INTRODUCTORY PSYCHOLOGY TEACHING PRIMER Early Career ...

video in entirety is 29 minutes but I usually show the first 5-7 mins). Footage from the Milgram
study can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W147ybOdgpE (9 min). Before
showing this clip, ask students by show of hands how many would go all the way to 450 volts.
Rarely one or two students may bravely raise their hand. In the set-up to this video, it is also
important to emphasize that Milgram himself thought only 1% would go all the way. This can also
lead to a discussion of research ethics and the IRBs. (LO 1.2e)
To demonstrate Cognitive Dissonance (a topic students often struggle with), ask students a series
of questions on social issues such as global warming, world hunger, etc. (e.g., Rate your agreement
with these statements from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree): No one in this country should
go to bed hungry). Then ask if the students engage in any specific behavior regarding these issues
(e.g., Do you personally do anything to help those who are hungry (e.g. donate money/food,
work in soup kitchen)?). Then ask by show of hands how many students had strong attitudinal
statements but responded NO on the second set of questions. Discussion follows about how that
makes us feel when attitudes and behaviors are inconsistent and what we can do about it which
leads into dissonance theory. This activity is quick (10 minutes) but provides relevant application
for students. (LO 4.4)
Stereotypes: When discussing social perception and stereotypes, the classic study by Jane Elliot
can be replicated either in person or by watching a clip from either The Eye of the Storm or A
Class Divided (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/divided/). Ask students what
labels we currently categorize by, could this be replicated in modern classrooms, and how can we
minimize the effects of stereotypical assumptions This is often a difficult discussion to have,
encouraging students to be honest and respectful and emphasizing commonalities (e.g., we are all
college students at XYZ) might help alleviate some of the tension. Remember also not to call on
students directly to be a prototype for their social group (e.g., what stereotypes have you
experienced as a Black woman, etc.). (LO 8.4, 8.5)
If looking for a demonstration on a particular topic, the following site has a wealth of activities
organized by topic: http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/crow/activities.htm.
RELEVANT TOP ARTICLES
(Annotated Bibliography)
Goldstein, S.B. (1997). The Power of stereotypes: A labeling exercise. Teaching of Psychology,
24, 256-258.
In this article, the author describes a classic activity relevant to stereotypes, the application of
psychological theory, and critical thinking. Students are assigned a trait and then assigned to
work on a group project. Students treat their classmates according to their assigned traits and
observe the effect on their performance. This activity would serve as a nice transition from
discussing self-fulfilling prophecies to stereotypes.
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