The introductory college course in psychology: An empirical analysis

Abstract

Psychologists have shown an increasing interest in the empirical study of their own professional activities, as is evidenced by recent studies of clinical practice (e.g., Kelly and Goldberg, 1959; Sundberg, 1961) and of research productivity (e.g., Clark, 1957; Wispk, 1963). One aspect of the psychologist's professional practice which has so far escaped any intensive analysis is the instruction of undergraduates. Although it is known that alumni who majored in psychology tend to regard their undergraduate training favorably (Barnette, 1961;Carrier, 1962), very little is known about the specific instructional techniques and classroom behavior of the typical college teacher of psychology.The purpose of the study to be reported here was to learn how the introductory undergraduate course in psychology is typically conducted in a large sample of colleges and universities. For many undergraduates, this introductory course represents their only formal exposure to psychology, as well as one of their few chances to observe and interact with a psychologist. For the student who might consider pursuing a career in psychology, the experience of this first course can be a crucial factor in determining his eventual career choice. Thus, the introductory course in psychology influences not only the public image of psychology but also the recruitment of students into the field.In the present study we were able to obtain descriptions of introductory psychology classes from students at 246 different institutions, and to compare the typical psychology class with typical classes in 18 other fields. Although the resulting picture is not always flattering, perhaps it will be helpful in stimulating members of the profession to study the effects of their own teaching practices. METHOD SuhjeckThe data for this study were collected as part of a larger study of the intellectual and social environments of undergraduate institutions. The population from which the subjects were originally selected included all the freshmen (N = 127, 212) entering 246 four-year colleges and universities in the fall of 1961.' In the summer of 1962-at the end of the freshman year-a questionnaire was sent to 60,000 of these students (about 250 per college). Usable returns were obtained from approximately 32,000 students-an average of about 130 per college.The questionnaire was concerned primarily with the student's experiences during his freshmanyear. It included a section headed "Description of one of your classes." The student waa instructed to name "the course you took this past year which was most closely related to your primary field of interest." Space was provided for the student to indicate the course title, the department, the section, and a variety of other information (see Ratings of Courses, below). The questionnaires revealed that students a t a fairly high proportion of institutions had taken 19 different