{"data":[{"id":48,"title":"Introduction to Psychology","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2015,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"When you teach Introduction to Psychology, do you find it difficult — much harder than teaching classes in statistics or research methods? Do you easily give a lecture on the sympathetic nervous system, a lecture on Piaget, and a lecture on social cognition, but struggle with linking these topics together for the student? Do you feel like you are presenting a laundry list of research findings rather than an integrated set of principles and knowledge? Have you wondered how to ensure your course is relevant to your students? Introduction to Psychology utilizes the dual theme of behavior and empiricism to make psychology relevant to intro students. The author wrote this book to help students organize their thinking about psychology at a conceptual level. Five or ten years from now, he does not expect his students to remember the details of most of what he teaches them. However, he does hope that they will remember that psychology matters because it helps us understand behavior and that our knowledge of psychology is based on empirical study. This book is designed to facilitate these learning outcomes, and he has used three techniques to help focus students on behavior: Chapter Openers: Each chapter opens showcasing an interesting real world example of people who dealing with behavioral questions and who can use psychology to help them answer them. The opener is designed to draw the student into the chapter and create an interesting in learning about the topic. Psychology in Everyday Life: Each chapter contains one or two features designed to link the principles from the chapter to real-world applications in business, environment, health, law, learning, and other relevant domains. For instance, the application in Chapter 7 on Development, ”What makes good parents“ applies the concepts of parenting styles in a mini-handbook about parenting, and the application in Chapter 3 is about the difficulties that left-handed people face performing everyday tasks in a right-handed world. Research Foci: Introduction to Psychology emphasizes empiricism throughout, but without making it a distraction from the main story line. Each chapter presents two close-ups on research — well articulated and specific examples of research within the content area, each including a summary of the hypotheses, methods, results, and interpretations. This feature provides a continuous thread that reminds students of the importance of empirical research. The research foci also emphasize the fact that findings are not always predictable ahead of time (dispelling the myth of hindsight bias), and also help students understand how research really works. The author's focus on behavior and empiricism has produced, Introduction to Psychology, a text that is better organized, has fewer chapters, and is somewhat shorter than many of the leading books. Now, you don't have to believe us. Check the book out online or order your desk copy today.","contributors":[],"subjects":[{"id":42,"name":"Psychology","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"BF121","visible_textbooks_count":51,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/psychology"},{"id":9,"name":"Social Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"H1","visible_textbooks_count":285,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/social-sciences"}],"publishers":[{"id":192,"url":"https://www.lib.umn.edu/publishing","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","name":"University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing"}],"formats":[{"id":358,"type":"Online","url":"https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Psychology/Introductory_Psychology/Introduction_to_Psychology_(LibreTexts)","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1684,"type":"PDF","url":"https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Psychology/Introductory_Psychology/Introduction_to_Psychology_(LibreTexts)","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1685,"type":"eBook","url":"https://open.lib.umn.edu/intropsyc/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4","textbook_reviews_count":24,"reviews":[{"id":60,"first_name":"Jennifer","last_name":"Poole","position":"Chair, Department of Psychology","institution_name":"Langara College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"In the author's preface, he states that the typical length of introductory psychology textbooks serves as a detriment to student learning. Consistent with his concern, his text is not as comprehensive as others I have used to teach introductory psychology. Whereas a typical text in this area might include 16 to 18 chapters, his text has only 14 – specifically, it is missing a separate chapter on Stress, Health, and Coping (stress receives some coverage in Ch. 10 but other topics in that chapter on Emotion and Motivation are not covered as a result). Many of his chapters are also shorter in length and contain less content than the texts I would typically use. Some of the chapters combine topics (e.g., Ch. 9 - Intelligence and Language) that are often treated in separate chapters in other texts. I suspect that this text may have initially been designed for use in an American one-semester introduction to psychology course. In BC, introductory psychology is offered across two semesters, often as two separate courses (e.g., Psych 101 and Psych 102). Some missing topics include an introduction to inferential statistics (Ch. 2), an in-depth discussion of the application of psychological principles to the workforce, achievement motivation (Ch. 10), etc. The text contains a Table of Contents but no Index. Although the author states (in the Preface) that the text contains a marginal glossary of key terms, I could not find such a glossary. However, when I hover my cursor over a key term, a box with the key term's definition pops up.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"For the most part, I found the content to be accurate, error-free, and unbiased. However, I took issue with Stangor's initial presentation of the \"Science\" of psychology (in Chapter 1). I found his use of Dr. Phil as an example of a psychologist to be misleading. Such an example seems to contradict the author's stated pedagogy of emphasizing psychology's empiricism and seems to feed student misconceptions about what psychology is. He also seems to mention Freud a lot (end of section 1.1, Ch. 5) – again, not a good example of the empirical aspect of psychology. Although Stangor presents criticisms of Freud's Psychodynamic theory in Chapter 11, he still overemphasizes this theory's contribution to the field and glosses over the major concern of lack of falsifiability. Also, PTSD seems to be over-represented in terms of problem behaviours (two of 12 chapter openers describe cases related to PTSD; PTSD is discussed in four chapters - 7,10, 12, and 13).","relevance_rating":2,"relevance_review":"Some of the content of this text is out-of-date. For example, in section 1.2, Stangor refers to APS as the American Psychological Society, as opposed to the Association of Psychological Science. The discussion on the DSM (and associated Figure 12.6, and Table 12.3) needs to be updated to the DSM-V (see also criteria for ADHD in box at beginning of Chapter 13). Also, whenever Stangor discusses the influence of nature and nurture, he tends to pit them against each other – the old \"nature versus nurture\" jargon (see Chapter 11 on Personality - is personality more nature or nurture?; Chapter 9 on Intelligence – is intelligence nature or nurture? ). A more contemporary viewpoint is \"nature through nurture\" which would be exemplified by the inclusion of a discussion on epigenetics. The text presents some recent research in the area of neuroscience – but it needs more, otherwise it risks becoming obsolete in the next few years. The text would also benefit from the inclusion of more research on the impact of technology on student behaviour (e.g., how/ why does the use of cell phones impact our driving?; are our personalities evident in our online spaces , like facebook?). If we want to show students why psychology matters, we need to present more research that is personally and contextually relevant to them (e.g., how does stress impact today's students?). Although I appreciated the attempt to insert appropriate videos and images, I found this book's screen display to be very text heavy and not very engaging. I currently use ebooks to teach my hybrid introductory psychology classes and I think the images used in those books are superior to Stangor's – the images occur more frequently throughout the text, and they are more colourful and in many cases, more relevant to the student lifestyle. Also, the ebooks I use tend to be more interactive – students can actually complete an exercise on a particular concept right after they have read about it by clicking on an icon in the ebook.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is well-written and easy to understand. Adequate context is provided when introducing new psychological concepts and explaining them. One exception is in the box on emotional intelligence at the end of section 9.1. The terms reliability and construct validity are used without being previously discussed or defined. They are defined later in Chapter 11.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is mostly internally consistent. Each chapter (with the exception of Chapters 1 and 2) begins with a \"chapter opener\" that describes an interesting case study. Learning objectives are presented at the beginning of each section of a chapter (alth","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This text could easily be subdivided into smaller reading sections – instructors could assign particular sections within a chapter. Chapters could be assigned in any order to accommodate introductory psychology courses which are typically offered as two courses. However, I think this modularity comes at a price. Psychology is a discipline where there are recurring themes. I find the lack of delineated connection between chapters disconcerting.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in a logical, clear fashion. The one exception is the inclusion of a discussion of social dilemmas at the end of Chapter 7 on Learning. This discussion doesn't really fit with the rest of the chapter; a clear explanation of how/ why it fits into this chapter is missing.