Be honest – why did YOU decide to study Psychology? A recent graduate and a professor reflect

Abstract

Understanding student motivation is key to unlocking higher student satisfaction and allowing teachers to meet the expectations of their students. Psychology students have their own unique motivations. Using autoethnographic methods, a recent graduate and a professor of psychology come together to recall our own experiences from the classroom. From these, we arrive at definitions for two psychology student motivations that have stood out to us. We suggest how understanding motivations such as these can be beneficial for students and teachers alike. We discuss the benefits and limitations of using autoethnography to give our first-hand accounts, demonstrating the potential of this lesser-known methodology as a valid way to bring educational experiences into journals.