PSYC 102 | Writing and Thinking in Psychology

Although many people believe that psychology is based on common sense, personal experience, or intuition about human behavior and mental processes, the discipline is actually founded on the results of scientifically conducted experiments and studies. Thus, learning the methods for how data are collected, analyzed, interpreted, and communicated form the foundation for an undergraduate degree in Psychology. In this course, students practice using critical thinking and integration of primary research articles to produce logically organized writing in the manner that psychologists use in the discipline, explore the basic principles of empirical research in order to understand the ethical considerations and the characteristics of different types of research designs, and gain facility in beginning-level statistics. Overall, this course aims to strengthen students' identity as scientists and welcome students to the Psychology major.