2.8
Quality3.6
Difficulty35%
Would Retake99
Reviews35%
Would Retake
99
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
15
4
20
3
24
2
24
1
16
What Students Say
“Higley is a really good professor and a great guy”
PSYC111 - 5.0 rating“He has a ton of interesting things to talk about”
PSYC111 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
100%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.15 avg changeRatings by Course
PSYCH390
5.0
(1)387PRIMATE
5.0
(2)PSYCH381
4.5
(4)PSYCH387
4.0
(6)PSYC111
3.2
(9)Difficulty by Course
PSYCH302
5.0
PSYCH320
4.2
PSYCH390
4.0
PSYCH110
4.0
PSYCH381
4.0
Reviews (99)
Dr. Higley is one of the coolest teachers you will ever have. ever. BUT, you do need to have interest in the subject and will have to read the assigned reading. He truly cares about his students and is so fun. Awesome discussions in class. Great insights to life.
He is a very nice guy, but his exam and quiz questions are very confusing. If a question doesn't make sense, point it out to him and he will usually give you points. This class is a lot of work and very stressful.
Higley=mistakes. His iClicker questions are unclear-everyone argues why it's a bad question and he always says: "well, if it was worded better..then you would know what the answer was." Psychology is my major and I love reading the text. Attending class does nothing fore me because he uses boring examples and just doesn't teach well. dont take it
This was my worst classes yet. Dr. Higley's question are confusing and his presentations are poorly put together. Everyone always argues about his questions, because they are so convoluted and poorly worded. Made an interesting topic dull and frustrating. If you HAVE to take it, be sure to do the reading and participate in psych studies.
I like Dr higley. He is a little hard to understand, and has dry humor. However if you put in a reasonable amount of time studying then you will pass. i get A's on his tests and i dont consider myself smart at all, seriously.it's not hard to get an A if you're not one of those kids who sits in the back and complains the whole time about everything
Dr. Higley knows what he's talking about, but only when he's talking about the monkeys. The rest is hard to understand. I've always considered myself a good student, but this class has made me not like psychology anymore. Do the reading, and don't ever skip class. It's hard enough to understand if you're even there everyday.
Tricky class, lots of self teaching. Not terribly clear to understand what he's asking, probably has dulled my interest in psychology since taking the class.
If you have to take psychology 111 I highly reccomend a different teacher. He is a nice man and he tries hard but the lectures are incoherent and his questions are very poorly written.
He pretty much does not seem to know what is going on. His tests are not easy...some questions are not related to the study guide. Strange fellow. Likes to talk about sex.
words can't even describe the pain of this class. Dr. Higley seems like a very nice man but his lectures are extremely unclear and test are impossible. this is the worst class i've had at byu so far.and i came into this class in love with psychology. if you can take this class with another teacher do it. otherwise i would recommend not taking it at
He is a very nice man but I honestly think that his going from an actual CAREER in psychology to TEACHING psychology is what has hindered him. He is very ambiguous about due dates, he cannot make concepts clear, he does not seem very available for help, his pictures in slide shows often seem inappropriate and his lectures are virtually useless.
Im not sure how I felt about this class...Some lectures were very interesting, and others were very confusing and boring. On the days that I read the chapter before going to class I got a lot more out of the lecture. I think that this is the class to take if you are able to learn on your own by reading the book. One plus - fairly easy tests.
Psychology is not a boring subject, however Dr. Higley's class makes it seem so. He knows what he teaches, but he doesnt convey the concepts very well in class and it's really confusing at times. You basically have to teach yourself from reading the text book and mypsych lab quizzes. Take from someone else.
This class is SO frustrating. Dr. Higley is a very nice man and easy to talk to.. however, he doesn't know how to teach well. He hardly talks about what he tests you on.. His lectures are unreasonably explicit-I felt very uncomfortable a lot of times. His tests are ridiculous, very unreasonably detailed. Avoid this class if you can.
OK everyone is exagerating a little on how terrible he is. Sure he needs to go back to the Pysch lab from whence he came but he wasn't that terrible. Not the best lecturer. YOU WILL fall asleep if sleep deprived. Tests are somewhate riduculous. Questions that where neither in book or lecture. if they where it was only a reference in one sentence
Truly a lame class. Everything seemed disorganized, and lectures were very boring. Prof. Higley knows his stuff and can answer any question, but doesn't do well at conveying that understanding. Tests and quizzes were always frustrating; the wording was never clear, and the questions were usually about minute details never discussed.
