The effectiveness of an applied psychology course with nonpsychology graduate students

Abstract

This research assessed the effectiveness or value of an applied psychology course with nonpsychology graduate students. Twenty-four graduate students who enrolled in an applied psychology course at Salisbury state College were selected as experimental subjects, and twenty-eight students were selected from the Graduate Education Department as control subjects. The following variables which may effect the relationship between treatment and criteria were controlled: enrollment as a nonpsychology graduate student, proximity to graduation, previous and concurrent psychology coursework. Differences between pretest-posttest, and pretest-follow-up scores on four criteria including state like anxiety, social anxiety, self disclosure, and martial adjustment were observed. When compared to the control group on the "posttest, subjects who completed the applied psychology course exhibited significantly greater improvement on most criteria measures. On the six month follow-up, significance on the criterion measures were somewhat diminished, however students who completed the applied psychology coursework continued to exhibit significantly greater improvement than those in the control group.