Taking an Independent Research Course in Psychology: Different Teaching Models Lead to Very Different Experiences

Students majoring in psychology are often required or encouraged to have hands-on experience in the field. One way to gain experience is through an independent research experience (IRE); however, little is known about what IREs actually entail. In an effort to learn about students’ IREs, we recruited 117 undergraduates from a Research I university and asked them questions about their IREs. Importantly, a faculty mentor may choose to structure their IRE in one of four ways: (a) only a full lab meeting with all research assistants, (b) only one-on-one meetings with the individual student, (c) both full lab meetings and one-on-one meetings, or (d) neither a full lab meeting nor a one-on-one meeting. Descriptive data indicated that most students were involved in both full lab meetings and one-on-one meetings, or just full lab meetings. Exploratory regression analyses indicated that participating in both full lab meetings and one-on-one meetings may be the most effective model for positive perceptions of the IRE.