Sherri L. Jackson

Introductory Psychology Textbooks: An Objective Analysis and Update

Following a brief summary of changes in the introductory psychology textbook market over the past 2 decades, we assessed the impact of these changes on the 37 full-length texts presently comprising this market. We compared their objective features with those of introductory texts from the recent past. Although the number of chapters has decreased, actual text length has increased. Coverage of traditional topics has lessened to include coverage of nontraditional topics such as diversity. The typical introductory text at present is in its 4th edition and has 1 White male author. The objective data and complete topic distribution analysis for all 37 texts should facilitate the text selection process for introductory psychology teachers.

A National Survey of Undergraduate Psychology Degree Options and Major Requirements

We examined the catalogs of a random sample of 292 national and regional universities and liberal arts colleges to collect curricular data on the prevalence of focused specialty versus general degrees in psychology and on the course requirements for the various degree options. We analyzed the data by type of degree and institution. Requirements for the various psychology majors were in general agreement with recommendations by the curriculum committee of the recent St. Marys Conference. We also found that a substantial number of schools offer options other than general degrees. Given trends such as rising undergraduate enrollments and concern for career relevance and job preparation, we believe that the number of these alternative degree options may increase in the future.

Critical Thinking in Introductory Psychology Texts and Supplements

The importance of critical thinking to education in psychology prompted us to examine the coverage of critical thinking in the 37 full-length introductory psychology textbooks published during the period 1995 to 1997. In addition, we checked for coverage of scientific thinking, cognitive biases in thinking, and difficulties in statistical reasoning. We also reviewed critical thinking supplements. The findings should guide and facilitate the review and decision process for teachers interested in incorporating critical thinking into the introductory course.

Brief Introductory Psychology Textbooks: An Objective Analysis.

Given the rising cost of textbooks, the one-term nature of most introductory psychology courses, and the length of “regular“ introductory psychology textbooks, many psychology teachers may be interested in briefer, less expensive paperback introductory textbooks. We performed an objective analysis of these briefer textbooks. Our approach was similar to Weitens (1988) analysis of regular introductory textbooks and to Webbs (1991) analysis of the three editions of the Boring, Langfeld, and Weld textbook. Overall data and the results for each text are provided, as well as a comparison with Weitens data for regular texts. Prices are also briefly discussed. These data supplement Weitens normative data.

Introductory Psychology Textbooks

It has been 13 years since the last objective analysis of full-length introductory psychology textbooks was published and 15 years since the textbook copyright period used in that study, 1995–1997. Given the importance of informed textbook evaluation and selection to the introductory course but the difficulty of this task because of the large number of texts available, it is important to provide teachers with as much information about introductory texts as possible. Thus, to aid teachers in this arduous task, we objectively analyzed the most current editions of the 13 full-length introductory texts published since 1997. Our analyses also allowed us to objectively compare introductory texts from the 1990s with those from the 2000s.

Attentional Factors in a Disjunctive Reasoning Task

Girotto and Legrenzis 1993 facilitation effect for their SARS version of Wason s THOG problem a disjunctive reasoning task was examined. The effect was not replicated when the standard THOG problem instructions were used in Experiments 1 and 2. However, in Experiment 3 when Girotto and Legrenzis precise instructions were used, facilitation was observed. Experiment 4 further investigated the role of the type of instructions in the observed facilitation. The results suggest that such facilitation may result from attentional factors rather than the use of a combinatorial analysis in the problem.

Psych Lite Great Price, Less Filling

Introductory psychology textbooks have been criticized for being too long and too expensive. A national survey of introductory teachers found that 89% of introductory courses are only one term in length and that teachers could only cover 68% of a text’s topics. This situation has been made more problematic by the soaring prices of introductory texts, leading many students to not purchase them. However, a class of more concise, less expensive introductory textbooks has recently emerged. We provide an objective analysis of these concise texts, along with a comparison to previous similar analyses of full-length and brief introductory texts. For introductory teachers interested in adopting a concise text, these data will be helpful in the text evaluation and selection process.

Classic Articles as Primary Source Reading in Introductory Psychology

Given the frequent use of primary source readings by introductory psychology teachers, especially at liberal arts colleges, we compiled the citation frequencies of classic articles in introductory textbooks to help teachers select readings for their courses. Using a random sample of 24 of the most recent introductory texts (copyright dates 2004–2006), we checked for citation of the 40 classic studies that Gorenflo and McConnell (1991) identified as cited in a simple majority of textbooks in the late 1980s. We found that 22 of these articles still met this citation criterion. We discuss the general content of these articles and ways to supplement them to comprise a sufficiently diverse set of possible readings for the introductory course.

Supplementary Books on Critical Thinking

To complement our companion study of critical thinking in introductory psychology textbooks and ancillary workbooks and readers, we describe 12 critical thinking books that instructors could use as supplements in psychology courses. Some books strongly emphasize skills in evaluating arguments, whereas others stress methodology and biases in thinking. Although the breadth and depth of most of these books limit their use in a one-term introductory course, they fit comfortably in a two-term course. We suggest alternative ways to incorporate supplementary critical thinking books into the psychology curriculum.

Studying Open Versus Traditional Textbook Effects on Students’ Course Performance: Confounds Abound

To combat the high cost of textbooks, open (digitally free) textbooks have recently entered the textbook market. Griggs and Jackson (2017) reviewed the open introductory psychology textbooks presently available to provide interested teachers with essential information about these texts and how they compare with traditional (commercial) introductory textbooks. They did not, however, include any discussion of the research that has examined the effects of open introductory psychology textbooks and other open educational resources versus traditional introductory textbooks on students’ course performance (e.g., course grades). The present study provides a review of this research. The review indicated that no firm conclusions can be drawn not just because there are a limited number of studies with seemingly conflicting findings but more importantly because of numerous uncontrolled relevant variables in all of the studies. To aid researchers who want to conduct future studies on this topic and reviewers who will evaluate these studies, we discuss these variables and the control issues they create.