Intro Psych is the most difficult course we teach because we are not experts in the vast majority of the content. We rely on our Intro Psych textbooks—the one we adopted for our class and a stable of others that our students will never see—to help bring us up to speed in our weaker areas. Those who are lucky enough to have the funds go to conferences where they can hear experts who bring our knowledge up to date. For example at the 2025 Psych One Conference, we heard Kenneth Carter talk about how we can use high sensation-seeking behavior to help our students think about psychology’s big questions. We also heard from Kurt Gray about current research on morality. (I’m still thinking about the example he shared of people having sex with rotisserie chickens. Thanks, Kurt.)
Another rich source of knowledge are books written for a general audience by experts in psychology. If you weren’t in the audience for Carter’s talk, I encourage you to read his book Buzz! Inside the Minds of Thrill-Seekers, Daredevils, and Adrenaline Junkies. I’m about halfway through, and he has given me much to think about, especially as my wife and I work our way through all 37 seasons of The Amazing Race (streaming on Paramount+). We’re just finishing season 29. No spoilers, please!
If, a paragraph later, you, too, are still thinking about sex with rotisserie chickens, then I recommend Gray’s book Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground. His book is next on my personal reading list.
Psychology high school teacher extraordinaire Christina Luzzi has her students write a review of a book that is heavily related to psychology but written for a general audience. If you’re interested in doing something similar, please check out Luzzi’s instructions. Or maybe you’re more of a book group kind of person. Here are some suggestions for running your own in-class book group(s).
Even if you are just wanting to up your own Intro Psych knowledge, check out Luzzi’s list of over 100 books. Go to her instructions, and scroll down to the bottom of page 2. She has categorized the books by subject.
Not ready to spend (more!) money on books? Check your public or institutional library. If they don’t have the title you’re looking for, ask about interlibrary loan.
