The American Philosophical Association has awarded a team from the Parr Center a small grant to research the impact of philosophy education on college students’ intellectual traits. The project is led by Dr. Michael Prinzing, Parr Center Consulting Research Scientist and UNC Philosophy PhD, and Dr. Michael Vazquez, Parr Center Outreach Director and Teaching Assistant Professor of Philosophy.

The proposed project will use data collected by the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) to investigate this question, examining traits like reflectiveness, open-mindedness, and critical thinking. The PIs will use the data to compare philosophy majors with non-philosophy majors, examining changes in intellectual traits over the course of the college years. This project will provide solid and relevant evidence for assessing a common claim about the value of studying philosophy.