AVALIAÇÃO DE UMA PRÁTICA EM LABORATÓRIO DIDÁTICO COMO INSTRUMENTO PARA FORMAÇÃO DE PSICÓLOGOS

Abstract

Seeks to present an assessment of the learning process of undergraduate students in psychology who participates in Experimental Psychology Laboratory activities. These activities aim at the study of animal behavior by simulating human social practice and can assist both in learning basic concepts of behavioral processes, and in the ability of learning to work in groups, interpersonal and professional skills. Seven students of different semesters of the Psychology course followed procedures in order to coaching rats to engage in a similar social situation the basketball game 14 Colloquium Humanarum, Presidente Prudente, v. 11, n. 1, p.13-27, jan/abr 2014. DOI: 10.5747/ch.2014.v11.n1.h147 during the first semester of 2013. Participants had two types of evaluation. One was an assessment of theoretical knowledge from a test applied before the start of the experimental sessions and reapplied to the end of all sessions. The other was an assessment made by the participant, which evaluated their learning. There was an improvement in theoretical knowledge in all participants, in addition to the acquisition of skills and interests that did not exist before the research. Participants have identified environmental questions described as affecting animal behavior and the factors associated with the procedure that they were using. This meant that look for alternatives to solve problems. Some factors that was hinder the research were the distance require to covering by the research participants to arrive at the laboratory and for activities of daily routine. The present study seems that the Experimental Psychology Laboratory is an environment of learning, as well as other university rooms like the library, school clinic, and computer room. As such, it is not only a research environment, but also meets its educative role. The opportunity that students must contact with the living creatures goes beyond the classroom content. Finally, it can be affirmed that using procedures that use basic concepts of Experimental Psychology to play a social practice can increase student interest of different course periods in undergraduate extracurricular activities, and contribute to their academic and professional performance.

Keywords

• Training
• Psychology Laboratory
• Experimental Analogs