Tells boring dumb stories about Mr. Rogers, class is easy

Nice teacher, interesting, hey - stories about Mr. Rogers were awesome. Tests were hard, but class is awesom

he tells lots of stories about mr. rogers and being on the today show and all kinds of other things he wants to brag about, but he teaches well and is very clear.

I had him for infant psych. He was a decent teacher but the course was boring...

Have had for both Developmental and Infancy. As a senior, he's the best instructor I've had in Psychology

His Developmental Psychology class was excellent; I recommend it for anyone who likes children, and especially for those who want to HAVE children

One of the best Pitt has to offer. His tests can be tricky at times, but if you go to lecture and read the book you'll get an A. He also posts his lecture notes online.

I had him for both developmental and infant psych. He is one of the best professors I have ever had. Tells great stories, interesting lectures. Take the classes-you won't regret it!

If you like teachers that like to interlace stories with their teaching, then you'll enjoy Strauss. I had him for Intro to Psy, which turned out pretty well. A little monotonous sometimes, but good nonetheless.

I have had Dr. Strauss for three classes and a directed research. Very helpful if you show interest, easily the best professor I've had at Pitt. Knowledgable, hard-working, and engaging.

Good teacher, lectures can get boring at times but that's just some of the material. Overall good prof.

Awesome professor. He'll help you succeed as long as you have the desire. Take Issues in Developmental Psy. Awesome class. Had to write 2 papers, but his grading is very fair. If you are a psy major, take all of his classes.

Awesome prof. Truly loves kids and knows alot about kids. A prof that is actually interested in what he teaches. Def take this class!

class is very worthwhile

Dr. Strauss is incredible. His classes are really interesting. He mixes his lectures with personal stories and videos, so class isn't difficult to get through. Really passionate about his work--best psych prof I've had!

Dr. Strauss is very interesting and his class is good because he is very knowledgeable about his field. You take the class and you feel like you're learning from a true expert. I would recommend his class to anyone.

I had him for Intro, and i currently have him for developmental. Very interesting for developmental, but rather bland for Intro. Overall, he was very smart, approachable, and interesting.

Great teacher. He is funny and uses a lot of examples. The tests were alright, but i felt that I knew the information better than test showed.

Oh yeah, I'm glad I have this guy. Very passionate, clever, dynamic speaker. Tests come from lecture, so just attend class and you got it for the most part. Shows fun videos, really taught me a lot. Great prof.

Boring lecture. However, extremely knowledgable. You will watch videos with HIM actually in them which is cool. Tests were alright, but going the undergrad TA's review sessions allowed me to get A's on them! Overall I think he's a good professor!!

Dr. Strauss really knows what he's talking about. His lectures aren't really well prepared, but it's a good attempt. His tests are a little unfocused at times, but you'll definitely walk away from the class knowing more than you went in with.

GREAT GUY! Very helpful and really cares about his students!

Great profeesor. Very smart, friendly and accessable

best class I've had at Pitt

Very smart professor! Knows exactly what he is talking about. Sometimes lectures drag on too long, but over all pretty easy class. Only short discussion papers (about 7) and 2 take home essay tests which are easy.

This is the best course i've had at Pitt. The instructor is intersting and really friendly towards students

I love this course. The instructor is really smart and interesting. He seems to really care about the students and has a great sense of humor

Great class. Smart professor whose intersting and has a great sense of humor. He really cares about the students

good teacher.. take this class

Good teacher, grades easily. No final. Notes are easy to follow. Knows a great deal about psychology and will explain if need be. Don't ask questions during class, he'll cut you off in the middle and answer that. Don't sit up front, either, as lectures get a little boring.

Extremely boring lecture, but the notes are online. If you don't go to the lecture, you'll probably only get a C. A lot of reading. Is very distant from him students, and will not help you much.

Strauss is incredibly captivating and KNOWS WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT! I learned so much from him, and if you go to class every once in a while and skim over the chapters, you will find the tests to be reasonable and manageable. I HIGHLY recommend this class to anyone interested in psych- you won't regret it!

For students who want to think, this is a great class. Dr. Strauss really knows his stuff and is very interesting. He spends a lot of time with students anwering questions after class and really cares

Really good professor. Very knowledgeable and interesting. I really don't think his lectures were boring, it's just that the class is dumbed down too much. I don't recommend the class if you are taking it in hopes of learning a lot. If you need a blow-off, though, it's a good choice.

Best prof I've had a Pitt. Class is interesting and you learn a lot

Only 3 tests and he bases them mostly off of lectures/lecture notes. Just print the powerpoints and take notes and the tests will be easy! Lectures are sometimes very interesting/fun, other times boring. Overall I'd recommend the class, but you don't need the textbook.

