Objective The goal was to determine whether or not there is an association between the belief that human development and family science (HDFS) is “just common sense” and academic performance in a rigorous research methods class in HDFS. Background Naïve realism is a cognitive bias that creates a belief in common sense that is difficult to challenge. It is unknown whether student commitment to common sense impedes students' ability to learn. Method Students (N = 112) in an HDFS research methods class were followed for a semester. Potential barriers to learning were measured through a self‐report survey before the start of the semester. The outcome variable was objective performance in the course as measured by exam scores. Results Exam scores were positively correlated with prior academic achievement and negatively correlated with student belief that the discipline is just common sense. Conclusion Naïve realism, expressed as the belief that HDFS is just common sense, predicts poor performance in a research methods class. Implications Higher education faculty in HDFS must directly confront the problem that our discipline is perceived as just common sense. Naïve realism must be challenged directly in coursework if students are to learn about the science of HDFS.