The test files for 30 introductory psychology textbooks were searched for psychometric information and none was found. It is argued that publishers should include that information and suggestions are made for how and exactly what information to incorporate into test files. (ND)

Discusses weakness in 11 introductory psychology textbooks in distinguishing between the terms proactive behavior and negative transfer. Negative transfer relates to a detrimental effect of prior experience on the learning of a new task, whereas proactive interference concerns a detrimental affect of prior interference on the recall of a second…

Proposes use of prepublication student evaluations of textbooks. Feedback from students helps to improve comprehensibility and interest and is most useful when done on a chapter-by-chapter basis using a systematic evaluation procedure. (Author/KC)

Reports on two studies that assessed the interchangeability of logical and empirical estimates of readability and human interest for college-level introductory psychology texts published between 1977 and 1988. Uses Flesch's procedures to obtain logical scores and student ratings to obtain empirical scores. Finds that correlations are too low to…

Description of the method and results of a study that evaluated introductory psychology textbooks according to their human interest and readability. It updates a previous study. (ND)

Discussion of textbooks criticizes review and selection by professors without consideration for price, publishers who push sales of new or revised textbooks instead of older textbooks, and emphasis on readability and teaching techniques rather than on content. (ND)

Anonymous criticism of a reading consultant's readability analysis of the authors' introductory psychology textbook. (ND)

Reports the results of an examination of 31 psychology textbooks. Finds texts give definite answers to complex questions. Concludes that instructors must be cautious when using texts. Suggests authors and publishers can police their activities by establishing a standardized format for citing material. Urges teachers to encourage this idea through…

Reviews TEXTBOOK OF PSYCHOLOGY and the accompanying instructor's manual by Hebb, Donderi, and Henderson (1987). States that, although the book is well written, it omits the general psychology topics that most students find interesting. Includes a response by the authors in which they discuss the purpose of the book. (GEA)

A content analysis of college-level introductory and social psychology textbooks showed that many texts do not discuss ethics at all and, if they do, it is usually in one or two pages. Things that classroom teachers can do to fill this important gap are discussed. (RM)

Undergraduate students enrolled in a Principles of Psychology II course were asked to rate selections from introductory psychology texts for reading ease. These student ratings were then compared with the ratings obtained using the Flesch readability formula. Student ratings did not agree very well with the Flesch scores. (RM)

Pictures in introductory college level psychology textbooks are remembered and retained at significant levels for substantial time periods. (AM)

Discusses factors that psychology professors should consider when selecting a textbook for introductory courses. These include readability, human interest level, comprehensiveness, and authoritative accuracy of the material. (RM)

We analyzed the first 10 editions of Baron and Byrne's social psychology textbook. Modeling our methodology on Griggs and Jackson's (1996) longitudinal analysis of Hilgard's (1953) introductory psychology text, we ascertained changes in objective features, content, and contributors and contributions to social psychology. Changes in objective…

Introductory psychology textbooks were analyzed to determine what percentage of space they devoted to the following content areas: experimental/learning, physiological/biological, developmental, social/personality, cognitive, clinical, educational, industrial/organizational, tests and measurements, and other. Results showed a clear preponderance…