ABSTRACT
I would like to begin this chapter by inviting you to contemplate the kinds of knowledge, skills, and perspectives that psychology majors should acquire during their undergraduate experience. At the St. Mary’s Conference on Undergraduate Education, Charles Brewer and his colleagues (1993) were instructed to devise a similar list. This list, which was called “Goals for Education in Psychology,” specified that the primary educational goal should be “scientific thinking about behavior” (pp. 168–169). Other more specific goals included the following items, listed in the order in which they were described in that conference summary: attention to human diversity, a broad and deep knowledge base, methodological competence, practical experience and application, effective communication skills, and sensitivity to ethical issues.
