Beyond the Sponge Model: Encouraging Students' Questioning Skills in Abnormal Psychology

1998 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 270-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart M. Keeley ◽  
Rahan Ali ◽  
Tracy Gebing
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Abnormal Psychology ◽  
Training Strategy ◽  
Critical Questions ◽  
Essential Component ◽  
Psychology Courses ◽  
Questioning Behavior ◽  
Explicit Training

Much of education emphasizes an “answers-by-the-experts” and “student-as-sponge” orientation, thereby failing to encourage students' questioning behavior, an essential component of critical thinking. We argue that educators should provide students with explicit training in asking critical questions. We describe such a training strategy taught in 2 recent abnormal psychology courses. At the beginning of both courses, students completed a pretest for which they asked questions after reading an essay. On an identical posttest at the end of the courses, students asked significantly more questions overall and particularly asked significantly more critical evaluation questions. The results support the promise of using explicit questioning training in promoting the evaluative aspects of critical thinking.

The Impact of Strengths-Based Assessment Education on Undergraduate Students’ Knowledge of Disorders and Mental Illness Stigma

2021 ◽  
pp. 009862832110153
Author(s):  
Rhea L. Owens ◽  
Sean Heaslip ◽  
Meara Thombre
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Psychological Disorders ◽  
Mental Illness Stigma ◽  
Assessment Practices ◽  
Abnormal Psychology ◽  
Assessment Approach ◽  
Psychology Courses ◽  
Psychology Course ◽  
The Impact

Background: While abnormal psychology courses have traditionally focused on psychopathology, there are several benefits to adopting a strengths-based approach. Objective: This study examined the teaching of a strengths-based assessment approach (the DICE-PM Model), compared to teaching as usual, in an undergraduate abnormal psychology course. Method: Two sections of an abnormal psychology course were taught a strengths-based assessment approach while two sections were taught as usual. All participants completed measures of knowledge of psychological disorders and mental illness stigma at the beginning and end of the semester. Results: Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in knowledge of disorders and a significant decrease in mental illness stigma with the exception of one category assessed (recovery), generally with small effect sizes. Those in the strengths group, compared to the control, showed a significantly greater decrease in mental illness stigma involving anxiety related to others with mental illness, though also with a small effect. Conclusion: Findings suggest strengths-based assessment education does not compromise the instruction of psychological disorders and is equivalent to a traditional abnormal psychology course in reducing mental illness stigma. Teaching Implications: Such an approach may be beneficial early in students’ education to reduce mental illness stigma and promote comprehensive assessment practices.

Questioning the Conventional Wisdom and Critiquing Unconventional Perspectives in Abnormal Psychology: A Written Exercise

1992 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 230-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana D. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Historical Perspective ◽  
Conventional Wisdom ◽  
Controversial Issues ◽  
Abnormal Psychology ◽  
Approach To Learning ◽  
Active Approach ◽  
Term Paper ◽  
Psychology Course

This article describes a teaching exercise used in an undergraduate abnormal psychology course to strengthen students' critical-thinking abilities. Students complete a term paper critiquing a book that is itself a critique of the conventional wisdom in the field. Several books representing a variety of unconventional perspectives are available. The exercise aims at increasing students' historical perspective on the field and at confronting them with controversial issues. It also requires students to engage in an active dialogue with their instructor about an issue raised by the book. This dialogue culminates in the students defining a clear personal position on that issue. The exercise is consistent with an active approach to learning.

Writing a Literature Review: An Essential Component of Critical Thinking

2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-165
Author(s):  
Susanne Chandler ◽  
Denise Dedman
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Research Articles ◽  
Critical Reading ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Critical Writing ◽  
Analysis And Evaluation ◽  
Essential Component ◽  
Literature Reviews ◽  
Writing Analysis

This teaching note describes how using the requirement of a literature review helped students become critical thinkers. Literature reviews, as assignments, are often difficult for students because of the need for intense writing, analysis, and evaluation. As part of a larger assignment, students read 7 to 10 research articles and discussed them in class. The students were then assigned the task of writing their own literature reviews using the same research articles. The authors explain how using the practice of critical reading and critical writing helped students engage their review of the literature with a critical thinking mindset.

scholarly journals Teaching students how to think, not what to think: Pedagogy and political psychology