Great Professor! Lectures were interesting and he seems to really care about the students learning

VERY easy. Consists of 3 M.Choice exams. But don't take the class if you expect to learn a lot about psych. No need for the expensive textbook, just print out the lecture notes. Attendance is not mandatory, but it helps. He's funny, but often repeats the same lectures. TA Whalen gave bad lectures and was never in her office during office hrs.

He is extremely knowledgeable about psychological science. He is even one of the best autism researchers in the nation. I learned so much, and he was really kind. TAKE HIM!

He's a Doctor of Psychology. He knows his material and explains it very well and explains it in English for those who are not Psych majors. Its not "dumbed down", he purposely lectures that way to keep interest, and contrary to other comments its your own fault if you dont learn something new because you can ask. Those people aren't great thinkers.

I really enjoyed this class. Strauss makes topics and ideas very interesting, which holds your attention throughout class. Paper assignment - easy and help to enhance the lecture. He grades very fairly, and I don't think anyone recieved less than a B. Midterm/Final are both take home, only a pain if you don't like writing. Highly Reccommended!

Dr. Strauss is awesome! I had him for developmental psych & his lectures were always interesting. He keeps everyone interested by cracking jokes & making good use of examples. Very clear and extremely knowledgable. GREAT lecturer. He doesn't "dumb it down" or make it too complicated. Definitely take this class!

he's very intelligent, just attend every class and write down everything he says, that way you don't need the book at all

Strauss is extremely boring and tends to ramble. Material and tests are usually straight forward, though he sometimes has unfair test questions. It is very apparent through his teaching that Strauss only cares about his research here at Pitt, and teaching a class is just something he has to do. Not very hard class, but just not enjoyable.

The easiest developmental psy class. Strauss repeats his stories all the time but his lectures are decent overall. Exams are straight-forward. If you miss a couple lectures, go to the weekly review sessions for one-on-one tutoring. The exam reviews aren't necessary. I got an A and am taking another class with him. Don't take Brownell or Ganger.

Had for developmental. Lectures are interactive and interesting. Good prof. Will take again. Like always, don't buy the book. Just get an older edition of any dev psych book.

Go to the first class after an exam because he gives the answer to the first exam question on that day. Very cool. Really easy tests if you know any about psychology.

His Developmental Psych class is enjoyable and informative. I have learned more from his class this semester than the classes for my major. The exams are made by his TAs so they are pretty easy. If you go to lecture and take notes then you will do fine. Take him!

He is a very good and easy professor. Although his lectures are sometimes boring just print out the lectures before hand and attend class and you will get a good grade. His tests are basically spitting his lectures in question form. Dont buy the book

Decent professor. Lectures are fairly boring. Don't buy the book. Tests made by TA's contain all trick questions. Professor has no involvement in creating tests, TA just attends lectures and makes up questions. Makes studying/getting a good grade on tests difficult.

To do well you have to attend lectures and you have to pay attention to everything he says. It is true that he an be monotone but if you have interest in the subject you can learn alot. The tests are ridiculous, bunch of questions are absurd applications of the theories or worded in the most awkward manner.

Gotta love Mark Strauss...he makes large lectures interesting, and is just generally funny. I found the book to be uneccessary, but good lecture notes are essential. The tests aren't too hard, but be warned that you have to pay attention to wording--he likes to throw in trick questions. If you pay attention, it's an easy A.

A lot of interesting information to learn in this class. Strauss is a bit dry but if you listen to his lectures, you hear his humor. He was really interested in the material. As others said, the tests were tricky. Grades are based on three tests alone, so beware of that. Go to class to get all the info, there's no other way to pass!

Print off PowerPoint slides and take notes dring lecture. Tests based on lecture not book, so make sure to go. Largely informative yet biased; it was interesting nonetheless.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE PROFESSORS. I don't know where these negative comments are coming from...Dr. Strauss is extremely funny and I love going to his lectures. He knows a ton. His tests come directly from lecture so as long as you go and write down what he says, it's a very easy course. One of my favorite classes, take it with him!!!

Dr. Strauss is the man!!! I absolutely enjoyed his lectures, and not to mention that his dry humor is hilarious. Learned a lot, even though I am an econ major, would def recommend for a gen ed. requirement. Definitely recommend this class with him but DO NOT BUY THE BOOK!! haven't touched it once...

SUCH an easy class. You will love him. Do not purchase the book...Almost ALL info is on slides which you should print out prior to class and ALL are available at beginning of semester if you wish to just print them all out at once like I did. Make sure you attend lectures if you want to do well because most of his test answers are based opinions.

