Heavy metal music may not be something typically covered in an introductory psychology textbook, but it has a long history of unique instances that are directly related to psychology. There are many useful resources from this area of popular culture that can help students think like scientists. By incorporating examples from the world of heavy metal, educators can discuss scientific thinking in a way that is engaging and memorable for students.
Helping students think like scientists—that is to apply the rigorous principles of hypothesis testing outside of the classroom—is a challenge. Robert Cialdini proposed that creating mystery in the classroom is an effective means to engage students and promote learning. Specifically, Cialadini argued that instructors should frame a lecture in the same way a mystery writer frames a novel, by posing a puzzle and providing the information for the reader—or in this case, the student—to solve it. The question, or mystery, can be broadly stated as, "Can music lead people to commit harmful acts?"
Using the Cialadini approach of creating mystery, educators can frame a discussion around music as a way to introduce a variety of topics related to scientific thinking, such as logical fallacies, issues in research methodology, and biases in thinking.
http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00146/full
Helping students think like scientists—that is to apply the rigorous principles of hypothesis testing outside of the classroom—is a challenge. Robert Cialdini proposed that creating mystery in the classroom is an effective means to engage students and promote learning. Specifically, Cialadini argued that instructors should frame a lecture in the same way a mystery writer frames a novel, by posing a puzzle and providing the information for the reader—or in this case, the student—to solve it. The question, or mystery, can be broadly stated as, "Can music lead people to commit harmful acts?"
Using the Cialadini approach of creating mystery, educators can frame a discussion around music as a way to introduce a variety of topics related to scientific thinking, such as logical fallacies, issues in research methodology, and biases in thinking.
http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00146/full