Current instructor
Original student reviews · all captured dates
Likes to "show off" who she has worked with. Seems a little insecure. It's almost like she spent more time trying to explain why her field was relevant/important, instead of actually teaching material. Uses a few studies I thought were bogus to justify the scientific method/relevance. It made me have less respect for emotional psych. repetitive.Rate My Professors ↗
Professor Niedenthal was by far my favorite professor that I have had at UW Madison! She is very good at teaching and most of the information is from studies she has personally conducted.Rate My Professors ↗
I loved this class and Niedenthal. Extremely interesting content and lectures. She is so clearly passionate about the subject and presents a lot of her own research within the course. Comes across as a little intimidating at first but in a way that makes you do well. Couldn't recommend this class enough!!!!Rate My Professors ↗
Assignments are super easy. Most of the work you will do in this class is reading the textbook chapters each week and studying for the exams. Exams are a good chunk of your grade and sometimes she tries to trick you with the "which is the best answer" but if you know the information you will be fine. Experienced researcher and interesting lectures.Rate My Professors ↗
I really enjoyed this class! Unlike many other psych classes, there are a few short writing assignments outside of just exams and papers, which I appreciated. Prof. Niedenthal is super knowledgable, caring, and fun. Her lectures can be unengaging at times, but mostly good. Textbook is a bit dense at times but did help me understand things better.Rate My Professors ↗
Professor Niedenthal comes across as very knowledgable on course material and is also really engaging, which is rare to find in a professor. She seems to genuinely care about her students, and I highly recommend Psych 508 to anyone wanting to learn about the psychology of emotions.Rate My Professors ↗
Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.
Explores the scientific study of human emotions, examining biological, developmental, and social-cultural perspectives across psychology sub-disciplines.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Paula Niedenthal is knowledgeable and passionate, often sharing anecdotes and research that enhance lectures. While some find her delivery dry or intimidating, most students enjoy the engaging content and her expertise in human emotion research.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2024PSYCH 621 is a mentored research and seminar course where students design and conduct research to extend current understanding in a topic area.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=10 letter grades); Fall 2025: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=19 letter grades); Spring 2026: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=17 letter grades).
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026PSYCH 681 is an individual study course for students completing senior honors theses under faculty supervision.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
No recorded grade history
PSYCH 691 is an undergraduate thesis course focused on conducting research and completing a thesis, recommended for students intending to pursue graduate work in psychology.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
No recorded grade history
PSYCH 692 is an undergraduate thesis course focused on completing research in psychology.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Recent recorded grades — Spring 2022: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=1 letter grades).
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited samplePSYCH 703 is a graduate proseminar in social psychology focusing on current topics, ongoing research, and recent journal articles.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Recent recorded grades — Spring 2015: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=13 letter grades); Spring 2020: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=10 letter grades); Fall 2020: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=11 letter grades).
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2025 · limited samplePSYCH 990 is an independent research course involving experimental, observational, or statistical investigation under faculty supervision.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
No recorded grade history
| Term | Course | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2026 | PSYCH 508 | Psychology of Human Emotions: From Biology to Culture |
| Fall 2026 | PSYCH 621 | Mentored Research and Seminar |
| Fall 2026 | PSYCH 681 | Senior Honors Thesis |
| Fall 2026 | PSYCH 691 | Undergraduate Thesis |
| Fall 2026 | PSYCH 692 | Undergraduate Thesis |
| Fall 2026 | PSYCH 703 | Proseminar in Social Psychology |
| Fall 2026 | PSYCH 990 | Research |
Teaching history may be incomplete. Course pages contain course-specific feedback and citations.
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