Introductory psychology students at a technical college, 2-year community college, and a regional university rated how important textbook chapters or topics were to them now and in the future and how interesting they were. Importance and interest ratings were highly correlated, and the whole course was rated of greater importance and interest than…

The author's quasi-experimental study compares undergraduate students' academic performance and experiences as a function of using electronic (n = 117) versus traditional (n = 116) textbooks in a developmental psychology course. Student exam scores did not differ significantly as a function of textbook format. Students who used the traditional…

Reports on the evaluation of readability levels of 16 public speaking textbooks and 7 skills-oriented interpersonal communication textbooks. Finds sizable differences among public speaking textbooks. Advocates using readability data in the process of textbook selection and suggests how to do so. (SR)

Twenty-seven social psychology textbooks were rated for Flesch readability, student readability, Flesch interest, student interest, and student recommendation. (ND)

Analyzed man-environment textbooks to characterize the "typical" book and determine which criteria need to be assessed most carefully by instructors. The study's purpose was not to decide which book was best, but to evaluate which features of books vary most. Provides four questions as tools for the initial textbook screening process.…

Presents a comparative analysis of 15 brief introductory psychology textbooks for teachers who want a leaner introductory text. Focuses on length, pedagogical aids, and topic coverage. States that there is enough variability among the texts to accommodate teachers' preferences and needs. Includes a bibliography of the textbooks. (CMK)

Examines 17 undergraduate cognitive psychology textbooks published in the United States with copyright dates between 1995 and 1999. Intends to facilitate textbook selection through a comparison of text length, reference citations, content, pedagogy, and illustrative material. Reveals that the textbooks diverge on topical emphasis. Includes an…

Faculty collective bargaining contracts were analyzed at institutions of higher education that had a history of collective bargaining to determine whether contracts negotiated in 1975 significantly differed from those negotiated in 1985 with regard to academic items including employment decisions, teaching load, nonteaching responsibilities,…

The purpose of this study was to compare characteristics desired by college English teachers in a composition handbook with the characteristics actually found in those recently published in order to help teachers in the selection of this resource. Data were collected through a questionnaire sent to 200 members (170 responded) of the Conference on…

This paper is based on an analysis of 83 syllabuses and/or catalog descriptions of courses on the politics of education, educational policymaking, and policy analysis received from members of the Politics of Education Association in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. This material provided information on what topics were…

The Advertising section of the Proceedings contains the following 18 papers: "The Birth of Adwatches: Political Advertising Becomes Front-Page News" (Jennifer Greer); "A Cross-Cultural Comparison of the Effects of Source Credibility on Attitudes and Behavioral Intentions" (Kak Yoon, Choong Hyun Kim, and Min-Sun Kim);…