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The full reference for each citation in the text seems to be embedded in the body of the text throughout the whole book. I am not sure if this was some glitch in the formatting of the version of the text I downloaded but it was exceedingly disruptive to the flow of reading. I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out where the next sentence began after the reference! Also the font in a number of the Figures is too small to read (for example, Fig. 1.5, 2.2, 3.17, 4.29, 5.9, 9.4, 10.4, 10.6, 10.8, 13.7, 14.9, 14.13, 14.15). There is an issue with the formatting of Table 5.1 (the latter part of the table is cut-off).","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contained few grammatical errors - I think I only found two typos!","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The text is fairly ethnocentric. It does not include any introduction to or discussion of the differences between individualistic and collectivist cultures. Although the author provides some research on ethnic and cultural differences (e.g., discussion of stereotype threat and ethnic differences on IQ test performance in Chapter 9, etc.), I think it would benefit from the inclusion of more research findings on cultural diversity, especially given the multicultural composition of our Canadian post-secondary institutions. The following are some examples of where the discussion of cultural differences could be expanded: i) How do cultural perceptions influence the onset and prognosis of psychological disorders? (Chapter 12) ii) In Chapter 9, the author states that \"Intelligence is defined by the culture in which it exists,\" but there is no elaborative discussion on the meaning of intelligence in collectivist cultures. iii) At the end of Section 11.1, the author states that \"there is evidence that the Big Five factors are not exactly the same across all cultures\" but he doesn't elaborate on these differences. Such a statement seems to contradict an earlier observation that \"Big Five dimensions seem to be cross-cultural, because the same five factors have been identified in participants in China, Japan, Italy, Hungary, Turkey, and many other countries.\" iv) Chapter 10 would benefit from the inclusion of a discussion on cross-cultural differences in the perception and expression of emotion, as well as cross-cultural differences/ similarities in happiness. For example, many argue that happiness is only important in societies that emphasize individualism. v) Likewise, Chapter 13 would benefit from an inclusion of the effect of culture on treatment outcomes. vi) Research presented on causal attributions in Chapter 14 is only true for individuals in individualistic cultures. What type of self-serving attributions do people from collectivist cultures make? What does cross-cultural research reveal about the fundamental attribution error?","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"This text is very American in content. No Canadian reviewers are listed. All American statistics would need to be replaced with Canadian ones (e.g., Table 12.1, Figure 13.2, etc.). Specifically, the section on ethics in Chapter 1 would need to be revised to be consistent with Canadian policies. The discussion of Bilingualism and Cognitive Development in Chapter 9 needs to be modified to include the Canadian example of French Immersion. The case at the beginning of Chapter 11 could be replaced with a Canadian twin example - there are many to choose from. Also, it would be nice to include some examples from our Aboriginal culture.\r\nThis review originated in the BC Open Textbook Collection and is licensed under CC BY-ND.","created_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":61,"first_name":"Denise","last_name":"Iacobucci","position":"Faculty","institution_name":"Camosun College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"When conducting this review I compared this text to four other introductory textbooks (Gerrig, Zimbardo, Desmarais, \u0026amp; Ivanco, 2010; Myers, 2013; Passer, Smith, Atkinson, Mitchell, \u0026amp; Muir, 2011; Schacter, Gilbert, \u0026amp; Wegner,2013). The Preface and Approach and Pedagogy sections of this text do a good job of declaring the focus on both human behaviour and empiricism and how this focus limits coverage of topics found in many other introductory textbooks. Limited coverage reduces number of chapters and chapter size. For example, it is customary to find an overview of all perspectives of psychology within the first chapter or two (ie. as in Myers, 2013; Passer, Smith, Atkinson, Mitchell, \u0026amp; Muir, 2011). Stangor provides a table (Table 1.3) of different areas of psychology in Chapter One, but does not review humanistic psychology, the biological/neuroscience perspective, and/or Gestalt Psychology as one might expect. Although humanistic psychology is covered in Chapter 11(Personality) on page 631 it comes much later in the text and is discussed in terms of personality theory development. Although Stangor on p. 23 in Chapter 1 comments on the growing number of women in psychology, he does not highlight historical contributions of women and other cultures (i.e., Margaret Washburn, Maime Phipps Clark) to the field of psychology. Similarly, in Chapter Six (Growing and Developing) there is less focus on gender development, aging well, and later adult development with no reference to systems theory/bioecological theory in development (i.e. Bronfenbrenner, 2004) (i.e., Gerrig, Zimbardo, Desmarais, \u0026amp; Ivanco, 2010). Generally, Stangor's text has limited coverage of health psychology, stress and well-being, motivation \u0026amp; achievement, and Canadian researchers. There is also limited discussion of cultural differences and similarities regarding topics and research throughout the text. On-line versions of the text as noted here http://www.saylor.org/courses/psych101/ have a nicely laid out Table of Contents, the printed version or pdf version does not. Including this in the printed copy would be helpful to students in order to navigate the material. Similarly, chapter summaries that include a list of key terms covered within a chapter have been very helpful to introductory psychology students. The insertion of key terms at the end of a chapter along with an addition of a glossary for terminology would make this text more accessible and easy to navigate.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"The inclusion of video clips on concepts, research, and applicable stories enables students to see psychology as they read through each chapter online. This is an advantage over commercial texts; however, these links are not always easily accessible via the pdf, WORD, downloaded versions. The HTML zip file did have these links. Although this text has a moderate number of basic images to illustrate concepts throughout each chapter, these could be updated and increased in number to keep students engaged with the material. Many other commercial introductory texts have more realistic and colourful images to depict concepts throughout each chapter. For example, Chapter 7 (Learning) has four images including charts and graphs while other commercial introductory texts have 30 or more images on learning (i.e., Myers, 2013; Passer et al., 2011). Addition of pictures of researchers would also highlight the people contributing to psychological science. I noted some issues with image consistency within a chapter. For example, in Figure 3.6 – Cross-section of the brain is not very clear with the green space indicating the frontal lobe being very small. However, in Figure 3.10 frontal lobe location is more clear and consistent with other texts.","relevance_rating":2,"relevance_review":"The lack of information on certain topics, such as epigenetics, gender development, work/achievement motivation, cultural perspectives in combination with the static vs. active phrasing of definitions can, at times, date this text. Stangor's definition of learning \"the relatively permanent change in knowledge or behaviour that is the result of experience\" (p. 348) is static when according to the definition offered by Myers (2013, p. 266) \"the process of acquiring new and relatively enduring information or behaviours\". The active/present tense phrasing of this definition, in my opinion, is more dynamic. Given the Houston Community College (2011)example of editing this text, updating this version by adding sections is possible.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is clear and easy to understand. For the topics covered, they are well explained.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework. Stangor indicates in the Preface that each chapter has a \"chapter opener\" (p.8). This is not the case and I would add this feature to Chapters 1 and 2.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modularity of this text lends itself well to updates and edits.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Generally, Chapters 1 through 10 flow well. My preference would be to move the social psychology chapter (Stangor's Chapter 14) to follow the personality chapter (Stangor Chapter 11), rather than having social psychology last in this text.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Although it is helpful to see italicized words in the body of the text, bolded words draw student's attention to the importance of these concepts. Adding a bolded type face along with a list at the end of the chapter would be helpful to introductory students. In the hard copy and downloaded pfd/Word copies I noted many that the Psychology in Everyday Life sections were written in a smaller font and subsequently not as easy to read. As noted in previously, not all video links worked when reviewing the text online – if information was provided about the source in the text it was easy to look this up and review these clips. As well, this online resource could have more interactive online exercises for students throughout the text. As noted in previous answers, diagrams and figures could be improved to provide more realistic images of biological components of psychology (i.e., the neuron, brain, synapse).","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Grammatical errors did not stand out as I read for content, organization, consistency et cetera. I did note spacing issues between words a few times in the text. For example, on page 30 on my hardcopy and WORD document/pdf downloaded copies the words \"ofevolutionary\" required a space between the words, p. 310 \"usinglongitudinal\" and on p. 657 \"Thesocial\". These spacing issues between words seemed to be in the pdf, WORD and hard copies. Perhaps this comment is better suited in the interface answer.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"For me, the text is culturally dated (ethnocentric) based on what is not discussed and some of the examples used in the text. Of the 12 chapters that have Chapter Openers, only 3 of these used examples from outside the United States. The other examples were from Canada and Australia. Highlighting research from psychologists in different countries and cultures would add to this text as would more discussion on cultural as context for behaviour. For example, Chapter 11, does not discuss in detail how collectivist cultures differ on personality research versus more individualistic cultures. Chapter 14 on group behaviour does not address how culture mediates group behaviour as discussed in many other commercial texts (i.e. Myers 2013, Gerrig et al, 2010). Today's students in British Columbia are from all over the world and I think this text could do a much better job of including cultural perspectives and examples within each chapter. Although Stangor mentions the importance of culture in Chapters, he does not extend the discussions on how \u0026amp; why culture is important to psychology theory and research. For example, in Chapter 12 - the social cultural influences provided are socioeconomic status, homelessness, abuse, and discrimination are all culturally specific. There is limited discussion on disorders unique to different cultures (i.e., phobias), disorders more predominantly found in certain cultures et cetera. The focus is on the American population. Commercial texts often cover the cultural variations in disorders (i.e. Gerrig et al, 2010). Based on the review I would recommend changing the White Ghost story in Chapter 1 and supplementing Canadian and more International examples in the Chapter Openers.