To determine how topical coverage in introductory textbooks may have changed from the 1980s to the present, the author examined topic coverage in full-length and brief introductory textbooks from this time period. Because 98% of the teachers use textbooks for the introductory course and the majority do not assign reading beyond the textbook, the…

This study is concerned with the nature of the coverage in introductory social psychology textbooks of the Stanford prison experiment (SPE), given the many criticisms, especially recently, of the SPE. These criticisms concern both the study's methodology and the situationist explanation of the outcome. Ten textbooks were analyzed for coverage of…

Given the many changes in the introductory psychology textbook market in the past 2 decades and the lack of a recent citation study of introductory texts, we conducted a citation analysis of a stratified random sample of current texts. To provide a more comprehensive picture of current citation emphases, we extended our analysis to the top 60…

Examines whether there was a common vocabulary present within introductory psychology textbooks during the 1950s and if a classic core vocabulary exists. Reports that no common core existed in the textbooks during the 1950s, but there is a set of 100 classic vocabulary terms. (CMK)

Presents a class activity, in which students take two tests, that requires minimal preparation and encourages discussion on important aspects of testing, such as testing bias. Describes the procedure. Includes the two tests and the answers. (CMK)

Presents an analysis of undergraduate methods course textbooks (n=26) published in the United States with copyright dates from 1995-1999. Examines aspects of the textbooks, such as demographic qualities, use of pedagogical aids and illustrative material, and topic coverage. Includes the results in detail. (CMK)

Explores the relationship between high school psychology and natural science classes and student performance in introductory college psychology classes. Finds that at the secondary level a strong background in natural science rather than in psychology is associated with higher grades in college psychology courses. Attributes this finding to the…

Surveys 300 public high schools to explore the hypothesis that high school psychology courses focus on personality development while college courses have a scientific-experimental basis. Provides current information for comparison with prior research relative to high school courses and teachers. Concludes that high school psychology courses and…