Psychological thrillers: Psychology books students read when given freedom of choice.

Abstract

SYCHOLOGY as a topic of general interest is possibly more popular with the general public than is psychology as an academic subject-field with college students. Furthermore, the content of the general interest psychology is probably quite different from the content of a college course. What is there about the "good" psychology of the classroom that is less enticing than the "inferior" popular brand?Is it possible that academic psychology is designed solely for potential professional psychologists and that the professors purposely ignore the interests of other students?I once heard a very well-known professor say, in an obviously unguarded moment, that the principal purpose of the first course in psychology was "to proselyte the bright students and let the pigs go where they may." Unfortunately this, though extreme, may well represent the feelings of many who plan and conduct such a course.But there is another point of view. George A. Miller (1969), in his APA Presidential Address, deplored the alienation of people "from a society in which a few wise men behind closed doors decide what is good for everyone [p. 1074]" and suggested that "psychological principles and techniques can be usefully applied by everyone [p. 1073]" and that "psychological facts should be passed out freely to all who need and can use them [p. 1070]."The proponents of general education as a significant aspect of higher education have long held to this position. It is most encouraging that so prominent a leader in the field of psychology has come to this way of thinking, but discouraging that it has taken so long.General education in psychology, the process of freely passing out psychological facts, requires good teaching to be effective. Good teaching in-1 Requests for reprints should be sent to Ivan N.

Cinema Thrillers: Reviews of Films Highly Rated by Psychology Students

“…Several articles (e.g., LeUnes, 1974;McCollom, 1971) in recent years have reported on supplementary reading materials that qualify as "psychological thrillers"-books that students find interesting and thoughtprovoking. It is perhaps even more important that teachersof psychology share their knowledge of such psychological thrillers in other media, such as film, that are more difficult for an individual instructor to review.…”

“…Evaluations for the course textbook (Mussen, Conger, & Kagan, 1974), which is one of the most widely used texts in child and developmental psychology courses, are included as a basis for comparison. It was found that all of the films listed here also had a mean rating more favorable than most supplementary reading books and reprints used-except for Axline's (1964) Dibs In Search of Self, which is perhaps the most popular book among college psychology students across the country (LeUnes, 1974;McCollom, 1971McCollom, , 1975. Among the writer's students at UCLA, Dibs has also been the most popular reading (mean rating 7.96), yet three of the recommended films closely match even this perennial literary favorite.…”

Thrillers among the journals: A technique to increase graduate students' reading of research.

“…The technique requires little faculty time and can be readily adapted to other areas. McCollom (1971) reported on the use of "psychological thrillers" to get undergraduates to read books related to psychology. More recently Le Unes (1974) reported on the value of the technique for graduate students.…”

Different Approaches for Teaching the History of Psychology Course

“…The author will often describe the activities of an entire research project, generating a global perspective of many thingsthat do not appear in the professional journals. A distinct advantage of teaching the history of psychology this way can be identified in a study by McCollum (1971) where students revealed that they rated one autobiography high on the list of books they wanted to read in psychology courses. Students enjoy reading about others, and in many ways this method also supplies a need for the student who wishes to pursue a career in psychology.…”