A Laboratory Introduction to Psychology was written to acquaint the student with the concepts and methods of laboratory science as they apply to psychology. It is assumed that the laboratory course will follow or accompany a comprehensive course in introductory psychology which emphasizes scientific topics. The experiments have been related to journal articles and to sections of several popular textbooks so that students and instructors will have ready access to introductory material. This manual is limited to standard topics of experimental psychology, but includes some experiments that are relatively new. The topics discussed are grouped into in three main categories: Animal Behavior, Sensory Processes, and Human Behavior. Within each of these sections, the experiments are somewhat connected in shorter series. The Animal Behavior studies include one series consisting of conditioning, extinction, discrimination, and secondary reinforcement, and a second series on schedules of reinforcement and motivation. The experiments on Sensory Processes include some threshold measurements, and also a series of studies on perceived magnitude, adaptation level, and illusions. The experiments on Human Behavior include a series on learning and transfer, on short-term memory, and on two-person interactions.

PrefaceExperiments with Animal Behavior 1 Extinction and Spontaneous Recovery 2 Discrimination Training 3 Secondary Reinforcement 4 Response Rate and Schedules of Reinforcement 5 The Partial Reinforcement Effect in Extinction 6 MotivationExperiments in Sensory Processes 7 The Difference Threshold for Weight 8 Physical Magnitude and Perceived Magnitude 9 Adaptation Level 10 Relative-Size Illusion 11 Visual Acuity in the Retinal PeripheryExperiments in Human Learning and Performance 12 Transfer of Training 13 Short-Term Memory for Digits: I 14 Short-Term Memory for Digits: II 15 Short-Term Memory for Digits: III 16 Serial Learning 17 Serial Learning and Unusual Items 18 Two-Person Games: I 19 Two-Person Games: II. The Prisoner's DilemmaAppendixes A Methods in the Analysis of Data B Use of the Random Number Table C Experimental Reports D Instructions for Experiment 19