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Transforming Our Lives through Self Reflection and Psychology
A psychology professor's collection of lessons fostering self-discovery through online activities, hands-on classroom experiences, engaging lectures, and effective discussion prompts.
Class-Specific Teaching Resource
Social Psychology
Is it you or situations you find yourself in? Social contexts and our role of construal (e.g., interpretations) shape our lives and cultures.
My first Social Psychology class flabbergasted me! Once upon a time, I considered a career in politics, hoping to help our society flourish. But as an American University college student (Washington, DC) I became disillusioned realizing politics cares less about solving problems and more about “solving” problems as a means to an end of power. I felt myself becoming cynical, something I’m repelled by having seen its impact on people who embrace it. I'd rather surround myself with beauty and see the world from a different angle. Even while moving away from politics, our seemingly insurmountable, worsening social conflicts weigh on me. Discovering Social Psychology meant learning we can actually study prejudice, morality, gender, aggression, and so much more contentiousness with science. While setting aside our biases is challenging, we can minimize them, and the self-correcting nature of science gives me hope.
"Cynicism isn't smarter; it's only safer." ~ Jewel
To me, Jewel Kilcher is the Taylor Swift of my generation. And I'm forever an Everyday Angel (EDA) and Swiftie. ~ Katie
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Dear Mr. Vernon, ... we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us: in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal. Does that answer your question? Sincerely yours,
Class Organization & Handouts
Social Psychology Syllabus
A Social Psychology syllabus I wrote with sample integration of Copernican Revolution activities. I invested in writing every section and designing policies to be affirm each students path and pull them into the class with intrinsic motivation.
Normative Bias in Psychology
Examining normative bias in Psychology with vivid examples such as intelligence tests, morality, neurodivergence and gender & sexuality. By recognizing a measuring stick is not object, we can appreciate ourselves and others more.
Confirmation Bias and Scientific Discovery
In-person game played with students, the mimicking scientific discovery with Wason's 2-4-6 Hypothesis Rule Discovery Task.
Attachment Styles - Getting Stuck in Unhelpful Boxes
Teach and learn about Attachment Styles, and especially how we get stuck reenacting unhelpful patterns based on John Bowlby's concept of canalization, a kind of confirmation bias.
Sex Differences - How Different are Men and Women?
A descriptive review of psychological sex differences found in meta-analyses, while examining effect sizes.
What Do We Owe Each Other? A discussion of Carol Gilligan's Ethics of Care.
Discussion lesson of Kohlberg's Heinz dilemma and Gilligan's In a Different Voice to appreciate debate in moral psychology and learn some psychology of gender.
Teaching Well - The Art of Not Being Grotesque
Discussion of how Sherwoord Anderson's Winesburg Ohio teaches us an important lesson about pedagogy - avoid the confirmation bias to try to not to be grotesque.
Faces of Feeling: Exploring the Universality of Basic Emotions
What emotions are on people's faces? Can people conceal emotions on their faces? Does another persons ages, gender, and ethnicity impact how you read emotion? | Psychology Key Concepts: Basic Emotions; Facial Processing
Are Eyes Windows to the Soul?
What emotions do we see in people's eyes? What does your ability say about how emotions and understanding how mental states work? | Psychology Key Concepts: Emotion; Theory of Mind; Mentalism; Mental States; Autism Spectrum
What Solving Puzzles Reveals, and What They Don’t
Three quick puzzles - math, analogies, and visual patterns - explore how different kinds of thinking connect. Reflect on your performance and feelings to learn what psychology says about intelligence and test anxiety. | Psychology Key Concepts: Intelligence, IQ, Stereotype Threat
How Much Do We Care to Be Curious?
Do you like to think things through, or trust your instinct? Explore how we enjoy effortful thinking and how often we actually slow down to reflect. | Psychology Key Concepts: Need for Cognition; Cognitive Reflection
The Quiet Pull beneath Group Polarization
Why is it so hard talking across divides, or even noticing we’re leaning further into our own? | Psychology Concepts: group polarization, tribalism, extremism, social comparison, persuasive arguments
How Do We Know When We're Being Ourselves?
Most of us have moments when we feel completely genuine. And other moments when we wonder if we're acting out of habit, expectation, or something else entirely. What does it actually mean to be authentic? Explore eight facets of authenticity.