Imagine a psychology course in which the professor covers a great breadth of material and still has time to hypnotize students, bring in guest speakers and even perform a little song-and-dance number at the end. This class is psychology Prof. Philip Zimbardo’s renowned Introduction to Psychology course.

For many years it has drawn capacity crowds of future psychology majors and other students interested in the subject. But this year, for the first time in his 33 years at Stanford, Zimbardo will not be teaching introductory psychology.

This decision stemmed not from personal preference, Zimbardo said, but rather from a professional obligation — his appointment as president-elect of the American Psychological Association.

Running the APA requires a three-year full-time commitment, first as president-elect, which Zimbardo is this year, for one year as president, which Zimbardo will begin in January 2002 and a third year as past president.

While Zimbardo’s primary passion is teaching, he said he could not pass up the opportunity to guide the psychological world in its quest to study and improve all facets of human life.

“Psychology significantly impacts our lives in so many ways, and by pooling together our research we can hope to make people healthier and happier,” he said.

Heading the APA will require Zimbardo to travel extensively, preside over the board of directors, arrange conventions and oversee meetings.

Long before Zimbardo earned the title of president of the APA and its 159,000 members, he said he was an ambitious young man with an insatiable curiosity about mankind.

After receiving a C and having a less-than-enjoyable experience in an introductory psychology course, Zimbardo devoted a considerable portion of his career to making the experience more pleasant for others.

And his students say they are grateful.

“Zimbardo’s energetic lectures and amazing guest speakers made Psych 1 one of the most rewarding courses I’ve taken at Stanford,” sophomore Katie Kircanski said about last winter’s class.

Some of these guest speakers included Jim Jones cult survivor Peggy Layton, esteemed professor and social psychologist Elliot Aronson and Auschwitz survivor Dora Sorell.

Sophomore Renee Ng commented on the popularity of the course.

“I remember waking up at 7:30 a.m. to sign up for Psych 1 online, and within minutes, most of the 300 slots were filled up,” she said.

Part of what makes the course so popular among students is Zimbardo’s ability to convey the material in a unique and interesting fashion.

“I think many students wander into his Psych 1 class just to see what everyone else is talking about and perhaps to hear the real Stanford prison experiment story, but once [Zimbardo’s] got them there, they really are presented with the opportunity to experience the best that psychology has to offer,” said Greta Klevgard, a teaching assistant for Zimbardo’s class last winter.

“The main thing that Prof. Zimbardo brings to the classroom is the ability to highlight the hip and exciting parts of psychology in a way that draws even non-psychologists in, and once he’s got you there, he can show you some of the less-sexy, yet equally intriguing and important aspects of psychology,” she added.

Although Zimbardo has taught Psych 1 for decades, he described it as “never the same course.”

He said he is constantly changing and improving it, partly to keep up with advances and new discoveries and partly to keep himself interested and not fall into a rut.

“I always want to challenge myself,” he said.

Zimbardo also commented on the importance of continually updating his teaching material, saying, “Ten years ago, fields like cognitive neuroscience and cultural psychology did not even exist.”

Zimbardo said that last year’s Psych 1 class was one of the best introductory classes he has given. He said that his time perspective lecture — which points to the fact that one’s perspective of time governs many aspects of future behavior — was his personal favorite last year.

When asked if he would miss teaching Psych 1, Zimbardo responded with a definitive “Yes,” and indicated that he could not wait to get back to his students.

And his students say they can’t wait either.