You can tell he really loves what he does. Lectures are interesting (and often full of his personal opinions - but if you are gonna hear someones opinions of infant development might as well be his). No tests for Infancy, just a paper for midterm and final and a few smaller assignments scattered through the semester

He makes lecture interesting, and it I found him to be funny at times. The only problem I have is with the exams. They are full of very tricky or unclear questions. They don't reflect how well you know the material.

Really nice guy and very knowledgeable. You MUST attend every class, and DO NOT buy the textbook. Tests are very easy. Highly recommended.

One of the best teachers I have had. Very informative. He knows what he's talking about! Very nice guy. Lectures are very interesting. Although attendance is not taken, I would highly recommend attending class. I will be taking his Developmental Psychology: Infancy course!

For a large, introductory level lecture class, this one was amazing. Strauss knows what he's talking about, contributes lots of personal knowledge to his lectures, and manages to be very funny and entertaining at the same time. Would take again.

Strauss is good at lecturing to large groups of students. He makes things interesting by adding videos and pictures to his powerpoints. All you get tested on are the powerpoints so don't bother buying the book. Extra credit opportunities are available. I would recommend him to anyone who needs to take developmental psychology :)

I really enjoyed this class. The tests were largely made up by the TA which were primarily power points and notes. You don't need the book. I would take him again. He's a pretty nice guy and he's really funny too in lecture.

I loved Developmental Psychology with Dr. Strauss. He is clearly very well-respected in the field of developmental psychology, and is extremely knowledgable. I thought the class itself was very interesting. Your grade in the class is just the average of three multiple-choice test grades. Exams are not too hard. They are entirely lecture-based.

Very educated in his field. Lectures provide tons of examples and lots of explanation. Also very conscious of student's other classes, and the idea of his not being "your only class". Definitely would take him again, probably my favorite professor so far!

Found Strauss' lectures to be very interesting and he gives a lot of examples that are helpful when studying. Make sure you go to class because he puts questions about the extra credit assignments on the test which happen at the beginning of each lecture. make sure you do extra credit it helps! theres only three exams and they get harder as it goes

I took his intro to psych class through the honors college and at first I was terrified, but now I love the course. No in class tests, but instead 2, 18-20 page papers for the midterm and final, which really isn't that bad. He posts a question per week that requires a two page double spaced response. And he has hilarious stories! He's a great guy

Good professor. Lectures can be boring but a pretty easy class. 3 tests no final. Book is not really used. Plus, there is extra credit.

So I accidentally took Dr. Strauss for HONORS Intro Psychology. It wasn't terrible, but just make sure you know what you're getting into: several short papers, two 10-20 page essay exams (out of class). So no in-class exams. They weren't too bad, just time consuming. Nice guy and good lecturer (just long and can get pretty boring).

Professor Strauss was a pretty good professor. His lectures were long and sometimes boring. He gives extra credit, which is super helpful and easy! Three tests, no final and the tests were pretty direct and fairly easy. Study and you should be good!

Pretty easy class, take notes in lecture and know them for the tests and you're set. Don't need a textbook. Offers easy extra credit. He is a really cool guy and has tons of experience in this field. Would take again!!

Dr. Strauss is a great lecturer. He has a lot of experience and makes the information memorable. The tests are fair. You absolutely do not need the book. Test questions come straight off of his lectures. All in all a great psychology professor. Do the extra credit.

Super knowledgeable, accomplished researcher in the Developmental Psych realm. Really nice guy. Tells stories and examples that keep lectures interesting. That being said, definitely go to lectures. 99% of the exams come from lecture, you'll barely use the textbook. Exam questions can be a bit tricky. Review session before really helps!

Strauss is interesting to say the least. His lectures can be dry at times, but for the most part he does a good job of mixing in personal stories to help clarify concepts. Exams aren't too difficult but it can seem like there is more than one correct answer for some questions. Ultimately if you study you can do well.

He's a great professor. He uses stories and videos during lecture which helps break it up because they can get a little boring. Do the extra credit, it's super easy and a nice grade booster. The tests are pretty easy, some questions are hard but overall easy, especially if you study. Definitely take him!

One of my favorite professors at the university. He's actually here to teach students and clearly enjoys it.

One of my favorite professors at the university. He's actually here to teach students and it shows.

I did a lot less in Honors intro psych than all my friends in regular intro psych. We had no exams at all and just wrote a few one page essays, and the midterm and final were 10-15 page papers. I wrote the essays by basically just copying my lecture notes and got easy A's. If you dont mind writing i'd go for the honors bc theres no studying.

