Course Title: “Communicating Psychological Science”
Taught By: Professor of Psychology and Associate Provost for Faculty Development Benjamin Le
Says Le:
This course is designed as a “writing lab,” in which students discuss and employ techniques to improve their writing, give and receive feedback, and practice academic and non-academic writing and presentation skills. The goal is to prepare students for senior thesis research and other forms of writing they may do in their careers at Haverford and beyond. It is a skill-building workshop in the many forms of communication central to psychological science, including writing funding requests, IRB applications, research proposals, empirical research reports, research reviews, and peer reviews. We also explore science journalism, academic blogging, and leveraging social media for science education.
It was first conceived out of necessity when Sharpless Hall was being renovated and we didn’t have access to our typical lab spaces for a semester. So I designed this as a “writing lab” to take the place of my previous lab I taught. It was very successful, and I ended up deciding to keep it in our curriculum permanently.
Unlike other labs in our department, this one isn’t tied to a particular area of psychology (e.g., cognitive psych, personality psych). Instead, it cuts across topics in psychology and focuses on how psychology students can improve their writing skills no matter what area they are researching.
Learn more about other courses offered by the Department of Psychology.