He is a nice professor and you can tell he cares, but his teaching style was not very helpful. Test questions and in class quiz questions were worded very poorly and it made testing difficult.
I liked him he loves what he teaches and it shows
He's a pretty good professor. During lectures he skips test material and tells stories. I got some good naptime during his class. Just use the reviews, study his lecture slides before every test. You'll do fine.
horrible teacher. nice guy. stupid questions on tests
he was okay
He tried his best but he didn't cover any of the test material in class. and all of his questions on the tests and quizazes were completely subjective to your own personal opinions.
Dr. Higley is very knowledgeable and provides reliable and interesting information about the material. He is confident in his teaching style and he provides a comfortable class environment. He does require an excess of work for the class that isn't necessarily helpful or wanted. The study guide quizzes were not the best study guides.
DR. Higley is a nice guy. His tests were hard, except for final. it was wierd. His lectures can get very very very boring. good class its tough to make psychology not interesting he is nice guy
Dr. Higley is a really nice guy, but very aloof. His lectures were sometimes interesting, sometimes not, and I found his tests a little hit-and-miss (the final was a breeze). Not my favorite class ever.
I feel bad giving a bad review because he is such a nice guy, but he just chooses topics that he likes to talk about and rambles on about them. The tests were hard. His main problem is that the questions he writes just seem to be very subjective and hard to understand. Some days class was really boring and hard to follow what he's talking about.
Very good teacher. Tried to relate psychological principles to the gospel and callings in the church. He does talk about his monkeys a lot, but it's usually interesting.
He's pretty good. During lectures he skips test material and tells stories. Got some good naptime during that class. Overall, it was really interesting, and chill. Study and you'll do fine.
Higley's class is amazing. His lectures are amazing in that he just talks about what he knows. His tests are usually essay questions, but aren't too hard if you pay attention in class, take notes, and study outside of class.
Dee Higley is one of my all-time favorite professors. The material was a little boring sometimes and some of the lectures were really awkward (just warning you), but he was very aware of the situation and tried his hardest to fix whatever was wrong. You do have to work hard to get a decent grade. He has a great sense of humor, and is super nice!
DR. Higley is the best psych professor! SO nice and he is always willing to talk to students outside of class. His class is hard but not impossible if you read and listen in class. He also has tons of opportunities to get involved with research if you choose.
This class is pretty much ridiculous. The lectures really didn't help at all for the tests. Do yourself a favor and get a different professor for psychology.
Good sense of humor, expects a little too much on tests but you can do fine if you do the reading and put some work into studying.
I do not feel that I got anything out of this class that was truly enlightening. I tried hard for the first couple of weeks to read the chapters from the book, but this simply took too much time. He even admitted that it was long and wasn't planning on using it again, but still expected us to read it. Then he grades us on whether we did or not.
Dr. Higley is a GREAT guy. Super helpful, super insightful and genuinely nice. But I hate his tests. I went in to each test feeling better than before only to find my grades were lower than before. Take this class if you have some background in neuroscience or can spend 5 hours per class (10/week) alone for this class. Audit it. It's a good class.
Too much reading, and the tests were silly.
There a lot of comments about his ability to write test questions for a reason. A lot of his questions rely on assumptions or worse, flawed logic to arrive at the 'correct' answer. I'm a senior and have had classes with many professors, but Dr. Higley, nice man that he is, is my least favorite psych teacher. If you value logic, look elsewhere.
His love of the material shows. His teaching style is more of an interrogation of the class instead of teaching us. The work he assigns outside of class is *excessive* & he tends to be unorganized. Study guides were a lot of work, but if you do them, you will do well on the tests. Glad I took the class, but wouldn't encourage someone to take him.
The material in the class isn't super difficult, but the way he words his tests are ridiculous. We would argue in class about quizzes that were poorly worded, and he would cave, but on the tests they are written the exact same way. He's a really nice guy, but I wish I had taken another class.
Don't take this class. He's a super nice guy, but the class is hard to sit through. Even good students who study do poorly on quizzes and tests. You learn about monkey babies more than human babies. Avoid if possible.
Don't take this class if you don't have to. He teaches about monkeys more than about humans and he finds a way to make your opinion wrong if it contradicts what he is saying. He says things that are the opposite of what is in the book and the tests and quizzes are really hard. If your GPA means anything to you, do not take this class.
