Stereotypes, Biases, and Psychology's Hidden Figures Curriculum Integration Ideas for Psychology Courses

The Value of Curriculum Integration

Psychology courses offer opportunities to explore diverse perspectives and challenge dominant narratives. They foster inclusive, accessible learning that embraces varied identities and experiences. Through reflection and action, they cultivate critical thinking and a deeper understanding of self and society.

Setting the Context

Goal #1: Look for opportunities to include topics that address the intersectionality of social positions, challenge power and privilege, promote inclusion, and foster social and transformative change.

Goal #2: Look for opportunities to include topics pertaining to Indigenous histories, acknowledging the past and providing opportunities for students to learn about the continuing impact of colonialism on Indigenous communities.

Activity Suggestion

“We often have a mental picture of what a psychologist looks like or where they come from. Today we’re going to question that picture.”

This activity helps students see psychology as a discipline shaped by diverse voices, not just the familiar figures who dominate textbooks. By reflecting on their own assumptions about who becomes a psychologist, students can build awareness of implicit bias and gain a fuller picture of the field of psychology. Highlighting lesser-known scientists from equity-deserving groups wherever possible connects directly to course outcomes on social context, personality, and the science of behaviour. This also supports Seneca’s commitment to EDI by challenging stereotypes and helping students recognize how diverse perspectives strengthen both scientific discovery and social understanding.

Activity Objectives

1. Reflect on stereotypes and biases (explicit and implicit) that influence perceptions of people and groups.
2. Learn about underrepresented psychologists and why some figures in psychology are less widely recognized.

Warm-Up

1. Ask students a warm-up question such as, “When you think of a psychologist, who comes to mind?”
2. Collect quick responses using shout outs, polls, or the online chat box. Likely responses will include Freud, Piaget, Skinner, Pavlov, Bandura, etc., figures who are predominantly white, male, and European/North American.
3. Ask students, “Why do you think these figures are so well known? What patterns do you notice among them?” Guide students to consider factors such as historical dominance of certain groups in academia, structural barriers to recognition, the role of textbooks, and cultural stereotypes, and many more.

Spotlight on Diverse Psychologists

Present 3-4 short profiles of psychologists of your choice from equity-deserving groups. For example, you might consider:

• Dr. Mamie Phipps Clark (race, identity and child development)
• Dr. Robert Lee Williams II (racial bias and intelligence testing)
• Dr. Derald Wing Sue (racial equity and microaggressions)
• Dr. Claude M. Steele (stereotype threat)
• Dr. Pooja Agarwal’s list of Cognitive Scientists: You should know these cognitive scientists (2022)
• Many, many more!

Reflection

Students could respond individually or in pairs:

• Which of these psychologists did you already know? Why do you think you hadn’t heard of the others?
• What stereotypes about “who becomes a psychologist” might you hold, explicitly or implicitly
• How might stereotypes or implicit biases shape your own career choices, expectations, or interactions with others?

Debrief

1. Revisit the original list of psychologists and reflect on how your list might be expanded.
2. Reinforce that psychology is shaped by diverse voices.
3. This activity is about noticing our assumptions and seeing how different perspectives make psychology richer and more accurate.

Quick Integration Options

Key elements of this activity may also be integrated in smaller ways into existing assignments, for example:

• Ask students to include at least one psychologist from an underrepresented group in a paper or project. Prompt them to explain why this figure is less recognized and how their perspective challenges mainstream theory.
• Add a single reflection question (e.g., “Whose work or which perspectives are missing from this conversation and why might that be?”) to a weekly discussion post or quiz.
• When covering research methods, briefly highlight examples of how Western research tools can reflect cultural bias and invite students to consider alternative ways of knowing.

Deeper Dive #1: Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs”

Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs” is one of the most recognized models in psychology, often presented as a pyramid moving from basic needs to self-actualization. What is less widely recognized is that in 1938, Maslow spent six weeks with the Siksika Nation of the Northern Blackfoot Confederacy in Alberta. He observed a society grounded in respect for Elders, community responsibility, and collective well-being, values that strongly influenced his ideas. While Maslow incorporated some of these insights into his model, he reframed them into an individualistic, pyramid-shaped hierarchy and largely omitted the community-centered dimensions. He also failed to credit the Blackfoot people for their contributions, leaving a significant Indigenous influence unacknowledged in the popularized theory.

Prompts for Discussion and Reflection:

1. How does knowing about Maslow’s connection to Indigenous knowledge change the way you think about the “hierarchy of needs”?
2. What differences do you notice between the individual focus of Maslow’s model and the community focus of the Blackfoot worldview?
3. How can recognizing these roots help us approach psychology in a more inclusive and culturally aware way?

Deeper Dive #2: The Implicit Association Test”

Introduce the Implicit Association Test (IAT) from Harvard’s Project Implicit and assign it as asynchronous work if students are interested. The Implicit Association Test (IAT) measures unconscious biases by tracking how quickly people associate concepts, like race or gender, with positive or negative words. It reveals attitudes that may influence behavior without our awareness. Psychology students can also explore data and statistics available on the test.

Students can reflect in writing on their results and consider connections to psychology’s emphasis on scientific evidence over assumptions. They could share their impressions and perspectives on an optional Discussion Board in Learn@Seneca if interested.

Summary

Psychology grows stronger when diverse voices and ways of knowing are recognized. This activity invites students to question biases, uncover overlooked contributors, and see the field through a more inclusive lens.