Virtually all of our students enter Introductory Psychology with a full set of preconceived notions—many of them incorrect. Psychology: Perspectives and Connections is designed to move students beyond what may seem obvious to them, to have them reevaluate the thoughts and beliefs they bring to the course.

Students often think they already “know” psychology. They sometimes think “psychology is just common sense.” Perhaps they believe that human behavior is simply a by-product of heredity. Or perhaps they think that all they need to know about psychology is best learned by reading words on a page or a screen.

With this in mind, we challenge our students: Don’t believe everything you think. We encourage students to question preconceived notions, putting their ideas—and the ideas of others—to the test. Through text that is one component of a rich, digital environment, we engage students in thinking critically. We continually demonstrate the importance of challenging assumptions and experiences—whether as a student or as a researcher—to understand that no one perspective tells the whole story.