Introducing Students to Psychological Research: General Psychology as a Laboratory Course

For 6 years, we have offered an integrated weekly laboratory focusing on research methods as part of our general psychology course. Through self-report measures and controlled comparisons, we found that laboratory projects significantly increase students' knowledge and comfort level with scientific approaches and concepts, sustain interest in psychology, and increase critical thinking about psychological research. Implementing a laboratory component in the introductory course increases students' scientific literacy, reinforces psychology's claim to scientific status, encourages active learning, promotes quantitative reasoning, and benefits multiple constituencies.