Girls in Psychology
A student-led initiative • Coming together through curiosity

Curious minds.
Powerful women.

Exploring psychology, understanding human behavior, and opening doors for the next generation of girls in psychological science.

Get Involved →Explore Psychology
Our Mission

Psychology belongs to everyone.

Girls in Psychology is a student-led community making psychology education, research literacy, and career exploration more accessible to young women. We connect curious students with ideas, opportunities, and each other.

Learn

Accessible explainers on psychological science and human behavior.

Discover

Research summaries, methods, and opportunities to explore.

Connect

Collaborate with other students and learn from professionals through written features and shared projects.

Explore the Mind

Find your field of psychology

Choose a field to read a research-based article, explore scholarly sources, and complete a real interactive activity with instant feedback.

Click any field above to open its complete lesson and interactive activity. Activities are demonstrations, not scientific or clinical assessments.

Explore Your Opportunities

Our Programs

Find your place in psychology through writing, research collaboration, and creative participation:on your own schedule.

The Psychology Journal

Write, edit, and publish accessible psychology articles grounded in credible research. Apply as a student writer or editor.

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Psychology Research Collective

Work asynchronously with other students to review published studies and create research posters, literature reviews, and explainers.

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Psychology Without Borders

Participate from anywhere through independent psychology challenges, written global perspectives, and student spotlights. No live meetings required.

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New initiatives are being organized. Applications begin as expressions of interest; participation and publication are subject to review and capacity.

Made by Curious Minds

Our Series

Choose a theme you love, explore its features, and pitch something of your own. Our series are built around student contributions.

Inside the Criminal Mind

Create forensic psychology explainers, fictional case scenarios, and evidence-based interactive challenges. Try contributing: Pitch a fictional case activity or an article about memory and investigations.

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The Research Breakdown

Turn peer-reviewed studies into approachable summaries of the question, methods, findings, and limitations. Try contributing: Choose a published study and pitch a visual or written research breakdown.

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Women Behind the Mind

Create sourced profiles and written interviews celebrating women studying and working in psychology. Try contributing: Nominate a psychologist, research her work, or propose an email interview.

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Submit a pitch through Get Involved. Our team reviews ideas, sources, and final content before anything is published.

Help Shape What's Next

Join Our Team

Love design, technology, social media, or coming up with new ideas? Help build Girls in Psychology behind the scenes.

Social Media Team

Design posts, write captions, and plan educational campaigns.

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Website Team

Help improve pages, accessibility, and website content.

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Creative & Ideas Team

Suggest activities, series editions, and new ways to learn.

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Outreach Team

Connect with students, contributors, and potential partners.

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These are student volunteer interests, not paid jobs. Tasks are flexible and coordinated asynchronously.

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Get Involved

Whether you're interested in writing, research, creative projects, or helping our organization grow, we'd love to hear from you. Tell us what you'd like to contribute.

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Explore Psychology · Interactive lesson

Forensic Psychology

An eyewitness may sincerely believe their memory is accurate. Yet the way an event is described afterward can shape what a person reports. Forensic psychologists study how memory works in legal settings and how evidence can be evaluated responsibly.

01 · Learn the science

Eyewitness memory: why the wording matters

Can a question change what we remember?

Three ideas to know
  • Memory is reconstructive: Remembering is not the same as replaying a perfect recording. Details can be influenced by attention, expectations, and later information.
  • Leading questions matter: A question can subtly suggest an answer. Researchers test how question wording changes people's reports.
  • Careful interpretation: Research does not show that all eyewitnesses are wrong. It shows why confidence, questioning methods, and corroborating evidence deserve scrutiny.
02 · Behind the research

What did researchers actually study?

Loftus and Palmer (1974) asked participants to estimate vehicle speed after watching filmed collisions. The verb used in the question (such as “smashed” versus “contacted”) influenced speed estimates. In a second experiment, some participants were more likely to report broken glass that had not appeared in the film.

What should we be careful about?

These were controlled experiments using filmed events and particular questions; they do not establish how accurate any specific real-world witness is.

Research literacy means looking at methods and limitations:not only headlines.

03 · Interactive activity

The Eyewitness Interview Lab

You are reviewing questions asked after a fictional street incident. Choose the less suggestive question in each round, then see why it matters.

Question 1 of 3

A witness saw two bicycles pass an intersection. Which is the more neutral question?

The witness recalls a loud noise. Which question avoids adding a detail?

The witness says they saw someone near a storefront. Which follow-up is best?

This is a fictional educational activity. No answers are saved or sent to anyone.

04 · References & further reading

Check the sources

These are scholarly publications, not unsourced blog posts. Some publisher pages may require institutional access.

Loftus, E. F., & Palmer, J. C. (1974). Reconstruction of automobile destruction: An example of the interaction between language and memory. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 13(5), 585-589.

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Explore Psychology · Interactive lesson

Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive psychology investigates attention, memory, reasoning, and learning. One surprising finding is that trying to remember information can sometimes improve later recall more than simply rereading it.

01 · Learn the science

The testing effect: memory is strengthened by retrieval

Why can a quiz help you learn?

