I’m a professor of psychology, and I’ve taught courses in behavioral statistics and research methods my entire career. No one decides to major in psychology for the chance to take statistics and research methods. Students usually choose the major because they want to help people by aiming for a career in fields like clinical or counseling psychology. To help people, students believe that they need compassion, empathy, and good listening skills but not expertise in statistics or research methods. They often question why these courses are required. These students usually have no desire to conduct research, and they see the courses as difficult obstacles to their career goals. They want to get through these courses with as little effort as possible and, after completing them, to never think about these topics again. That mindset scarcely supports their motivation to learn, and it complicates my goal of conducting a successful course. But I have tricks.