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I believe it is important to provide an overview of all the major psychological perspectives in the first chapter or two. I would add those sections/content noted in answer to question 1 and 3 of this review. In particular additional content on student/worker motivation, health psychology and stress incorporating student examples would be useful. As noted in question 11 highlighting Canadian researchers Canadian researchers on topics discussed in text. As well, I think it would be helpful to create a student guide to the text as did Houston Community College (2011)or add student glossary, index of terms to the text. As well, the chapter summaries require more active reviews - such as multiple choice question review or something similar that has answers somewhere in the text or online where students can check their understanding of material.\r\nThis review originated in the BC Open Textbook Collection and is licensed under CC BY-ND.","created_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":127,"first_name":"Linda","last_name":"Lee","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"California Polytechnic State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"I agree with other reviewers that while the book is concise and provides a good introduction to different domains of psychology the breadth and depth of discussion on certain topics (i.e. motivation) is lacking.  I am a developmental psychologist in training and will therefore focus my comments on Chapter Six (Growing and Developing).  In this chapter, the author provides a review of classic theories in developmental psychology (e.g. behaviorism, psychodynamic, Piaget's cognitive development) but fails to adress some of the more modern theories (e.g. Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model). The discussion of Vygtosky's sociohistorical theory also lacks depth.  I feel that an inclusion of current criticisms (e.g. most pariticipants in developmental research are White) and progress in the field of development psychology (e.g. multidisciplinary in nature) helps to challenge students to go beyond the basic knowledge and think critically about issues in psychology.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate and for the most part unbiased.  However, as mentioned previously, the failure to include examples from a diverse cultural context and/or to use only examples from one particular cultural context can be misleading.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"For the book to be relevant, examples must be up-to-date and meaningful to students.  I find the many examples in this book interesting but from students' point of view, the examples may not be as appealing.  For example, there are few examples of relevant issues such as the use of mobile devices or social media throughout the chapters.  However, for instructors who adopt the book, I do see the updates relatively easy and straightforward to implement.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The written text is lucid and easy to understand.  The flow from paragraph to paragraph is clear and intuitive.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The book is well organized and does not overwhelm the readers with enormous blocks of text.  The key takeaways are useful for students to review important concepts in each section.  The exercises and critical thinking are to some extent helpful to build on the concepts learned.  I also like some of the opening vignette (e.g. the case of PTSD in Chapter 7).  However, I also agree with other reviewers that the modularity lacks transition between chapters and can send the unintended message that the different disciplines in psychology are compartmentalized instead of intertwined.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The chapters are well organized.  Depending on the discipline of the instructor who adopts the text, the order of the textbook can be moved around.  The graphs, images, diagrams, and illustrations are helpful to clarify difficult concepts (e.g. IV and DV; assimilation vs. accommodation).  Although the video clips are classics in any introduction to psychology courses and the inclusion of them a bonus, more recent video clips should be incorporated to improve the engagment of students.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Other than some minor inconsistencies in font size with printed PDF version of the text, the text is easy to navigate and features are helpful.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The examples provided throughout the chapters are not culturally diverse and are therefore limited in their applicability.  As previously mentioned, the introduction to Vygotsky's theory in Chapter Six (Growing and Developing) is brief and does not include a discussion on the cultural component of human development.  The lack of emphasis on the cultural nature of human development is problematic especially in the United States when ethnic diversity is on the rise.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2014-07-15T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2014-07-15T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":138,"first_name":"Stephanie","last_name":"Judson","position":"Visiting Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Cleveland State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covered most expected areas that would be in an introduction to psychology text, however there was no chapter devoted to the field of industrial/organizational psychology nor an introduction to essential statistical knowledge and less depth regarding others topics (i.e., language and intelligence combined into one chapter). In-depth information for each topic was provided and each chapter included questions that would facilitate active learning.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Information provided was generally accurate however I took issue with the overuse of the word “psychologist” in a particular chapter in that the term was applied to non-psycholoigsts. The consistent reference to research and scientific literature was helpful and would allow students understand the importance of scientific inquiry in the field. I felt that more citations were needed throughout though, given the attempt of the author to reinforce the importance of scientific literature, particularly for highly charged information (i.e., racial differences in IQ, rates of sexual minorities in the US population). In particular, an unusually low statistic of LGBTQ individuals was provided at one point and it was unclear where this information was drawn from.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Text was published in 2010 and the most recent citations are from 2011. The text did discuss temporally relevant examples such as current TV shows which would likely draw students in. I also appreciated the helpful information about how to evaluate websites which is quite relevant given that students increasingly use and will use the internet to find information. However, this text references to outdated DSM and therefor much information (particularly related to the five axis system of diagnosis and that related to autism spectrum disorder) is outdated.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Text was written at an appropriate reading level of college students and avoided the overuse of technical jargon. The writing style and reading level of this text would be accessible to most first year college students.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text was consistent in its presentation of information regarding formatting, depth, and use of real life and research related examples.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Text was broken up into easily readable sections. Also, chapters are an appropriate length and are broken into reasonable length modules.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The text was missing a table of contents and index (in the PDF version) which made it difficult to quickly review the flow of the book or where to find information. The broad based introductions to chapters were inviting and provided an easy way to ease into a new topic area. Information flowed logically regarding the order of the topics across chapters.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Sometimes key words were italicized and sometimes phrases were - text would have benefited from a consistent use of bolding to emphasize key terms. Some tables were somewhat lackluster whereas some were more engaging (i.e., different colors). Some figure headings were not close to the actual figure in the PDF version. Pictures would have made the text more engaging. There was also a missing figure at one point. There were references to video clips however it's unclear how to access them through the PDF version.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found minimal grammar errors however, there were several typos (i.e., existence of unneeded text, missing spaces).","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"My largest critique of this text is in reference to the male and Euro-centric approach the material. This is seen through examples used and pictures (i.e., figures predominantly presented images of white, male bodies). There was very little discussion of the importance of oppression, discrimination, power, and privilege related to human behavior and research. There was little to no discussion of the historical impacts of psychologists of color or women psychologists. LGBTQ individuals were referred to as \"homosexuals\" which is outdated and offensive to many. This text would greatly benefit from more diversity in cultural examples and discussion of how human behavior is impacted by cultural identities.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2015-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2015-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":419,"first_name":"Donna","last_name":"Weber","position":"Senior Lecturer","institution_name":"University of Wisconsin-Stout","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook included the topics and chapters that I expect to be included in a General Psychology course.  My attempt was to see this textbook from the perspective of a college freshman.  Some may be psychology majors, however most will not.  This may be the one chance for them to understand that psychology is important and to know the value of studying and appreciating human behavior.  I think this text meets that goal.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content appears to be accurate.  ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The dramatic examples given to make the points known, will be remembered for a long time.  Time passes quickly and with the digital speed of changing, few things can remain relevant for long periods of time.  