goals  and  plan 

Psychology Results/ Action Plan

Program Goal I: Create knowledge about psychology 

Procedures: Encourage participation in Independent Study and Research and Honors; make ourselves available to supervise these student projects. 

Assessment: Record student participation in research 

Results: Below are students enrolled in PS491 (Independent Study in Psychology) and PS494 (Independent Research in Psychology) since 2000[1]. 

Some of these lead to Psychology Honors. In the 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 academic years we had one Honors student each. In 2002 - 2003 we had two Honors students. 

Action: Continue the efforts that produced these results. 

Program Goal II: Share knowledge about psychology 

Assessment: Administer ETS’ Major Field Test in Psychology, Spring 2003. We administered the test to 34 Psychology majors who had completed Introduction to Psychology (PS201) and our Introduction to the major course (PS220). We also administered the test to 11 of our seniors. Normative data for the tests are provided only for seniors, though we thought a comparison of seniors with freshmen/sophomores would be helpful as well.[2]
 

Results: ETS’ Major Field Test (MFT) in Psychology provides students with an overall score as well as sub-scores in: 

• Learning and Cognition
• Perception/Sensation/Physiological/Comparative/Ethology
• Clinical, Abnormal & Personality
• Developmental and Social

Our 34 freshmen/sophomores had group sub-scores in the 2^nd to 3^rd percentiles (compared to graduating seniors nationwide). These percentiles are difficult to interpret because ETS does not provide normative data for freshman/sophomores. Our 11 seniors, in contrast, had group scores that ranged between the 12^th percentile for Developmental/Social and the 40^th percentile for Learning and Cognition. At the individual student level, our top three seniors (on the MFT) had all participated in Psychology Honors and/or Independent research (54^th, 65^th and 72^nd percentile). We were pleased our Honors and Independent Research options helped our better students excel both locally and against the national norms. 

More refined analyses of student scores vis-à-vis specific Psychology courses taken are waiting administrative approval to access student records.  

The MFT also provides assessment indicators, not for individual students, but for our program in general. These indicators point to areas we appear to be strong or weak in. The indicators are in: 

• Memory and Thinking
• Sensory and Physiology
• Developmental
• Clinical and Abnormal
• Social
• Measurement and Methodology

As a whole we were strongest in Sensory and Physiology, and Clinical & Abnormal, followed by Memory and Thinking. We were lowest in Measurement and Methodology, followed by Social and Developmental.

• Action #1: Obviously, these are complex patterns of results, confounded by the fact that the “non-experimental” data can never pinpoint causal connections. We were low in the Perception/Sensation/Physiological/Comparative/Ethology sub-area, but higher in the Sensory and Physiology assessment indicator, which lead us to conclude we need more emphasis in Comparative and Ethology, areas housed traditionally in either Psychology or Biology departments. To address this need we have begun work on a joint minor with Biology in these areas. Negotiations are under way.
   
• Action #2: Our top three seniors on the MFT also participated in Independent Research and/or Honors. For years the department has stressed the importance of Research, and several years ago we instituted our Honors program to push our better students to even higher levels. We were pleased to see the link between these research activities and the MFT results confirmed. While no separate action by the department was needed (the Honors program is already in place), “action” #2 can be interpreted as a reaffirmation of our commitment to providing these experiences for our students.
   
• Action/Issue #3: Our students find measurement and methodology (the Quantitative, scientific side of Psychology) a challenge, but we already knew that. The psychology department requires 8 credits of research methods for all majors, and 3 credits in measurement for Mental Health majors. This is a vigorous quantitative core compared to other Psychology departments. But our students struggle with this area before they arrive as seen in a careful examination of the freshmen/sophomore MFT scores. This was their lowest area before they enroll in our upper division courses. So, how to attract students with stronger scientific aptitudes? We hope Action #1 (joint program with Biology) will attract more majors who correctly view us as a science. This in turn may dispel a popular misconception that Psychology is nothing but mental health. We also are considering a name change to further the same end. Many Psychology departments have already switched to “Psychological Science” or “Behavioral and Brain Sciences”. We have discussed but not reached consensus on a possible name change.

Program Goal III: Encourage graduates to choose careers or graduate school in Psychology.

Assessment: We plan to survey graduates every three years.

Results: Forthcoming.

Action: Pending results.

Post script: The Psychology department tracks enrollments in courses. These are enrollments in PS201 (Intro) since 2000. The Fall-to-Spring swings are seasonal and have been in effect for at least a decade. Also note the minimal difference between seats offered and seats filled.