The tests are hard and most of the stuff comes from the book. The lecture is basically graph presentations that are never on the test.
Does not know how to teach effectively. There are questions in class where most of the class gets it wrong and he won't explain it. Don't take this class unless you don't have a choice.
Likes to talk a lot about monkeys. Most of the lectures were about slides and useless information. Good nap time. On the rare times the lectures were helpful, the subjects made me feel uncomfortable because of the explicit detail or the immaturity he showed with it. Shared way too much about his married life. Do NOT take this class.
Completely ruined child development for me. Awful class. The tests are completely ridiculous. I got a good grade, but only because there was a huge curve {test average was about 70%). There were quiz questions that NO ONE got right. You do get to raise a virtual child, which was actually pretty lame. Attendence is required, and useless.
This teacher is awful. His monotone voice will put you to sleep and 90% of his lectures are boring and useless. If you look around the class, you will see that almost everyone is on their laptop on facebook or other sites and not paying attention to him at all. His lectures have almost nothing to do with the material on the test.
worst class ever.
Professor Higley is a nice guy, but a HORRIBLE professor.
People Bash on Dr. Higley a lot but I LOVED his class. I thoroughly enjoyed attending all his lectures. He is a great guy and has a ton of knowledge with the subject. If you just do the reading and learn to enjoy learning then you'll enjoy this class and Dr. Higley's lectures too. he has a lot to offer once people stop complaining about tests.
first off you need to know that if you don't like monkeys you wont like this class. You also have to do the reading. the test material comes from the book as well as lectures. But the tas put their notes online and they have office hours. He gives a huge curve. He wants you to see what you earned and can improve and then curves everything.
Professor Higley is no help in the learning process. His lectures often have nothing to do with the reading he assigns. He never answers questions in a "matter of fact" way. I felt like the textbook taught me and he didn't.
He is a great guy! Very happy man and I love how he is very respectful to the students! I enjoyed this class a lot! It was very interesting, and Dr. Higley does a good job!
The man is a joke. I learn a lot from everything except him, as in the textbook and review sessions and when his grad student ta teaches. The man does not know how to teach, and he makes very uncomfortable and frequent allusions to sex. Super boring guy, makes me fall asleep all the time. DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS!!
Reading and studying the book is necessary, as is coming to class to get participation points. I had to study extensively for the tests in order to get A's. His lectures can get boring some times, but in that case just bring a laptop for something to do with the spare time. He covers some interesting topics that aren't mainstream which I liked!
The only reason I went to class was for participation points. All learning/studying for tests was done out of the textbook. The multiple choice questions are very confusing even if you know the material. You have to write three essays (one page single spaced) that tie religion to psychology which doesn't really work. He does curve the class.
He does talk about monkeys and sex a little much...I love psychology but learned more in high school. Reading the book is necessary for the tests, but the papers are very easy and interesting.
There are a lot of harsh comments about Dr. Higley, but if you go to the TA review sessions and read the book you should be fine. The class isn't impossible if you just try. And he is a really nice guy and he wants you to do well.
I was not satisfied with this class. I started it excited to learn more about psychology but later lost all interest because of the disorganization of the class and the confusing tests!
I really enjoyed this class. He does not necessarily discuss the reading in his lectures, so you have to do those on your own before class, but adds additional material to the concepts. I found the lectures extremely interesting. The TA's were very helpful and hold office hours all the time. The tests were hard, but doable.
Well, let's just say I found my text book more interesting than Dr. Higley's lectures. But truthfully, you can get by if you just read the text book. He does do iclicker quizzes, but I never really understood if they affected my grade. His tests have info that is talked about in class. His TA's post the notes on black board, still not real helpful.
Lectures were quite boring. Most of the content on the tests was found in the book. As long as you do the reading and then fill out the study guides before the tests with the information from the book then you will be fine. Very boring lecture.
I hated this class. Going to lecture was useless except for iClicker points. I learned all I needed from TA review sessions and the book. Dr. Higley always discussed irrelevant information in lecture and his PowerPoints were very confusing. I'm sure he's a great psychologist, just not a good professor.
Dr. Higley is a great Professor! He really cares about his students, and will do anything to help them succeed. There are a lot of negative comments, but he truly cares about his students and his lectures are interesting and about issues that are more applicable to our lives. The tests are not that hard if you just read.