The book seems to be organized in a fashion so that the content can be updated quite easily when needed.  ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written and arranged in a user friendly manner so that a freshman could quite easily read and comprehend the material. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The consistency of the format and layout of the chapters allows the reader to know what to expect and thus provides a level of comfort going into a chapter that might otherwise be new and difficult for the reader.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The topics can be arranged or reordered if desired by the instructor.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics are arranged in an appropriate order.  With the instructor bridging the topics, the precise order can be reordered to the preference of the teacher or needs of the students.  The order can easily be changed to match a relevant current event, [local or world] that might call a topic to be in the spotlight.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The layout is impressive including:  the introduction with the purpose of the chapter; the learning objectives; key words highlighted; charts; videos; key takeaways; experiences and critical thinking; everyday application examples; easy to locate reference citations at the point of topic; and the summary at the end of the chapter.  These all add variety, excitement, interest, and repetition of the concepts to be learned. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Everything seems to be in order.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The diversity of culture is somewhat lacking.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I liked the textbook,  had fun and enjoyed the review!  I think students will like it.","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":433,"first_name":"Mike","last_name":"Mensink","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"University of Wisconsin-Stout","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Two versions of this text were compared across formats, the open source 1.0  http://open.lib.umn.edu/intropsyc/ version as well as the updated 2.1 version, located at http://catalog.flatworldknowledge.com/catalog/editions/stangor_2_1-introduction-to-psychology-2-1 . As a competitor comparison, I referenced the introductory text our institution currently uses (Myers \u0026amp; DeWall, 2015). For those who are curious, the unattributed author is Dr. Charles Stangor, who prefaces the textbook by stating that the focus of Introduction to Psychology is on behavior and empiricism. This emphasis is further supported with chapter openers that focus specifically on real-world examples in applied domains, as well as additional exercises and critical thinking activities for readers.\nGenerally, this text compared favorably in terms of comprehensiveness to other introduction to Psychology textbooks. Research methods, biological psychology, neuroscience, sensation and perception, consciousness, human development, learning, memory, intelligence, language, emotion, motivation, social process, personality, and psychological disorders are all represented. The represented areas of psychology all align with other introductory texts (e.g., Myers \u0026amp; DeWall, 2015). I did not note any major areas of psychology missing; however some other users have suggested that the social processes chapter may be more appropriate as the final chapter in the text. A test-bank, instructor manual, and lecture slides are also available with version 2.0, however I did not see these materials available with version 1.0. A table of contents is available, as is a marginal glossary for each chapter.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I did not encounter any glaring accuracy errors in theoretical or research content. As with any introductory psychological textbook, the author typically demonstrates the greatest conceptual accuracy and strength in their own content area (social psychology, in this instance). In other areas (for example, cognitive processes), I found some issues with how certain aspects were described, however these are better related to clarity than accuracy (see below).","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"In terms of content relevance, the author provided adequate citations of seminal studies that one would expect in an introductory textbook. I also appreciated the applications to everyday life that appeared at the end of each chapter, which also contained many recent studies to help students better understand cutting-edge work in the field.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"I generally found the writing clarity to be adequate, although there were some areas that either didn’t flow as well as other introductory texts or contained a basic explanation I did not find effective. For example, as a cognitive psychologist, there were some concepts within the learning and memory chapters that I would generally explain differently to students to increase clarity. Specifically, I would suggest a cleaner distinction between cognitive processes and memory storage areas; and a better explanation of the important differences between working memory and short-term memory. Due to the nature of publication in this source, replacements of the author’s name with ‘unnamed author’ and publisher with ‘unnamed publisher’ cause some breaks in coherence for the reader.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each chapter contains the same organization and layout: A real-world showcase of the chapter content, an application in the chapter of applications to real world problems, and a focus on empirical research studies.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Generally, later chapters that build on understanding psychological research methods can be replaced or reorganized as seen fit by the instructor. However Chapters 1-3 are better left in their original order so students can build on basic descriptions of psychological science, research methods, and biological origins of behavior. As noted earlier, some users have reported a preference for moving Chapter 11: Psychology in Our Social Lives to the end of an instructional sequence.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Chapter organization is well replicated across the textbook and appears in a similar sequence as other introductory texts. Content generally builds upon less complicated content to more complex theories and findings. As noted by the author, this text is somewhat shorter than other introductory texts, which may be of interest to instructors.","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"The html version of 1.0 is basic in nature but generally well organized and easy to navigate. However there is no option for a full text search within the native html environment. Several reference links did not function, suggesting that this version may need updating (see the 2.1 version mentioned earlier).","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"While some sentences were awkward for introductory readers, I did not find any major grammatical issues.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Apart from specifically focused content on socio-cultural issues, the focus of this text is not on specific differences between cultures; but on differences of individuals across cultures. This is generally appropriate for an introductory psychology text.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":527,"first_name":"Beth","last_name":"Dietz","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Miami University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers in great detail all of the chapters that would appear in a typical introduction to psychology textbook, with the exception of a chapter on stress and coping.  The book starts with an introductory chapter that includes the definition of psychology, as well as an interestingly-written history of psychology.  I appreciate that the author devotes an entire chapter (chapter two) to psychology as a science/ research methodology.  The remaining 12 chapters cover psychology in the same order I do in my course – from the level of the cell (Brains, Bodies, and Behavior) to the social world (Psychology in Our Social Lives).  So, with the exception of a chapter on stress and coping (which I cover in my course) the breadth of coverage is excellent, with all of the typical and expected chapters.  But the depth of coverage is also excellent.  Each chapter is deceivingly dense with material.  Breaking each chapter into smaller “modules” and topics makes the chapters seem shorter than they actually are. In fact, I cannot say enough about the book’s organization.  Each chapter consists of four to five logically-flowing sections, which, among other things, makes this textbook available as a “brief” version for those interested in less coverage.\n\nPedagogically, the text uses some learning aids, including a list of learning objectives at the outset of each section, visual aids, including embedded videos, chapter summaries, and “Exercises and Critical Thinking” activities at the end of each section.  While not entirely comprehensive, these learning aids help to support some learning goals of an introductory course.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"If accuracy is defined as being free of errors in reporting, then, overall, the coverage of material in the text is accurate. There were no obvious errors that were detected.  If accuracy is defined as the absence of bias, there is nothing that would likely be glaring to the typical undergraduate reading the text. The author approaches introduction to psychology from a scientific perspective, which is evident in the coverage of research (both breadth and depth). Because I teach the course from the same perspective, I appreciate this position.   The author did a good job of including timely and important research.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The textbook is quite research-oriented.  At an undergraduate level, a strong focus on research can be intimidating and at times, confusing and frustrating.  The author balanced the amount of research, the type of research, and examples very well.  The amount of coverage is appropriate for an introductory textbook.  The research and examples are relevant for undergraduates taking an introductory course. It is noteworthy that the author did not shy away from including and explaining complex experimental research.  The author did an excellent job of breaking down the pieces and including the relevant parts.  With regard to longevity, this text could have used for several years without needing updates, but it was published six years ago and is in need of inclusion of more recent research and examples.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book’s strength is the clarity of the writing.  The author uses language and jargon that is accessible to most undergraduates. For key terms, it might be helpful to have an index or a glossary for each chapter.  Each chapter starts with an example, which helps to provide relevant context for students.  The author then lays the groundwork and builds upon it as the chapter unfolds. The use of excellent examples also helps to provide the context.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent in its content, organization, and style of writing.  