Undergraduate Students' Belief in the 50 Greatest Myths of Popular Psychology

Abstract

The current study assesses whether undergraduate students believe in common myths prevalent in the field of psychology. Historically, these myths have been misunderstood by many people and can lead to unwise decision-making and perpetuation of the myths. Students may enter introduction to psychology courses with misconceptions concerning psychological topics, so understanding the belief prevalence of these common myths can be essential for conveying accurate knowledge. For this study, 161 students enrolled in Psychology 100: Introduction to Psychology had the opportunity to take a survey in which they answered whether they believe in the 50 great myths of popular psychology. Results from this survey can ideally inform professors of topics that need to be better addressed in classes, and longer-term data could produce information about historical trends in these common myths over time.