First, I just want to make all potential readers go read the "Understanding Love" blog in that British Psychological Society article. Go. Now. I'll even link it below:
http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.com/2011/11/robert-sternberg-understanding-love.html
Ahhhh so cute. And now you're in a better mood so you'll like this post better!
This blog is hard because there are just so many completely different topics in psychology. I think the most enjoyable part of the class for me was just looking at how diverse and all-encompassing the subject of psychology really is - from personality and social behaviors to child development and memory. I positively devoured all the new terms and vocabulary. However, I think the concept from this class that will stick with me the longest is the six scientific thinking principles. After reading an entire textbook with those principles dispersed throughout, I've started asking myself those questions as I read other textbooks and articles - Is the evidence as strong as the claim? Can we be sure that A causes B? Have important alternative explanations been excluded?
These principles teach you to be more than a fat nerd devouring fact food. They teach you to examine the information you are presented and THINK about what it means, what it's excluding, what biases it contains, etc. The terms and vocab might fade from my memory (I mean, be replaced by other memories), but I think the scientific thinking principles will stay with me for a while.
I completely agree with you that the six scientific thinking principles are one of the most valuable things we learned in this class. I think that being able to think scientifically will prove to be valuable in many different types of jobs. For example, I am a business major, and I'll be able to use them when making decisions at work.