n Introduction to Psychology or PS101 is one of the most popular courses at BU and colleges across the United States. Most students do not have much, if any, exposure to psychology in high school and are curious to try it in college.

Yet, as any person who has taken psychology here will tell you, BU has an unconscionable requirement that every student participate as a subject in experiments conducted by the department. Lest anyone think that this is aimed to help the student learn experimental methods, it is important to mention that the students are not involved in these studies, except as guinea pigs, nor is it a requirement when the course is taken in the Metropolitan College.

How can one justify asking a student to pay $4,166 in tuition for an introductory class, and then require them to happily function as test subjects without compensation? While offering an essay assignment as an alternative may satisfy American Psychological Association ethical guidelines, this is a punitive option — if the paper is an important learning tool, it should be assigned to everyone in the class. If not, no one should have to do it. I would like to believe that psychology testing is beyond abusing students — such as those traumatized by Milgram’s Obedience study — but this practice makes me question how far we have come.

Daniel Stein

CAS ’09