To Thine Own Self Be True: Reducing Self-Biases With a Seminar Course on the Self

Previous research demonstrates that psychology courses have the potential to reduce students’ biases (e.g., biases against women). In the current research, we hypothesized that taking a seminar-style course on the self (as compared to a research methods course) could reduce students’ typically biased views of the self (i.e., unrealistically favorable perceptions of the self). Supporting our hypothesis, by the end of the semester, students in the self-course were less biased in their views of the self than students in the comparison research methods course. Implications for course structure and bias reduction are discussed.