Lectures are very entertaining because he talks about his funny life stories and also shows a lot of videos. Your grade consists of 3 exams and no final and he allows students to present articles at the beginning of class for extra credit throughout the semester. You definitely do not need the book.

His Honors Intro to Psych class was pretty interesting and enjoyable. A lot of writing, but only take-home tests, which I really liked. I think this class encourages you to think critically about the material instead of just memorizing a bunch of stuff, which leads to less stress and better learning.

Dr. Strauss is a solid choice for Dev Psych. The only issue is that our final grade is just an average of three exams, so there really is no room for error. That being said, the exams are pretty straight-forward, and he allows you to present current events to the class for extra credit. Exams are based solely on lectures. Easy B/B+, study for an A!

Lectures were fairly interesting, but it is very easy to get distracted during his class. He's a nice guy, but kind of boring. 4 tests each 45 questions all based off his lectures which he posts online and he drops the lowest. Overall, pretty easy.

I thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Strauss' lectures. The course itself is very interesting and Dr. Strauss' personal stories are inspirational. You do not need to use the book as long as you attend all lectures and take notes. 2 points of extra credits are given to 2 people who present an article related to dev psych at the beginning of each lecture.

I never opened the book, everything is from lectures. He's a good guy, but class can get kind of boring, it's hard to pay attention sometimes. He gives extra credit at the beginning of class to people who present a relevant article, and if you're in class the day after a test, he gives you the answer to one question on the next test.

Dr. Strauss is a good prof for developmental! His lectures were good and he used some really funny and cute examples. He also told some good stories from his own work and seems passionate/knows his stuff. You should pay attention in lecture and study for the exams and you'll do well, i never bought the book. Great guy!!!!

Dr. Strauss is a pretty good professor and is class is an easy GPA booster. Although your whole grade is determined by his exams, he provides a lot fo opportunities for extra credit each week. His lectures tend to get a little bit boring, but developmental psych is definitely worth taking.

This professor is my favorite at Pitt. His tests are easy as long as you study even if its just a last minute cram. He cares about you as a student and will work with you if you talk to him during office hours. Lectures can be a little long sometimes, but he tells funny stories. Take this class you won't regret it.

Dev Psych with Strauss is a pretty good, not great, class. The lectures can be pretty boring and long, but he tries to make it interesting with some personal stories and examples. Class is relatively easy, just 4 tests, with lowest one weighted to 70%. For tests, just study the notes for a couple of hours. Textbook can help but not necessary.

Only grades are 4 exams no final. Lowest grade is only weighted 70%. I got low As and one B on the exams. Study exactly whats on the slides you will do well. Lots of extra credit, but sometimes makes questions on test about extra credit presented in class so if you don't go to class you won't know. Mark is a solid choice to get a good grade

Mark is a solid choice for Developmental Psych. He is very educated in the field and uses personal stories/experiences in his lectures. The book is helpful, but not mandatory. The lectures can be dry at times, but if Developmental Psych interests you, it'll be fine. Also he is a super fast grader, exams are graded by the next day.

Although his lectures can be super boring, Strauss is a great guy and extremely knowledgable in his field. The grade you get is based on the four exams you take, which don't require too much studying. Do the extra credit and read the textbook before exams, it helps more than you think. Take his class it's definitely painless.

Dr. Strauss is an excellent lecturer and he is really well-known in his field. Tests reflect material learned in class and the class typically does well (85 average or above). Overall, great teacher and great class. Lots of real-life examples. Extra credit given each class too! One of my favorite professors.

show up, listen to him (it's actually not boring), and take some notes easy A. Tests are all made by the TA so that's a dice roll but it wasn't hard this semester. good guy. good class.

Four exams and no final. Lowest exam grade is weighted less than the others. Take notes of what Dr. Strauss says in addition to what's on the powerpoint, and tests are easy. You can summarize an article about children each week for +.5% on the exam. If you read your summary in class, you get +2%. You can speak and submit a written ec the same week.

Mark is a good professor. The exams though are made entirely by his TA so pray you get a good one. Read the book and take notes and you should be fine.

Dr. Strauss is a great choice for dev psych. The class was definitely an easy A. Show up, take detailed notes during lecture, review before the exam and you will do well. The TAs run a review session before each test and since they know exactly what is on the exam, you can ask questions and they will tell you what is important to know. I recommend!

Developmental psych is boring by nature, but Mark makes the class as interesting as he can. Some of his examples and anecdotes are hilarious and help you remember material too. He is very distinguished and knowledgeable in his field. Take detailed notes and you'll get an easy A.