Each chapter begins with an example that is likely to be relatable to most readers.  Subsequent sections begin with student learning outcomes, which should also help to frame the material for students.  The chapter summaries are also consistent from chapter to chapter.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"One of the strengths of the text is its modularity.  Each chapter is broken into several different sections, which could probably stand on their own (ie., an instructor could assign sections of a chapter, rather than the entire chapter). One advantage of modularity is that is allows for a customized text, where an instructor could pull various sections of the text to create a customized textbook for students.  A disadvantage of modularity is that flow and connectedness is compromised.  By design, this text is very modular and, although topics can build on one another, there is an intentional lack of connection between chapters.  Of course, this necessary shortcoming can be resolved by instructor intervention.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization and flow of the text is good, with the already-noted issue of the modularity compromising the connection between chapters. The text is organized in a logical fashion, starting with analysis of behavior at the level of the cell and moving up to the final chapter, which is an analysis of behavior from a social perspective.  Within each chapter, the structure and flow is also good.  Each chapter/section starts with learning objectives and ends with critical thinking exercises. There are enough visuals and video links in each chapter to break up the narrative portions and reinforce the content.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I read the text as a pdf and did not attempt to download or read it on an iPad or Kindle, for example; nor did I print it.  The translation of the text and visuals was good.  The visuals showed up well in a pdf and the video links worked well. The bookmark feature in the pdf was also helpful and made it easy to move from section to section.  A missing piece was the ability to mark up the text, takes notes, highlight, and save the place where I finished reading.  These issues might be resolved if I had downloaded it to an iPad or e-reader. Because other ebooks have these features, I think students will miss this and be potentially disadvantaged.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book is written very well.  I did not notice any grammatical errors.  I think I found a few typos, but nothing that disrupted or compromised the integrity of the text.","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"A focus on culture is not a strength of the text. While there were mentions of culture in some chapters, it was not included in every chapter despite the availability of the research. Even though the text is a bit outdated (2010), there are ample opportunities to include culture and diversity.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":570,"first_name":"Mary Ann","last_name":"Woodman","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Rogue Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Text covers all the areas of Psychology for an introductory course except for Health Psychology.  This is always the first chapter I teach so that students can begin to practice a more healthy lifestyle and learn how to manage stress and anxiety.  The glossary, index, table of contents are great.  I especially like the chapter openers with real world examples, key takeaways, the applications for everyday life and the empirical research examples.  The text is easy to read, has relevant visuals and easy comprehension for community college level.  I appreciate the references and occasional video clips.  The learning objectives and summaries are concise and valuable.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Most of the content seems accurate.  The chapter on Psychological Disorders needs to be upgraded to reflect the DSM V.  Such terms as \"mental retardation,\" \"hypochondriasis\" and \"pain disorder\" for example are no longer used.  Autism spectrum disorder needs updating as well.   The statistics graph is taken from 2001-3 and not from 2015-16.  The statement that \"Most Psychologists go into research\" does not seem accurate.  Students are exploring their career options in the fields of Social Science. The statement that \"emotional IQ texts are unreliable\" in summary of chapter 9 also does not seem accurate, unless unreliability is defined and also applied to intelligence IQ tests.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This text is written and designed well in a format that would be easy to implement updates.  I would include more female psychologists and their work.  It is missing cultural diversity.  I would also add some of the new movements in Psychology, such as Positive Psychology, Epigenetics, Neurogenesis, Cultural Psychology, Energy Psychology, Health Psychology and alternative treatments in Naturopathic Medicine for healing illness.  The book could use more examples that are related to young people and their daily life.  I appreciate the section in chapter 6 on Parenting as an example.  The section on nature/nurture, free will/determinism, consciousness/unconsciousness, offers an opportunity to introduce students to a both/and as well as a paradoxical mindset rather than an either/or viewpoint.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is well written and in language that student's can easily understand.  Technical terms are explained well and references related to content.  The book does not seem overwelming which many college textbooks seem to be.  Based on the amount of time given to teach an Introductory course, this book has some advantages.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Consistency and framework of the text are great.  Terminology well defined and used in a consistent fashion  Author's dual theme of behavior and empiricism flows well throughout his work. Structure of presenting each topic is the same in each chapter.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The sub units in the textbook make it easy to teach and to break into lesson plans.  There is a smooth flow to the subject matter.  It would be helpful to have a section bridging one subject to the next so that students could see the interface and relationship of each topic; very little disruption moving from one topic to the next.  In some places, the font seems a bit small.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Organization, structure and topical format seems very logical and clear.  Text is missing a chapter on Health and Stress Management which highly relevant to the life of a college student.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The textbook includes graphs and visuals that are appealing and easy to study.  History of Psychology section has a great chart.  Like the videos spotted throughout the text.   I would include a chart on the various careers in Psychology since young people are exploring job options.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I could not find any grammar or spelling errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The author appears to be careful about cultural sensitivity.  However, it lacks examples, case studies research and critical thinking exercises that would bring forth more cultural education for the reader.  Young people are growing up with global consciousness and curiosity about ethnic and cultural diversity.  Important to include Native American perspectives also.  Some excellent video clips from around the world that pertain to every subject studied in an introductory Psychology course.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I appreciate this textbook and would consider using it at the community college level.  All of the sections have clear content, great graphs and visuals, and stories pertinent to the subject matter.  I would include a section on lucid dreaming in chapter 5 on consciousness.  I would also include some of the research on the evolution and phenomenology of consciousness separate from the brain.  Student's are fascinated by these topics and it is very relevant to their developmental processes.  Integrating practices in Positive Psychology, such as meditation, mindfulness and references to this field of study would be very valuable.  Kohlberg's work on Moral Development and Bronfenbrenner's Model could also be included in the chapter on developmental Psychology.","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":917,"first_name":"Dr. Natikca","last_name":"Robinson","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"J Sargeant Reynolds Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book covers all the chapters needed to give students an understanding of psychology. The chapters are of adequate length and relates to life situations. The concepts in each chapter are explained in a way which is easier for students to understand. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"In this area, the book is very accurate. The content does not differ from introductory concepts in psychology. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"In this area, the book is very relevant and will have longevity. The way the text is written, new information can be added with ease. Through the short chapters, there is room to expand the chapters and display the relevance of each chapter to daily life. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book uses psychology jargon correctly and in a way in which students can gain understanding. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The consistency in this textbook is awesome. The text and concepts flow throughout each chapter. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Through the use of shorter chapters, concepts can be easily explained. Class discussions can easily be formed. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The chapters are broken down in a fashion which are easy to read and create lectures. One chapter is broken down into elements which connect to one another. There aren't any gaps in the information that is being presented. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The textbook meets this element very well. No interface issues. The images were accurate and pertained to the chapters. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The textbook did not have any grammatical errors. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The textbook incorporated various elements of cultural relevance. The examples provided enhanced the chapters. