Writing to Reduce Anxiety and Improve Outcomes in Introduction to Statistics for Psychology Majors

Psychology ranks fourth on the list of most common undergraduate majors and is increasing in popularity (McFarland, 2018). The most recent American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines for the undergraduate psychology major list scientific inquiry among its most important goals. In order to demonstrate literacy in psychological science, the APA recommends that students learn to interpret and communicate statistical findings as well as interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research (American Psychological Association, 2016). To that end, statistics for behavioural sciences is often a required course in undergraduate psychology curricula. Teaching statistics to an undergraduate population of non-math majors, such as those studying psychology, poses challenges, including negative beliefs and attitudes about statistics (Freeman et al., 2008 Gal et al., 1997; Holmes, 2012). Undergraduate statistics is often the only quantitative course required of many psychology majors, and, in light of negative perceptions and anxieties, it may be the only such course they complete throughout their undergraduate education. Accordingly, course objectives should be carefully considered to maximise student benefit and reduce negative experiences (Garfield, 1995). Primary aims of a statics course for psychological sciences could include: (1) preparing students to competently engage with the statistical concepts and applications that they are likely to see in other classes; (2) familiarising students with the key research and statistical methods used in the discipline; and (3) teaching students how to be responsible consumers of quantitative information they are likely to encounter outside of school. In this article, the authors propose that utilising best practices drawn from the Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) tradition can address the the primary aims, reduce negative classroom experiences, and lead to improved learning outcomes in introductory statistics courses for psychology majors.