Many women are attracted to psychology as a college major; however, the majority of women nationally choose careers and graduate work in applied and clinical settings, rather than in research. At our institution, psychology attracts the third largest group of majors, with approximately one in four of these women (28%) obtaining teacher certification as preparation for a career in education. This project, therefore, has created an integrated classroom laboratory for experimental psychology. Students use computers regularly to study research methods and experimental psychology in an integrated fashion. Also, these hands-on applications allow students to gain experience and heighten confidence in their ability to conduct research as professional scientists, in applied field settings, or as classroom teachers.