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"n/a","created_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1047,"first_name":"Vanessa","last_name":"Washington","position":"Adjuct Instructor ","institution_name":"Concordia University, Portland","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook covers a large range of subjects within the field of psychology; however, some chapters were shortened and brief in their coverage, while others were thorough and extensive in depth of material. Some aspects of the material did not include most recent research and changes in our fields understanding (for example, the discussion around emotion, arousal and the fight/flight system did not include an introduction to trauma or how the growing body of research shows consistently the impact of early trauma on physical/biological and emotional/mental development). The questions for critical thinking facilitated active learning of what was discussed in the chapter. The progression of chapters followed a logical order from a learning and instructing point of view","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content presented and discussed was accurate; however, certain topics were much more skim in the information provided; this could be resolved through accessing additional learning materials. As a learner in an introductory course, the errors detected would likely go unnoticed. As an instructor and with more comprehensive understanding, the errors were minimally noticeable; nothing observed was falsely reported, simply lacking as comprehensive discussion as possible. The coverage on drugs and addiction was inclusive of updated research that goes against our prior understanding of the impacts of illicit drugs; I was happy to read this inclusion. \nThe prenatal development section briefly covered environmental contributions to birth defects and harmful developmental impacts, including only a sentence or two on the damage of various substances. The discussion around whether our actions are largely due to nature or nurture did not include material around various theories of heritability, leaving the discussion to sound largely based from a personal perspective. The chapter discussing intelligence appeared slightly biased; while reviewing the differences in intelligence between men and women and different races, there was more heavy material presented to support these differences in IQ  being partially based in genetics, without a discussion around how social norms and environmental factors also come into play when looking at the findings around differences between social groups and intelligence. Information around the fight or flight system and the brain processes involved in responding to threats was minimal and insufficient, again discussing differences between men and women in their biological arousal  response systems, and without addressing the growing body of knowledge around activation of these processes. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Much of the information included in an introductory course is historical, and therefore relevance and longevity should not be a concern. The critical thinking questions and the boxes with real life examples are great in that they reflect updated culturally relevant examples in terms of topics, current themes around the United States political, cultural  (etc) climate; however, as culture and times changes, these would be easily adaptable/changeable  ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This text was very clear and engaging. The layout was inviting, the use of font adjustments (italics, bold face, etc) supported focused learning and signaled when definitions/jargon were given/explored. Each chapter section starts with clear objectives for the reader, and key takeaways, followed by critical thinking questions. Each chapter concludes with a summary of key concepts covered. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is written in an engaging manner; difficult concepts are balanced with engaging examples from lived experience. Discussion questions are written to invoke thoughtful responses and personal engagement with the material. Even chapters that may be more challenging for students (research and statistics) are written and therefore read with ease and discussed with engaging and relevant examples. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapter lengths were really remarkable for what was covered; they were chunked out in a manner that were short to read and that encouraged engagement with the text. I was shocked at the depth of material and the quality of engagement for also having short and brief chapters - this I think will go a long way with students who are just being introduced to the field of psychology. There were links provided throughout the text; however, I was unsuccessful in getting these links to work and so I cannot report on the usefulness or appropriateness of these learning supplements. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Chapters followed a logical progression of material and each chapter included engaging examples and prompts for future learning or current critical engagement with the material. It was easy to read, easy to follow, and easy to move between chapters. Each chapter provided useful materials in terms of definitions and clarity in previously discussed material ","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Display features were clear and useful. Links however, were not working for me regardless of how I tried to open them. I was excited to see the option of having youtube videos, examples of personality tests, etc; however, ultimately they were not accessible for use. I was able to highlight the text; however, in the format I was using, I was unable to highlight multiple sections; once I tried, my previous highlighted portion was removed. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"This was very well written; there were no grammatical errors that I observed. ","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"Culture in terms of inclusiveness was absent; there was not much included in terms of information that may vary between cultures. When there was discussion of differences between groups of people in regard to race, sex and gender, these differences were named and yet poorly explored; therefore, readers lost opportunities to engage the material with a global view, and potentially could have formed biased or incomplete information about various groups. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2017-02-15T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-15T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1067,"first_name":"Troy","last_name":"Pilgrim","position":"Adjunct Instructor","institution_name":"Rogue Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers many key components typically found in an introduction of psychology class.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"Content is in keeping with the cannon.  I observed no errors.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Content is in keeping with the traditional approach to introducing psychology to community college or undergraduate students.\nThe format of the text allows for an introduction to a variety of domains covered in the field of psychology.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is written is such a manner as to reflect college-level expectations. Though it can be dry reading at times (as with most texts), it is far from boring.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"This text is not only consistent, but it's progression of subjects easily build upon each other.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text is easily divisible into sections conducive for a trimester system.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics provide a nice overview of the many facets of psychology and easily build on each other.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Navigation is straightforward. The images provided are relevant and are not obtrusive.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I observed no glaring grammatical issues.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I observed no areas of concern in this domain.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1107,"first_name":"Michelle","last_name":"Shelton","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"George Fox University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book provides the content and information that many general psychology textbooks do. In comparing it with three other general psychology textbooks I have used over the years, it is equal to all of them in terms of the topics covered and the level of comprehensiveness.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content appears to be accurate and error-free. There is a slight bias, as there is with most textbooks, but it in no way clouds the content or the information.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"In terms of relevance, the author does a good job with providing information, resources, and citations for the pioneering works in the field. With any general psychology textbook there is a large emphasis on the historical context of the field, theorists, physiology, and behavior. I found the sections on the brain to include some of these seminal works, but very little current information and research on this important structure.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book's clarity is strong and well-designed. It is very reader-friendly and easy to navigate. The structure of each section lends itself to a good dialogue of the material. The opening story of each chapter is an excellent way to engage students in the material in a very practical sense.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent in both terminology and framework. The key terms are highlighted for ease of use, and the figures and tables are labeled and placed in appropriate areas of the text.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I enjoyed the chapters being broken down into different, distinct sections. While I assigned the entire chapter as reading, I planned my activities and assignments to include a graded item from each of the sections. By doing this I knew students were engaged in each of the sections, and for my planning as a professor, it worked very well.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"As previously mentioned, the book is well organized, easy to use, and has a great flow to it.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"For the most part the interface had no glaring issues. My only criticism of the interface was that there were no page numbers within the body of the book. When I open the book on my laptop, there are no page numbers listed even in the table of contents. When I open the text on my iPad there are numbers for the start of each chapter, but not on the individual page. This made it very difficult to help students navigate to a certain page for information. I also had student complaints about not having page numbers when needed for a citation.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"If there were grammatical errors in the book they did not stand out.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"There was not a strong emphasis on cultural relevance. On a positive note there were no issues with cultural insensitivity either. General psychology textbooks tend to be a bit culturally neutral, however there could be added cultural implications to the topics.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall this textbook is of the same caliber that most general psychology textbooks are, but it has the significant advantage of being free to the end user.","created_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1444,"first_name":"Kendra","last_name":"Miller","position":"Psychology Instructor","institution_name":"Anoka-Ramsey Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"I compared this textbook with the textbook I currently use, \"Discovering Psychology, 7th edition,\" by Hockenbury, Nolan, and Hockenbury.  