Examining students' interest in, and perceived value of, research and non-research psychology subjects

Although research literacy is necessary for the competent delivery of psychological services, many psychology students hold negative attiudes toward research subjects. The current study explored undergraduate students’ perceptions of research subjects relative to non-research subjects. A sample of 249 Australian (45.4%) and Singaporean (54.6%) first-year university students (Mage = 21.27, SDage = 5.14, females = 75.9%) indicated their interest in, and perceived value of, 32 psychology subjects (based on title and a short description). They also nominated their most/least interested and valued subject and provided a free-text explanation for their selections. Participants perceived research subjects as significantly less interesting and valuable relative to non-research subjects. K-Means cluster analysis indicated that research subjects are seen as distinct, forming their own cluster. This “distinctness” is further demonstrated in the reasoning provided by the students who were least interested, or perceived the least value, in a research subject. The thematic analysis of participants’ open-ended responses revealed that students considered research subjects to be especially difficult, requiring skills they did not possess or enjoy using (e.g., mathematics), and lacking relevance to their future studies and intended careers. Models of academic interest typically assume that perceived value of a subject area is a strong driver of interest in that area; however, these findings raise questions as to how to help students gain a greater interest in, and appreciation for, research subjects. The current findings suggest that research methods instructors should aim to emphasize the relevance of research to practice in high interest areas (e.g., psychopathology).

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Celebrating Transformative Education Conference

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