Three ideas to know
  • Encoding: Information must first be processed before it can be remembered.
  • Retrieval practice: Actively recalling information:such as answering questions without looking:can support later memory.
  • Timing matters: The benefits depend on how and when learning is tested; short-term performance and long-term retention are not always the same.
02 · Behind the research

What did researchers actually study?

Roediger and Karpicke (2006) compared students who restudied prose passages with students who practiced recalling them. Repeated study could help on a very immediate test, but retrieval practice improved retention on delayed tests.

What should we be careful about?

A short website exercise cannot reproduce the controlled timing and group comparisons of the published experiments. The activity below illustrates retrieval, not a measurement of your memory ability.

Research literacy means looking at methods and limitations:not only headlines.

03 · Interactive activity

The Retrieval Challenge

Read a short passage, hide it, and answer three questions from memory. You can reveal the explanation afterward.

Read this passage first

A sea otter has very dense fur that traps air and helps insulate its body in cold water. Unlike seals, sea otters do not rely on a thick layer of blubber. They often groom their fur to help maintain its insulating properties.

Question 1 of 3

What helps insulate a sea otter in cold water?

Which animal is mentioned as a comparison?

Why do sea otters groom their fur?

This is a fictional educational activity. No answers are saved or sent to anyone.

04 · References & further reading

Check the sources

These are scholarly publications, not unsourced blog posts. Some publisher pages may require institutional access.

Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning: Taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological Science, 17(3), 249-255.

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Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). The power of testing memory: Basic research and implications for educational practice. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 1(3), 181-210.

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Explore Psychology · Interactive lesson

Social Psychology

Social psychology examines how people's judgments and behavior are influenced by other people. One famous research tradition explores what happens when a group confidently gives an answer that conflicts with what an individual sees.

01 · Learn the science

Conformity: why group pressure can change a response

Would you trust your own eyes or a group?

Three ideas to know
  • Conformity: A person may change a public answer to align with a group, even without fully changing their private belief.
  • Social pressure: Wanting to fit in or avoid standing out can influence behavior.
  • Context matters: People do not always conform. Task difficulty, group conditions, and individual circumstances all matter.
02 · Behind the research

What did researchers actually study?

In classic line-judgment studies, Solomon Asch (1956) investigated how participants responded when a unanimous group gave an obviously incorrect answer. The studies documented both conformity and independence under group pressure.

What should we be careful about?

The original studies used a specific laboratory setup and historical participant samples. Their results should not be treated as a universal prediction of what any person will do.

Research literacy means looking at methods and limitations:not only headlines.

03 · Interactive activity

The Group Pressure Simulator

Imagine you are answering a simple question after a group of fictional classmates. Choose what you would do, then explore the psychology of the situation.

Question 1 of 3

Three classmates insist that a visibly shorter line is the longest. What is the best evidence-based way to decide?

A student agrees aloud with a group but privately thinks the group is wrong. What might this illustrate?

What conclusion best fits the research?

This is a fictional educational activity. No answers are saved or sent to anyone.

04 · References & further reading

Check the sources

These are scholarly publications, not unsourced blog posts. Some publisher pages may require institutional access.

Asch, S. E. (1956). Studies of independence and conformity: I. A minority of one against a unanimous majority. Psychological Monographs: General and Applied, 70(9), 1-70.

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Franzen, A., & Mader, S. (2023). The power of social influence: A replication and extension of the Asch experiment. PLOS ONE.

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Explore Psychology · Interactive lesson

Clinical Psychology

Clinical psychology includes research, assessment, and evidence-based approaches to mental health concerns. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one widely studied approach that examines connections among thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

01 · Learn the science

Understanding cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

How do psychologists evaluate treatments?

Three ideas to know
  • Thoughts: The way we interpret a situation can influence how we feel and act.
  • Behaviors: Avoidance or other habitual responses can sometimes maintain a problem.
  • Evidence-based care: Treatments are studied through clinical research, and outcomes can differ across conditions and individuals.
02 · Behind the research

What did researchers actually study?

Hofmann and colleagues (2012) reviewed meta-analyses of CBT across a range of psychological and health-related problems. They reported evidence supporting CBT for several conditions, while also emphasizing that evidence quality and strength varied across areas.

What should we be careful about?

A broad review cannot determine what treatment is right for any particular person. Clinical assessment and treatment decisions belong with qualified professionals.

Research literacy means looking at methods and limitations:not only headlines.

03 · Interactive activity

The CBT Concepts Explorer

Follow a fictional student's experience and identify thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This is educational:not therapy, screening, or diagnosis.

Question 1 of 3

A fictional student thinks, 'If I make one mistake, everyone will think I'm incapable.' Which part of the example is this?

The student feels nervous before presenting. Which part is described?

The student avoids every opportunity to present. Which part is described?

This is a fictional educational activity. No answers are saved or sent to anyone.

04 · References & further reading

Check the sources

These are scholarly publications, not unsourced blog posts. Some publisher pages may require institutional access.

Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36, 427-440.

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