An intervention to improve students’ knowledge of open science practices in an undergraduate psychology course

Objective: To evaluate the effects of an intervention for improving the knowledge of open science practices among undergraduate psychology students.Method: Participants were undergraduate students (n pre-intervention = 95, n post-intervention = 116) taking a course in health psychology. Seminar leaders introduced open science principles and practices in a 20-minute presentation and a week later students delivered a group presentation including critical reflection on the implementation of open science practices within the health psychology literature. The change in scores between before and after the teaching intervention was measured using a questionnaire evaluating students’ open science knowledge and attitudes.Results: There were baseline differences in most of the open science knowledge and attitude items between students enrolled in a psychology degree program compared to students enrolled in other programs. Following the teaching intervention, students demonstrated improved knowledge about code sharing and user participation. However, study program was better predictor of changes in attitude item scores than the intervention. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that a teaching intervention as short as 20 minutes can impact students’ knowledge about and attitude toward open science practices. Moreover, students’ prior knowledge and attitudes had some influence on the results of the intervention. Teaching Implications: A short introduction to open science practices combined with student activity can enhance students’ knowledge and impact their attitudes towards open science. For the development of teaching materials, students’ pre-existing open science knowledge and attitude should be considered. It is also important to update course materials to accommodate new methods and discussions around open science.