Carney Curve

Boston College course evaluations · every published number, ranked class by class

Top of the board1.ECON 9902962.LAWS 8856973.PRTO 3300984.BSLW 2299975.PHIL 4932986.LAWS 8308987.SCWK 9960998.EESC 99011009.MUSP 16609610.UGMG 10109811.UNCP 55119712.SCWK 883197

Positions account for how many records stand behind each number, so one perfect review does not outrank a semester of them. Every score shown is the real average — only the ordering is adjusted.

Instructor record · Psychology and Neuroscience · Fall 2021 – Spring 2024

Hiram Brownell

Professor Emeritus · Psychology and Neuroscience · 11 evaluation records across 5 classes

On each class's board
PSYC 11204th of 6 instructorsPSYC 22724th of 4 instructorsPSYC 11211st of 3 instructors ProvisionalPSYC 3379only instructor on record ProvisionalPSYC 4170only instructor on record Provisional
What the overall is made of
83BC evaluations11 records · weight ×1.0 · Fall 2021 – Spring 2024
80RateMyProfessors5 ratings · weight ×2.0 · 60% would take again
—Student reviewsno reviews — does not contribute

Sources are averaged by how much we trust each one and by how many records sit behind it, so a handful of reviews nudges the number rather than replacing it.

What the challenge rank is made of
42ndMore challenging than 42% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
87BC — “Intellectually Challenging”11 records · raw score out of 100

Boston College's own “intellectually challenging” question — students answer it positively about courses that stretched them, so it measures intellectual challenge and NOT grading, workload or quality. Almost every BC class scores high on it, which is why it is shown as a rank rather than a score. RateMyProfessors separately rates this instructor 64 out of 100 for difficulty — that IS a difficulty measure, but it is about the person across everything they teach, not about any one class, so it is shown here rather than folded into the number above.

What the workload rank is made of
26thMore work than 26% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
40BC — “Workload”11 records · raw score out of 100

Boston College reports workload as one of five bands, not as a number of hours, and it does not publish what the bands mean — so this site will not translate it into hours. Higher means more work, which is not the same as worse.

Ratings from outside BC

Not evaluation data

Collected from RateMyProfessors, not from Boston College: 5 ratings, 60% would take again, difficulty 64 out of 100. Difficulty is not a quality signal in either direction — a harder course is not a worse one.

Anyone can post there — no @bc.edu check and no enrolment check — so it is weighted alongside the evaluation data, never above it.

The line

All 13 items · means across 11 records
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
8829th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9246th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9039th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
8931st pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8424th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8421st pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8626th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8424th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8839th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8838th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
4026th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8742nd pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8222nd pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

Class by class

5 classes · 11 sections

How each position is worked outPositions account for how many records stand behind each number, so one perfect review does not outrank a semester of them. Every score shown is the real average — only the ordering is adjusted.

PSYC 1120 Introduction to Behavioral Statistics and Research IOvr78Chal32ndWork25th
On this class's board4th of 6 instructors

4 sections on record · course itself rated 69 out of 100. See the full board for PSYC 1120.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 202201766940
Fall 202202777040
Fall 202103796840
Fall 202106787040
All 13 items for PSYC 1120
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
828th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
8922nd pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
8719th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
859th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8112th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8211th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
816th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
818th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8729th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8418th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
4025th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8732nd pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
798th pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

PSYC 2272 Cognitive Psychology: Mental Processes and their Neural SubstratesOvr77Chal27thWork25th
On this class's board4th of 4 instructors

3 sections on record · course itself rated 74 out of 100. See the full board for PSYC 2272.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 202301787540
Fall 202201767240
Fall 202101787540
All 13 items for PSYC 2272
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
8512th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
8715th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
8412th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
8611th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
809th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
819th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8615th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8211th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8215th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8416th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
4025th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8627th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
797th pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

PSYC 1121 Introduction to Behavioral Statistics and Research IIOvr95Chal25thWork—
On this class's board1st of 3 instructors Provisional

2 sections on record · course itself rated 89 out of 100. See the full board for PSYC 1121.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 2024029595—
Spring 2022019583—
All 13 items for PSYC 1121
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9988th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
100100th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9986th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9878th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9469th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9145th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9247th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9041st pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9573rd pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9677th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8625th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8833rd pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one. 1 of 13 questions were not reported and are left out rather than shown as zero.

PSYC 3379 Disorders of Language and CommunicationOvr84Chal—Work—
On this class's boardonly instructor on record Provisional

1 section on record · course itself rated 76 out of 100. See the full board for PSYC 3379.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 2023018476—
All 13 items for PSYC 3379

Nothing reported

None of the evaluation questions were reported for these records.

PSYC 4170 Research Practicum in Cognitive PsychologyOvr100Chal31stWork25th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record Provisional

1 section on record · course itself rated 91 out of 100. See the full board for PSYC 4170.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 2024011009140
All 13 items for PSYC 4170
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9986th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
100100th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
100100th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9773rd pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9358th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9358th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9673rd pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9473rd pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9989th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9783rd pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
4025th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8731st pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9675th pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

How to read this pageScores are out of 100 — Boston College's 1–5 agreement scale, ×20, the way these numbers were printed for years. Almost every class scores high on that scale (the median is about 90), so challenge and workload are shown as a rank against every instructor we hold rather than as a score; the raw figure is in the breakdown above. Neither describes quality, and neither is ever marked better or worse anywhere on this site. A dash means the question was not reported, and is never a zero. The position printed against each class is this instructor's place on that class's own board, computed from the same records the board itself is built from.