Become best friends with the TA's and they will save you hours of work. Boring lectures. Only went for iClicker points. Not too bad to get an A.... just go to the TA reviews and do what they tell you to.
I loved this class. One of my favorite classes yet. Dr. Higley is such a nice teacher. He makes class fun and you will learn so much about primates. I always enjoyed going to class. Dr. H is a nice, fun teacher. There's work involved but if you do your assignments, go to class & go to test reviews with the T.A.s you should do great. Take it.
I hated this class. Dr. Higley is all over the place and asks questions that aren't relevant to the material or its future use. The material isn't hard but you get everything you need from the book. I was initially excited because he said we would learn how to use the information to minister to people in the church, but it turns out he has no idea.
Professor Higley is nice, he means well, but I'd like to see his teaching credentials. I'm sure he does great work with monkies, but his teaching style was very unclear. A lot of the material he covered was irrelevant. Gold star for your personality, but not for how you teach. Tests were also super hard. Boring class. Shout out to the TA's.
Absolutely hated this class. Lectures are a bore, he doesn't teach from the book, uses his own studies to teach the concepts. The tests are hard, because he doesn't teach you the material. The TA's aren't that much more help, the reviews are all question/answer and aren't on top of the material..
Dr. Higley is a really nice professor. The only problem is that his tests can be very ambiguous and the reviews aren't a good reflection of everything you need to know. There are lots of opportunities to get points but just be ready for the tests to surprise you.
From the moment I stepped into the class, he kept contradicting himself. Everything was downright confusing.
This class was awkward. He talks about monkeys and sex. He tries to bring the gospel into what he's teaching and it doesn't work. His tests are awful.
I really enjoyed this class! Dr. Higley inspired me to continue in the major of Psychology. I loved the stories he told and his personal experiences. I thought his lectures were very well planned. He does talk a lot about sex in one unit, but I didn't think it was uncalled for since that is a big part of psychology. I'd take him again!
Daily iClicker quizzes plus weekly online quizzes. Three brief papers based on raising a virtual child. Several TA's, but none were very helpful. Exams were overly specific and very difficult. Lectures were spent disproving or discrediting the textbook, which we were forced to read for weekly online quizzes. Daily tangents on primates.
I had a great experience in primate psychology. Dr. Higley is an expert in the field of primatology and has authored numerous papers. Comparative to other schools and liberal arts education, the content in this class is all-encompassing. One thing i really enjoyed about this class is how Higley uses much of the current research in his lectures.
This class had a lot of organizational issues due to online problems and as helpful as the TA's were, they messed up my grades a lot. Dr. Higley's a nice guy, but really quiet during lectures and will put you to sleep if you sit in the back of the room. If you do the quizzes and go to the TA reviews, the class isn't that bad. The tests are hard.
The lectures are boring and often go off on tangents. The study guides he gives out for the tests don't cover probably 30% of what there will be on the test and make you study things that won't be on it. Ridiculous, get a different proffessor
Really great class. Dr. Higley makes the empirical findings within psychology relevant to everyday life and allows you to make some of your own conclusions. Great class, made me really want to study psych and neuroscience. Dr. Higley is a really good professor and a great guy. TA's were also very personable and helpful. TAKE THIS CLASS!
If you're willing to engage with the topics discussed in class you'll be fine. He has a ton of interesting things to talk about. Dr. Higley & the TAs are always willing to help you. The topics talked about in class are really applicable to other classes and real life. Dr. Higley's always respectful and sensitive toward his students.
Dr. Higley is a great guy, but not great at teaching. His lectures are all over the place and he always try to tie in the gospel but it doesn't work and should be left out at times. There are weekly tests, and the chapters you read are extremely long. Attendance is mandatory, but honestly what he says in lecture won't help you on the tests at all.
Reading the textbook and attending lecture are vital as the questions on the exams come from both. Sometimes he doesn't answer students' questions directly but he's always willing to discuss things after class or office hours. The TA's are super helpful and there's a good student/TA ratio. Taking this class made me change my major to psychology.
Really enjoyed primate behavior class. Dr. Higley has extensive research history and this class really shows what an impactful and successful primatologist. The class was awesome. Spent most the time laughing or scribbling down notes as fast as possible because the material was so meaningful and interesting. The neuroscience focus was the best part
My least favorite psychology class taken at BYU. Only take this class if you want to be a primatologist because that is the mindset of the teacher and TAs. Lectures were very unorganized and you never knew the main points or take away. The tests were mostly essay and if you didn't write exactly what the TA was thinking you got points off.
