Assessment of the Knowledge Base of Psychology


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APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major

GOAL 1: Knowledge Base of Psychology: Demonstrate familiarity with the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology.

1.1 Characterize the nature of psychology as a discipline.

1.2 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding representing appropriate breadth and depth in selected content areas in psychology.

1.3 Use the concepts, language, and major theories of the discipline to account for psychological phenomena.

1.4 Explain major perspectives of psychology (e.g., behavioral, biological, cognitive, evolutionary, humanistic, psychodynamic,and sociocultural).

 

Assessment tools 

GRE Subject Test in Psychology

Major Field Test (MFT) for Psychology 

Area Concentration Achievement Test (ACAT) in Psychology

Homegrown tests (e.g., use questions from an upper-level Intro Psych book)

 

Source:

Landrum, E. & McCarthy, M. (2010). Assessing Student Skills in the Undergraduate Psychology Major. Best Practices Conference, Atlanta, GA.

 

 

Knowledge Surveys (link goes to Merlot.org) (Link courtesy of John Collins via PsychTeach.)

Knowledge surveys contain a list of ideas/concepts you want students to know, and students are asked to evaluate how well they think they know it.  Students are asked to do this at the beginning of the course and again at the end. (Click on KS Resources for an example of such a survey for psychology.)