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 388-403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Velez ◽  
Séamus A. Power
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Political Psychology ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Ivory Tower ◽  
Active Engagement ◽  
Multiple Perspectives ◽  
Political Issues ◽  
Psychology Courses ◽  
Approach To Teaching ◽  
Do So

Academia is often critiqued as an “ivory tower” where research, thinking, and teaching are isolated from the complexity and everyday experience of so many people. As instructors of political and other psychology courses, we strive to break down these barriers and engage with the dynamic and nuanced nature of phenomena as situated in lived social and political contexts. In this report, we unpack and detail how we strive to achieve this goal by expanding on Plous’ articulation of action teaching (2012). We first define our pedagogical focus on active engagement, critical thinking, and staying on the move between multiple perspectives. We then provide specific examples of how we enact our philosophy in activities and assessment. We end by articulating how this approach to teaching in social and political psychology can be understood as furthering not only our students’ intellectual growth as psychologists, but also their development as democratic citizens. In doing so, we argue that action teaching not only involves course activities directly engaging with social issues, but also provides students with a scaffold to actually do so in a way that is attentive to the complexity, pluralism, and dynamism of social and political issues.

Science or Snake Oil? Teaching Critical Evaluation of “Research” Reports on the Internet

2002 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 321-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia A. Connor-Greene ◽  
Dan J. Greene
Keyword(s):  
Quality Control ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Small Group ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Problem Based Learning ◽  
Small Group Discussion ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
The Internet ◽  
New Challenges

The proliferation of information on the Internet introduces new challenges for educators. Although the Internet can provide quick and easy access to a wealth of information, it has virtually no quality control. Consequently, the Internet has rendered faculty more essential than ever as teachers of the analytic and evaluative skills students need to become educated consumers of information. In this article we describe an exercise using small-group discussion and individual problem-based learning to teach critical thinking about the Internet. Data from the exercise and from student evaluations support both its need and students' perceptions of its effectiveness.

Including Maladaptive Anger in Psychology Courses

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 102-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan C. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Abnormal Psychology ◽  
Statistical Manual ◽  
Diagnostic And Statistical Manual ◽  
Dsm 5 ◽  
Anger Disorders ◽  
Potential Problems ◽  
Psychology Courses ◽  
Problematic Anger ◽  
Published Research

Despite clear interpersonal, physiological, behavioral, and emotional consequences, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition ( DSM-5) and most abnormal psychology textbooks inadequately describe maladaptive anger. Although there is no recent published research on coverage of maladaptive anger in psychology courses, it is reasonable to assume that coverage is lacking, especially compared to coverage of other emotion-rooted disorders like sadness and anxiety. This lack of coverage is particularly troubling, given that researchers have long recognized the potential problems that stem from maladaptive anger and have also developed many approaches for treating problematic anger. This article describes the absence of anger disorders in the DSM-5, outlines the rationale for covering anger in psychology courses, and provides best practices for such coverage.

DO PSYCHOLOGY COURSES REDUCE BELIEF IN PSYCHOLOGICAL MYTHS?

2003 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 585-592 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lionel G. Standing ◽  
Herman Huber
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Geographical Origin ◽  
Junior College ◽  
Psychology Students ◽  
Advanced Training ◽  
University Courses ◽  
Psychology Courses ◽  
Popular Psychology ◽  
Myth Acceptance

This study examined the degree to which psychology students accept popular psychology myths that are rejected by mainstream researchers (e.g., “people use only 10% of their brain's capacity”), and the effect of psychology courses on myth acceptance. Using a 20-item, true-false myth belief questionnaire, it examined the levels of gullibility among 94 undergraduates at different stages of their education, and related these to their educational and demographic backgrounds. High overall levels of myth acceptance (71%) were found, in line with earlier research. Myth acceptance decreased with the number of psychology courses that students had taken in university, but increased with the number that they had taken in junior college. Belief in myths was lower among students who were majoring in psychology, were older, had higher grades, and had advanced training in research methods, but it was not related to gender, geographical origin, or university year. It is concluded that university courses appear beneficial in encouraging methodological skepticism, whereas taking specialized psychology courses in junior college may hinder rather than promote critical thinking among undergraduates.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document