The textbook I currently use has only 14 chapters and two Appendices.  I have seen textbooks with more chapters that may perhaps also be more comprehensive, but may also be overwhelming to get through in a traditional 16 week course.  Therefore, I prefer the more brief or concise versions of introductory textbooks.  I think this textbook is comparable in comprehensiveness to the textbook I currently use, with one major exception: \"Introduction to Psychology has no separate chapter on \"Stress, Health, and Coping.\"  Although this topic is addressed in Chapter 8 with \"emotion,\" my preference would be to have an entirely separate chapter devoted to stress (especially since combining motivation and emotion into one chapter is already a lot of material).  Here are a few of my thoughts on the comprehensiveness of each chapter:\n\nChapter 1: Missing from the \"Schools of Psychology\" table: Biological, Humanistic, Positive Psychology, and Evolutionary Psychology.  The text I currently use discusses Structuralism and Functionalism within the section on the history of psychology, but separates out the \"origins of psychology\" (where Structuralism and Functionalism are discussed) from \"contemporary psychology.\"   Also, although I realize that it would be impossible to include everyone, I  feel like there are too many important psychologists missing from the timeline, and the timeline should add in what some of the early theorists did.    I do like how Chapters 1 and 2 give separate attention to the history of psychology and the scientific method (my current textbook combines the two).  I like how this chapter differentiates between values and facts, and discusses the potential limitations of way we collect and interpret data to understand behavior in our everyday lives.\n\nChapter 2: I would like to see a little more focus on critical thinking in this chapter, though it is briefly discussed.  I would also add in why it's necessary to replicate research, and how a journal article is different than other reports of studies seen in the media.    I think the table that lists the conceptual variable and the operational definition would be very useful to students.    \n\nChapter 3: I didn't see norepinehrine discussed.  Plasticity is discussed, but would also like to see separate definitions of functional and structural plasticity.   I also did not see Broca's and Wernicke's areas discussed.\n\nChapter 4: I did not see a definition of \"transduction.\"  Also missing are the monocular cues of texture gradient and motion parallax, as well as any discussion on bottom-up vs. top-down processing.  The \"carpentered world hypothesis\" could be included discussion of the effects of experience on perceptual interpretations.\n\nChapter 5: Needs some attention to research on multi-tasking.  A table with examples of circadian rhythms throughout the day would be helpful.  Some concepts are discussed but terminology related to those concepts are not mentioned, such as sleep paralysis, hypnagogic hallucinations, and myoclonic jerk.  Sleep-related eating disorder was also not covered.  I enjoyed the information provided on the \"need to escape everyday consciousness.\"  Very interesting.\n\nChapter 6: I would like to see some discussion on genotype vs. phenotype and epigenetics.  I also didn't see research on types of temperament or theories of gender development presented. \n\nChapter 7: Some concepts were discussed without the associated terminology (such as \"biological preparedness\" and the \"overjustification effect\").    I would also like to see discussion on \"learned helplessness.\"\n\nChapter 8:  The \"semantic network model\" was discussed somewhat but not labeled as such.\n\nChapter 9: \"Thinking\" was not included in this chapter (as it is in the textbook I currently use), and was addressed somewhat instead in the previous chapter, though not in a comprehensive way.  I prefer \"thinking\" to be addressed in the same chapter as intelligence and language.\n\nChapter 10: I did not see theories of motivation, such as instinct, drive, incentive, arousal, humanistic theories) discussed.  \n\nChapter 11: This chapter was about as comprehensive as it is in the textbook I currently use.\n\nChapter 12 and some of 13: Needs to be updated to align with the newest edition of the DSM.\n\nChapter 14: Sufficiently comprehensive.\n\nThere was no chapter or appendix covering Industrial/Organizational Psychology.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I found this textbook to be accurate in comparison with the information provided in the textbook I currently use, aside from the need to update the information in Chapter 12 to reflect changes to the DSM.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"For the most part, up-to-date (aside from Chapter 12), but a few more relevant examples would catch the attention of students (especially related to media use).  \n\nI liked the exercises/critical thinking questions found at the end of the sections.  This gives students an opportunity to find ways to make the material relevant to their own lives with personal examples.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"I think that concepts were adequately defined and found the textbook easy to read.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The textbook has no consistency issues that I could find.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I found the modularity to be adequate.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"For the most part, the organization/structure/flow of this text was good.  I only have a few minor recommendations.  Within Chapter 3, I feel like the material about how the brain is studied could be placed at the beginning of the chapter; where it is placed seems to disrupt the flow of the chapter, in my opinion.  In Chapter 10, I would like to see evidence for the facial feedback hypothesis tied in with the James-Lange theory.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Most of the links to the videos provided within each chapter did not work.  I love the use of videos to illustrate course material.  However, links seem to change so quickly on the internet that this is a significant issue.\n\nI would recommend adding in a banner above each chapter number for visual interest.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I feel this is an area that could be expanded, as there seemed to be very few examples that provided a cross-cultural perspective.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Overall, I think the scope of this text was adequate for an introduction to psychology course, though I'm not sure how much updating has occurred since it was distributed in 2010.  I would recommend updating the links to the videos within the material and updating Chapter 12 to align with the changes in the new DSM.  I would also like to see supplements (PowerPoints and test bank) created for this textbook.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2132,"first_name":"Troy","last_name":"Ertelt","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Lake Superior College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Provides comprehensive coverage","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content was error-free and without clear bias.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Content was relevant and appropriately updated.  Text should be usable for a long period of time.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"At times the tone was very academic and might limit accessibility for undergraduate non-majors, but overall, clearly written.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"No problems with consistency were noted.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"It seemed an instructor could pick the most important sections and exclude those that were less relevant without any problems.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Standard but appropriate organization and structure","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The only drawback is the relatively limited number of photos, illustrations, tables, charts, and graphs.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No concerns","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No offensive or insensitive content.  Clear attempts at inclusion.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2149,"first_name":"Dr.Aradhana","last_name":"Mehta","position":"Adjunct Faculty","institution_name":"Rhode Island College, Providence, RI","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book cover most of the topics for the introduction to Psychology course. though the topic of stress, Coping and Health Psychology. The text and easy to understand and presented in a great manner. There are 14 chapters in total giving a complete understanding of the introductory course for psychology.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"I found this open Library Textbook to be accurate, error free apart from a few topics like Stress and Coping. Some of the terms used in chapter 12 and 13 are not in use in this present age. They can improvise some examples from Cross culture as well.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The content is good and up-to-date. As mentioned earlier a few terms need to be changed in Chapter 12 \u0026amp; 13 to the new terms used in DSM V. In addition they can enhance the interactive learning process of the student by adding some videos and quizzes to the book.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The content is very well written and have clarity. It present the theoretical and the applied perspective very clearly.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"It maintains the consistency and the flow throughout the book.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Each chapter is broken into several different sections in a very simple and understandable manner. All the subtopics are well connected.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"Organization of the text is good. Though the topic of emotions and stress can be separate. As the topic of health and stress is very important in interesting for the young population. The content table should be there in the beginning of each chapter to give the clarity to the students what the chapter will be covering.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"There are some graphs and visual aids in the book. Though I will recommend the addition of a few videos and quizzes to promote the interactive learning for the students.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Grammar of the book is great.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Author was very careful and sensitive about the cultural relevance. Additions of some more cross cultural videos/example will enhance the over all perspective of these topics through the world.