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BackgroundLab manuals help researchers and students share a common understanding of the rules, guidelines, and expectations related to being involved with a research laboratory. However, no formal guidelines direct the creation of lab manuals in psychology. ObjectiveIn this study, we conducted qualitative analyses of 10 psychology lab manuals to provide some broad guidelines for crafting a lab manual that would improve the research experience for undergraduate students. MethodTaking an inductive approach, a team of researchers created codes from the contents of the manuals, and then derived themes from those codes. ResultsThemes included lab philosophy and direction, expectations and roles in the lab, communication inside and outside the lab, ethics, preparing for research, conducting research, presenting research, networking, and benefits of undergraduate research. ConclusionWe defined and provided specific examples of each theme for consideration by educators and discussed limitations of our approach. Teaching ImplicationsUltimately, these themes could serve as a modest outline from which teacher-scholars can create their lab manuals from scratch or to revise/expand current manuals. 

Previous research has shown that intellectual humility (IH) could predict important academic outcomes. This study explores the associations between IH, four different types of academic motivation (intrinsic motivation-to know and -to accomplish, extrinsic motivation-external regulation, amotivation) and academic self-efficacy. Undergraduate students (N= 261) from a Hispanic majority institution completed validated measures assessing these variables. Multiple regression showed that IH positively predicted intrinsic motivation-to know and -to accomplish, and academic self-efficacy. Results also showed no association between IH and extrinsic motivation-external regulation and a negative association with amotivation. These findings extend previous research by showing that IH is not only positively linked to a desire to learn for knowledge’s sake, but also to the process of learning. They suggest that intellectual humility could, with further research, be leveraged to enhance students’ intrinsic motivation and academic self-efficacy, thereby contributing to improved academic performance and well-being. 

Social comparison processes can affect academic and interpersonal outcomes for minoritized college students. However, the literature has not addressed how these processes play out for Hispanic students who attend Hispanic Majority Institutions, in which Hispanic students comprise more than 50% of the population. In this study, such students ( N = 191) completed online assessments for social comparison orientation (SCO), belongingness, academic self-concept, and perceived stress. Results showed that, regarding belongingness, SCO was positively correlated to rejection/exclusion, but not acceptance/inclusion. Regarding academic self-concept, SCO was positively correlated to self-doubt, but not self-confidence. Mediation analyses showed that perceived stress fully mediated the relationship between SCO and rejection/exclusion, and partially mediated the relationship between SCO and academic self-doubt. In other words, SCO was associated with increased stress, which was then associated with increased feelings of rejection/exclusion and self-doubt about academic abilities. These findings offer additional insight into Hispanic college students’ experience. 

Background: Lab manuals help researchers and students share a common understanding of the rules, guidelines, and expectations related to being involved with a research laboratory. However, no formal guidelines direct the creation of lab manuals in psychology. Objective: In this study, we conducted qualitative analyses of 10 psychology lab manuals to provide some broad guidelines for crafting a lab manual that would improve the research experience for undergraduate students. Method: Taking an inductive approach, a team of researchers created codes from the contents of the manuals, and then derived themes from those codes. Results: Themes included lab philosophy and direction, expectations and roles in the lab, communication inside and outside the lab, ethics, preparing for research, conducting research, presenting research, networking, and benefits of undergraduate research. Conclusion: We defined and provided specific examples of each theme for consideration by educators and discussed limitations of our approach. Teaching Implications: Ultimately, these themes could serve as a modest outline from which teacher-scholars can create their lab manuals from scratch or to revise/expand current manuals. 

This paper describes the types of social comparison used by Hispanic students at a Hispanic Majority Institution through two studies ( N = 406). We found that students engaged in upward identification more often than downward identification, downward contrast, and upward contrast. However, when comparing themselves on an academic measure, downward identification and upward contrast became relatively more frequent. Additionally, downward identification tended to predict higher self-reported confidence about academic abilities than other types of social comparison.