students covering the same subject matter but taught in a more conventional manner. Students in the experimental course scored significantly higher on objective and essay final examinations and rated the course more positively.     

The impact of computers on cognitive psychology

Computer developments and their applications in cognitive psychology are reviewed. Examples from recent studies illustrate the ways that computers are used for different research purposes: stimulus generation, on-line interactive experimental control, response collection, data analysis, and theory building. A quantitative analysis of federal funding for computer-based and noncomputer research compares costs over the past 9 years for the areas of perception, memory, learning, and thinking. A tabulation of journal articles relevant to computer-based cognitive research shows the distribution of articles over various categories of hardware and software development. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of using computers in cognitive research are evaluated.     

Issues in the psychology of religious conversion

Conclusion Such are the issues that two psychologists with theological training and ministerial ordination draw from social science literature as it relates to religious conversion. Few, if any, of these issues are settled definitively. There is a great need for solid, responsible research, not to prove or disprove, but simply to understand, predict, and, where desirable, control. For these are the goals of science. Before research can be productive, however, these are the goals of science. Before research can be productive, however, there is need for theoretical development. Inadequate conceptualization, especially of necessary distinctions and discriminations, has handicapped the scientific investigation of religion almost as much as a limited tool kit. But the signs of the times regarding social scientific investigation of conversion are hopeful. Especially to be recommended for further research by someone well acquainted with the field of religious conversion is the vast literature in social psychology on opinions, attitudes, and beliefs. Perhaps we can continue the process of knowledge-building that began so promisingly in the first three decades of the century and then stopped on a plateau.This article is a revision of a paper presented at The First National Faith and Order Colloquium of the National Council of Churches, Chicago, June 12–17, 1966.     

Contingency management in an introductory psychology course produces better learning

For the contingency management techniques first devised by Keller (1966, 1968) to become a widely accepted teaching method, it is necessary that they be shown (1) to be applicable to general subject matter and (2) to be superior to traditional lecture methods. The present study demonstrated (1) by successfully teaching the material from a standard psychology text. The superiority of contingency management was established by direct comparison of final examination scores from comparable groups taught the same subject matter by either Keller's method or traditional methods. Students taught by Keller's method also rated the course more favorably.