Dr. Higley is pretty boring and strays off topic a lot. Tests are not hard and papers are not hard. I read and learned everything I needed from the book. Try not to fall asleep.
He is the WORST professor. I could not learn a single thing from him and if I did, it was pointless and wasn't even on the exams. He gets completely off topic in every single lecture and you basically have to learn everything from the book. There is no repetition of material to help you remember it. Basically studying like crazy will be your friend
This Prof is amazing---one of the greats here at BYU. He lectures like he believes you are smart, not just rehashing what you read the night before but showing why it matters in the context of nonhuman and human primate research. This class will challenge you---but if you're not here to learn, then what are you doing in college?!
If you know you want to major in Psychology, I'd recommend Dr. Higley. If you don't know, pick someone else. He knows his stuff, his lectures are informative and enlightening, and he encourages participation, which is all great. However, get ready to work. His tests are tough, the workload is demanding, and if you don't show up for class, well.
I've taken PSYCH 111 and now 387 from him. He's an excellent teacher and does a good job tying the material into daily life and current events. Be ready to pay attention during his lectures, which are very informative and tell you everything you need to know. He answers questions clearly and directly, both in and out of class.
He is a good professor who helps you understand the application of the things you learn. Without the application, the material doesn't make sense or is harder to remember. He encourages participation. The weekly quiz is not hard (more for the student to get a overview). This class was worth taking and not as hard as some people made it out to be.
Good professor. Easy weekly quizzes and few essays. Easy final project. Hard exams unless you study or know the content beforehand.
Professor Higley is a great lecturer and has clear and reasonable expectations, but his class is much more difficult than some other Psych professors at BYU. There is a lot of stuff he asks, but you'll learn a lot. Would highly recommend if you're a psych major. If you don't really care, he's probably overkill.
Professor Higley loves Psychology, which made the class more fun. He goes off topic a lot, so if that bugs you then don't take from him. For me that didn't matter because the online textbook you get for this class is great and has almost everything you need to know. For the other material meet with the TAs, they have weekly reviews and will help.
Higley is a caring, compassionate teacher. He leads informed, open discussions and treats his students with respect. If you put in the work, fill out the study guides, and attend the TA reviews you'll receive an A. Higley tends to favor biological psychology over the other 6 approaches. His class can feel dry, especially at the end of the semester
Dr. Higley is a great guy and really passionate about psychology, but this class is very medically in depth. The other psych classes cover a wide spectrum of topics, this class covers all of that but very much more in depth. I wouldn't necessarily suggest this for someone trying to take an easy GE, but it is doable!! just more in depth work.
Test has very random things from book and lectures. Doesn't answer student questions. Every lecture he brings up sex.
Dr. Higley is a really nice guy. He's willing to meet with you outside of class to help you out. His teaching method wasn't for me. It was dry, and a little boring. The lecture slides were always blue with yellow font. I loved the material we went over, but he didn't answer the student questions well. He'd mostly misunderstand what they would ask.
Professor Higley was extremely strange. He weirded me out with his personal experiences, and I felt that most of them were uncomfortable or uncalled for. I mainly learned from the TA reviews and the textbook, but unfortunately attendance is a percentage of your grade. Would not recommend.
Nice guy, but goes on unnecessary tangents and the lectures are not helpful. The TA reviews are where the most beneficial information comes. The tests are weird, but if you study and do your work, it's not too hard to get a decent grade.
I will miss this class. Dr. Higley is a wonderful teacher with hardworking TA's! They all came to class with good attitudes and the lectures/readings were so interesting. The readings are heavy and the lectures are long, but very intriguing and worthwhile. If you like psych, take this class! PS, The tests are very detail-oriented, be sure to study.
There are easy participation points and weekly quizzes but they wont help your grade too much. I always got 100 on the quizzes and participation but seriously struggled on tests. Tests would cover topics never mentioned in class or the reading. Just took the 120 question final and counted only 70 questions that seemed somewhat familiar.
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
100%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.15 avg changeRatings by Course
PSYCH390
5.0
(1)387PRIMATE
5.0
(2)PSYCH381
4.5
(4)PSYCH387
4.0
(6)PSYC111
3.2
(9)Difficulty by Course
PSYCH302
5.0
PSYCH320
4.2
PSYCH390
4.0
PSYCH110
4.0
PSYCH381
4.0