Lab Information

What labs are:

1. A chance to give you direct experience with psychological concepts and research techniques. Psychology is about human behavior-- rumor has it that students are human, too. Therefore, it seems appropriate that many of the principles and findings that you will read and hear about this semester should have some relevance to you. Experiencing these principles and being involved in the gathering of the information to produce the findings may not only help in your understanding of where these things come from, but may also play some role in helping you understand how you interact with the world around you.

2. An opportunity to enable you to look at psychological literature and research with a critical attitude. It is very easy to accept what is stated in a lecture or book as "fact"-- something that cannot be disputed. Human behavior is too complex for that. Seeing first hand how information is obtained in psychology and being given the direct opportunity to question it from your own viewpoint will allow you to examine the topic in more depth. You will likely be asked to determine which of several viewpoints (if any) may be "correct." That can't be done in a lecture room with over 300 people in it. (Remember, if students are truly human, then it should be expected that they have some opinion of what it is like to be one).

3. The major point of the labs is to provide an opportunity for long-lasting benefits associated with hands-on learning. Studies on learning have demonstrated that experiencing, rather than just hearing about, leads to better assimilation of complex concepts as well as stimulation of general intellectual development.

The labs themselves will be co-created and conducted by teaching assistants (T.A.'s) assigned to this course. These are advanced undergraduate students who, if past experience gives any clue, will put in a lot of time and effort to help make all of this work. Improvement in labs comes partly from continued feedback from students participating in these labs. We are very enthusiastic about the labs and about what this adds to the introductory course in general.

What labs are NOT:

1. An easy opportunity to skip class. Note that absences need to be approved to make-up credit. Lab credit accounts for more than a letter grade of credit. Also, the labs (i.e., your classmates) depend on full participation by all of the group members to be effective.

2. A review session. Since the labs are an extension of material presented in the book and in lecture, using the time to review the other material is inappropriate. There are several avenues for review that I encourage you to explore:

--a) ask questions in class (intimidating, but helpful for all)

--b) seek out the T.A.s either during their office hours or set an appointment.

--c) seek out the Instructor. If you cannot meet during my office hours, call for an appointment.

--d) go to the review sessions the evening prior to the exam (although some review should be done by you prior to this time).

--e) use the study guide or self-testing computer programs available (see your syllabus).

Being a Good Discussion Participant: A Guide for Intro Psych Lab Students

First and foremost: come to lab prepared. This should be relatively easy since you will have already completed the pre-lab before arriving. Completion of the pre-lab and any assigned readings for the lab is really all the preparation you need.

During the actual lab sessions, your activity as an active participant in discussion is of paramount importance-- not only because your grade is partly dependent on it, but also to make these things work and to help in your own understanding of what is going on. A large number of the complaints that we receive about the discussions could be narrowed to one factor-- students not speaking in class. That is something only you can do something about.

Discussion can be looked at both quantitatively and qualitatively. Your task will be to contribute appropriately in both ways.

The quantitative dimension This dimension has to do with how often you participate; how often you offer comments or observations in discussion. How much is correct? Some. Few or no comments are not enough; a lot of comments is too many because you may not be allowing others offer their insights by monopolizing the time available.

The qualitative dimension This has to do with the quality and type of comments that are being offered. (The examples below relate to a pre-lab in which students were asked to seek ratings of attractiveness of two photographs from other students. The examples can easily be applied to other situations.)

Initiating. Getting the discussion started, either at the beginning or at a lull. How? Well, think about areas that you either felt comfortable with in the pre-lab or that you had specific problems with. Example: "We're supposed to test people's impressions of other people based on their attractiveness. My subjects responded to the pictures with some confusion; did other people have the same problem?" or "I really had trouble with the steps for research studies. The problem I had was...."

Giving information. Reporting to the class what you wrote in your pre-lab assignment. Describing your answers. Example: "I found that the people I asked about the pictures rated the personalities similarly. So I ended up concluding that ...."

Asking for information. It is expected that some things at some times will be unclear-- if not, you probably would not be in school. Also, it's a fair bet that things that confused you confused others. So? ASK QUESTIONS. The questions could be directed at others in the class; could be about material or what somebody else said, or whatever. Example: "Chris, I'm not sure I quite understand what you just said. Could you explain that in a different way?" or "I couldn't come up with a clear hypothesis-- did anyone else have that problem? Did anyone else come up with one?"

Giving/asking for reactions. Too often in group discussions, comments provided by one person are stated without comment or acknowledgment by the group. The group just moves on instead. This lack of reinforcement can lead to decreased participation by the person who has made the previous comment. Listen and respond to other people when they speak and also state your comments in a way that will elicit reactions from others. Example: "With all of these different explanations that can be found for studies, it seems to me as if research in psychology really can't prove anything. Does anyone else here feel like that too?"

Restating. This is a useful tool for continuing an ongoing discussion and being sure that you understood the point(s) that someone else has made. Simply, it is saying what someone else has said in your own words.

Giving examples. Provide examples of what you think was meant by another person in the class. This helps in clarification of another's point.

Confronting. People disagree, and that's what discussion is all about. Challenge someone on a point that you do not agree with. THIS DOES NOT MEAN ATTACK. Keep in mind that others' opinions and answers may be just as correct (or incorrect) as your own.

Synth/summarizing. Probably the least used, yet most important tool-- putting together thoughts, statements, and opinions from several of your classmates and presented material into a single statement or two. This should be a goal for not only the discussions but also for your understanding of the material. Simply remembering the individual pieces is not enough; put them together.

Listening. Self explanatory, but of the utmost importance.