Dunn & Halonen The Psychology Major’s Companion Chapter 4: Building PsychologyRelated Skills and Attitudes The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity. ~Dorothy Parker, American writer and satirist Chapter Objectives 1. Describe the nature of psychological literacy. 2. Compare the APA Guidelines 2.0 to workforce needs. 3. Examine how your thinking about your thinking will change over your college career. Student Learning Outcomes By the end of this chapter, students should be able to: • List the characteristics of psychological literacy. • Explain their preference for different kinds of teaching styles. • Describe the purpose of having national standards for the undergraduate major. • Identify the metacognitive characteristics that the psychology major encourages. • Correlate subdisciplines of psychology with specific workforce opportunities. The Curriculum Framework There is no standard curriculum, but there are general expectations. • Lower-level courses introduce concepts and theories → BREADTH. • Advanced-level courses offer specializations → DEPTH. Strategies for Class Climates • Content-Centered Approach – Teach the content and the target skills will develop implicitly. • Learning-Centered Approach – Teach the target skills, with the content of the course serving as context. Implications of the LearningCentered Approach • Learning goals must be specified. • Assignments concentrate on active learning. • Students get developmental feedback. The teacher becomes the “guide on the side,” rather than the “sage on the stage.” Why Study Psychology? • THE LONG VIEW “The best potential of liberal learning… the juncture of the humanities and sciences where students gain the human-focused values and the scientific tools necessary to see and care about the human condition and to improve it.” ~McGovern, 2010 • THE SHORT VIEW “So you won’t be a jerk!” ~A psychology professor How Popular Is Psychology? The Components of Psychological Literacy (1 of 2) • Having a well-defined vocabulary and basic knowledge about psychology • Placing great value on scientific thinking to analyze information and find alternative courses of action • Taking a creative and amiably skeptical approach to problem solving • Applying psychology principles to work, relationships, and the broader community The Components of Psychological Literacy (2 of 2) • Acting ethically • Being competent in using and evaluating information and technology • Communicating effectively in different modes and for different audiences • Recognizing, understanding, and fostering respect for diversity • Being insightful and reflective about mental processes ~Halpern, 2010 APA Guidelines 2.0 (1 of 5) KNOWLEDGE BASE IN PSYCHOLOGY 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology 1.2 Develop a working knowledge of psychology’s content domains 1.3 Describe applications of psychology APA Guidelines 2.0 (2 of 5) SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY AND CRITICAL THINKING 2.1 Use scientific reasoning to interpret psychological phenomena 2.2 Demonstrate psychology information literacy 2.3 Engage in innovative and integrative thinking and problem solving 2.4 Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research 2.5 Incorporate sociocultural factors in scientific inquiry APA Guidelines 2.0 (3 of 5) ETHICAL AND SOCIAL REPONSIBILITY IN A DIVERSE WORLD 3.1 Apply ethical standards to evaluate psychological science and practice 3.2 Build and enhance interpersonal relationships 3.3 Adopt values that build community at local, national, and global levels APA Guidelines 2.0 (4 of 5) COMMUNICATION 4.1 Demonstrate effective writing for different purposes 4.2 Exhibit effective presentation skills for different purposes 4.3 Interact effectively with others APA Guidelines 2.0 (5 of 5) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 5.1 Apply psychological content and skills to career goals 5.2 Exhibit self-efficacy and selfregulation 5.3 Refine project-management skills 5.4 Enhance teamwork capacity 5.5 Develop meaningful professional direction for life after graduation Measuring Up: Your Course and APA Revisit your course syllabus. What kind of overlap do you see between the architecture of the course in which you are currently enrolled and the APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major 2.0? The Psychology Advantage in the Workforce (1 of 6) CONTENT ADVANTAGES • SOCIAL: How do attitudes change? • MOTIVATION: What inspires top performance? • COGNITIVE: How do people process information? • EMOTION: What stress levels optimize performance? • INDUSTRIAL: How do you pick top performers? The Psychology Advantage in the Workforce (2 of 6) SKILL SET ADVANTAGES • Accurately describing and predicting individual and group behavior • Understanding and using data to support an argument • Interpreting research data and graphs accurately • Evaluating the legitimacy of claims about behavior • Synthesizing information from diverse sources The Psychology Advantage in the Workforce (3 of 6) SKILL SET ADVANTAGES • Having insight into problematic behaviors • Demonstrating the capacity to adapt to change • Operating effectively in informal and formal channels of an organization • Managing difficult situations and high-stress environments • Communicating effectively in oral and written modes The Psychology Advantage in the Workforce (4 of 6) SKILL SET ADVANTAGES • Starting and executing projects with limited information and experience • Exhibiting persistence in challenging situations • Working effectively in teams that include people with diverse backgrounds • Engendering trust through personal integrity • Writing reports that follow directions and use appropriate conventions The Psychology Advantage in the Workforce (5 of 6) METACOGNITIVE ADVANTAGES • Intellectual curiosity • Expectation of complexity about the origins of behavior • Tolerance of ambiguity • Humility • Amiable skepticism The Psychology Advantage in the Workforce (6 of 6) METACOGNITIVE ADVANTAGES • Enthusiasm for the value of human diversity • Recognition of the value of ethics and integrity • Engagement in civic and social responsibilities Conclusions • The more conversant you are in what you can do, the better case you can make to gatekeepers of your future. • Purposefully review how each of your courses contributes to your content knowledge, skill sets, and metacognitive advantage. Discussion Questions (1 of 2) 1. What is the difference between a learning- centered approach and a content-centered approach to course delivery? 2. How popular is the psychology major in contemporary higher education? 3. How would you describe the characteristics of the psychologically literate citizen? Discussion Questions (2 of 2) 4. What are the five major learning goals of the APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major 2.0? 5. What should you be able to do as the result of completing an undergraduate major in psychology that would have appeal for future employers or would help you to be admitted to graduate or professional school?
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