Mark Strauss is a good professor and shows a lot of videos in class. Tests were somewhat hard since the TA makes the exams and wasn't necesarily the easiest, but was manageable. Strauss teaches but your grade is up to the TA's mercy.

Awesome teacher, but tests were near impossible. I heard he doesnt make the test and they are made by the grad students so it was unnecessarily hard. I barely passed.

Dr. Strauss is a great professor and such a cool guy! This is an honors-level course, so small 15-person classes. He doesn't give tests, just essay questions. You get 1 question every other week and midterms are 4-5 big essay questions. Make sure you like writing if you want to take this class. I loved it. 10/10 recommend.

Prof Strauss is such a good professor, I really enjoyed developmental psych with him. I thought this was one of the most interesting psych classes I've taken and he's still one of my fav profs!

I absolutely love Mark Strauss. His lectures are clear and interesting and I respect him as a psychologist. TA's are very involved and helpful as well. Up to 3% extra credit on the exams and any "pop up" points. Only 4 exams this semester with no final, and the exams are very fair with material from the book and lecture. I definitely recommend!! :)

Dr. Strauss is very knowledgeable and presents the information in engaging ways. The lectures can sometimes be slow and borinh, but the course material is interesting. Your grade comes primarily from 4 exams which aren't too difficult and I definitely recommend reading the textbook before. Lots of extra credit opportunities!

Hands down the best psychology professor I have had. He makes class very interesting. Make sure you go to the lectures though!

Lectures can be kind of slow and monotone so I liked watching them on 2x speed, but overall a very interesting professor and the TAs were very helpful. Exams were pretty straightforward as long as you paid attention to the lectures and read over the textbook.

Strauss is a really good professor and has a LOT of experience in the psychology field. He really cares about the material and everyone succeeding. The TAs were tough in his course. Assigned tough worksheets that were "graded for completion" but you got a 0 if they didn't like one of your answers. He did offer chances for extra credit points!

I strongly recommend Prof. Strauss for this course. He explains material that will be on the exams very thoroughly and is very caring towards his students. He's very familiar with the psychology field. There are lots of extra credit opportunities and homework worksheets every week. Honestly, if you try your best on these assignments you'll succeed!

Clearly very knowledgeable about psychology. Lectures were monotonous but interesting. Explains material thoroughly and is very laid-back/willing to take questions. His weekly worksheets were tedious, but they kept me accountable and helped me learn. Lots of extra credit opportunities! Exams were manageable and based on lectures.

Devpsych was one of my favorite classes this semester. You have to get the textbook to do a few questions on the homeworks, but for the most part, if you pay attention in lecture and review your notes, that is enough to do well on the exams. The lectures can at times be boring but I really enjoy hearing about all of his experiences.

Dr. Strauss is a pretty nice prof, he's a bit of a slow talker during lectures but Developmental Psych had fairly simple content. Assignments and tests really come down to his TAs, and the weekly homework in this class is a LOT of writing. It's a pretty interesting class and Dr. Strauss is really nice. Would probably take a class with him again.

Tests are easy if properly studied for. There are plenty of extra credit opportunities. The weekly homework gets more and more challenging as the semester goes on.

This class was my favorite and I would recommend it to anyone. The professor and TA were highly knowledgable and caring and always answered questions almost immediately. It's very possible to do very well, just attend lectures and ask for help when needed. Homework is very relevant to exams.

Fantastic professor and fantastic class. I learned so much and it was so interesting. A must take professor.

This class is very doable. Test material comes from both the lecture and the textbook, so use both. The rest of your grade is made up of worksheets that are mostly completion-based as long as there's effort.

Super awesome prof. Your final grade is based entirely on 4 easy multiple-choice exams and he gives weekly extra credit assignments. If he wasn't retiring after this semester he would definitely be the go-to for dev psych.

DR. STRAUSS IS THE BEST! Despite his entire class being online, it was still so engaging and interesting. He has SOO much experience in the field and his passion really shows. I am so grateful to have taken him before his retirement and he has only solidified my love and passion for psychology.

It's his last semester teaching but his lectures were very easy to understand and he offered extra credit opportunities on exams. Some questions on his exams were poorly worded but overall they weren't too difficult. The only grades were on 4 multiple choice exams.

Love love love Dr. Strauss. Wish he would have been able to teach in person!! Not much of a psychology person but I really enjoyed this class and his lectures. He's adorable and I was sad to see this class end! He's retiring soon after like 44 years at Pitt but what an awesome guy. :)

Very doable course and learned a lot. There was also no final which was very nice. This is his last year teaching and will be sad to see him leave.