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Over all it seems adequate and cover most of the topics for the college level course. In addition to the content if some more cross cultural example, videos and interactive quizzes are added to it, this text book will be great for a college level course. \nThough most of the examples int he text are based on the american culture.","created_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2544,"first_name":"Kristin","last_name":"Flora","position":"Associate Professor of Psychology","institution_name":"Franklin College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"A few emerging areas of psychology, such as health psychology and I/O psychology are not represented. While I/O is not currently commonplace in other introductory texts, Stress and Health typically warrants a chapter. Stress is included in the chapter on Emotion and Motivation, which perhaps negates the need for a separate chapter (since stress is a major component of health psychology). Additionally, there is little mention of Vygotsky in Chapter 6. If that is important to an instructor, s/he will need to augment. Finally, there does seem to be a lot of attention paid to PTSD; it is significantly discussed in 3-4 chapters. This is not necessarily a critical comment, but something that stood out in my review of the text.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"In the spirit of simplification and parsimony, the author omits some information that better shows the complexity and nuance of some of the phenomenon. For example, when discussing REM there is no mention of muscle paralysis that accompanies this stage of sleep.  Or when explaining Ainsworth’s Strange Situation, the author states there are 4 attachment styles. While there are, only 3 of them came from Ainsworth’s initial research. Disorganized was identified later. More critically, it is evident that this edition has not been updated to reflect changes in the DSM. When moving from DSM-IV to DSM-V the Axes system was eliminated yet the text still spends ample time explaining this old diagnostic system. Relatedly, in Chapter 10 when eating disorders are explained only Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa are presented; Binge Eating Disorder is now a recognized eating disorder. There are multiple other examples that would require the instructor to update this information so that the students are learning the most accurate material.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"At various places in the text the references seem outdated (e.g. Chapter 3 where most stem from the 1990s). A more egregious example is in Chapter 11 where the author cites a study from 1928 when describing the stability of personality in children. Certainly this could be effectively used from a historical perspective, but the contextual language does not suggest that is the intent of using this article. In Chapter 13, the pie chart depicting the proportion of types of therapy practiced is from 2001, making it nearly 20 years old. Finally, some more contemporary issues such as e-cigarettes and binge drinking could be incorporated in Chapter 5, along with recent legislative changes regarding recreational marijuana","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Overall I think the language is clear and straightforward, with a few exceptions. For example, Chapter 4 explains how the trichromatic theory and opponent-process theory of color vision are correct, but the author could elaborate by explaining what part of the visual process each theory best explains. Additionally, some of the information in tables or figures could be better expressed. Two examples would be Marcia’s theory of identity in Chapter 6 which is presented as a table but would work better as a matrix and Figure 3.11 which demonstrates that bodily regions that require greater motor control are afforded more space on the motor cortex. The homunculus would be a better visual.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"In the author’s preface there is note that each chapter begins with an ‘attention grabbing story’ yet I didn’t see one for Chapter 2. Additionally, the inclusion of video clips and other ancillary material varies across chapters, with some having a lot of embedded resources while others have relatively few.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The sections seem appropriate in length to serve as standalone ‘units’. I very much appreciate the key takeaways and critical thinking questions found at the end of each section instead of the end of the chapter. This eases the use of this text by instructors.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"This text follows the general format of most introductory texts, with the exception of ending with social psychology instead of disorders and treatment. Otherwise, there were a few spots within chapters – specifically chapters 4 and 6 – where some of the information seems a bit disjointed or out of order.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Some of the images seem a bit odd with respect to formatting (small, offset to the left, leaving a lot of white space to the right). Unsure if this is a pedagogical tool to allow those students who print the chapters room to annotate or if it was just a stylistic decision by the editorial team? When images aren’t small and left justified, they are very large images of prominent psychologists which I’m not sure are helpful or necessary (size, not overall inclusion). The tables are drab: black and white, small font. Students may very well skip over them.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"As noted earlier, the text is very well written. The only grammar error I noted was that when discussing the work of the Harlows that the author notes they were affiliated with Wisconsin University rather than the University of Wisconsin.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I certainly didn’t find evidence of offensive language, but also thought there weren’t intentional attempts to integrate cross-cultural research. A specific example of this is when referencing the Muller-Lyre illusion noting the finding that cultures that utilize different housing structures that don’t use 90 degree angles are less likely to be susceptible to this illusion (carpentered world hypothesis) Or in Chapter 5 when discussing cocaine to note that some indigenous tribes chew on the leaves of the coca plant to maintain alertness. I think there is opportunity for the author to point out cultural differences in the presence of some of the more common psychological disorders. For instance, depression often manifests as more somatic symptoms in Asian cultures rather than sadness and despair that we tend to see in Western cultures.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Overall the key concepts are present. In its current format, instructors could augment areas that are weaker and/or pull in more contemporary examples. The greatest weaknesses are the outdated information re: psychological disorders and diagnosis and a relatively light integration of cultural differences. Graphics could be enhanced to be more engaging for students, but the text itself is well-written.","created_at":"2019-01-23T20:32:52.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-01-23T20:32:52.000-06:00"},{"id":2629,"first_name":"Melissa","last_name":"Cannon","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Western Oregon University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text seems fairly comprehensive in how it introduces the domains of psychology and roots them in empirical research. Several areas lack depth, which is understandable for an introductory text, but many also seem to lack cultural breadth and could be strengthened by adding more contemporary perspectives. Taking “Growing and Developing” as an example, the author does not address the full bio-psycho-social nature of development across the life course, skips over middle childhood, and misses key theories such as Brofenbrenner’s ecological systems theory and Carstensen’s selectivity theory in later life. The Learning Objectives in each section help to prepare students for what they will be learning, and the Key Takeaways following each section help to summarize concepts, but I find that it is really helpful for students to have a glossary of terms as well which would then be indexed at the back of the book. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I did not find inaccuracies or errors, but some cultural bias (see below under “Cultural”) and issues with relevance of the information and ample citation. For example, on page 225, the paragraph introducing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease includes only a single citation, dated 1995. There are several examples where adding citations (especially more recent ones) would enhance the credibility of the author’s content (e.g., describing structuralism on page 16; ethics in section 2.1; neuroplasticity on page 88; stimulants in section 5.2; psychotherapy in section 13.4).","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Some of the references are out of date (e.g., the references in section 6.5 are all from 10 years ago or earlier, with several from the 1990s). Videos that are accessed through hyperlinked text may have been taken down (e.g., the “Stepping Reflex” video on page 220).","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The writing seems to be at an appropriate level and not too heavy in jargon/technical language for an introductory course. I felt that some of the text boxes dropped into the chapters were not contextualized sufficiently, however. For example, the “War of the Ghosts” example on page 23 is used to illustrate Bartlett’s research on the cognitive and social processes of remembering. The story itself is confusing, however, and inserting it into the text doesn’t seem to help accomplish the author’s goal. Also, in the beginning of Chapter 6, “The Repository for Germinal Choice” is used to present the classic “nature versus nurture” argument, but it seems like an odd choice given the problematic nature of the story itself: essentially, the efforts of an American millionaire to create a more superior human race. Using a critical lens, a student would be able to detect the outrageously unethical rationale for this millionaire’s “experiment,” but that point should be highlighted more clearly and it seems like a more appropriate example could have been used in the first place.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text is fairly consistent in terms of organization and framework. I had a hard time understanding why some of the chapter summaries were not at the ends of the chapters (e.g., Chapters 4 and 7).","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I appreciate the way that the text is broken into subsections and short paragraphs without feeling disconnected or choppy. The author did a very nice job with this.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The first several chapters are presented in a logical fashion. My preference would be to have “Growing and Developing” follow Chapters 8-11, then be followed by the chapters on psychological disorders. Social cognition should also be presented earlier, perhaps after “Learning” and “Remembering and Judging.”","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Depending on the format in which the book was downloaded, this book seems to have a relatively user-friendly interface. The Contents at the beginning are hyperlinked (e.g., in PDF and iBook formats), making it easy to navigate to different sections.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"So far as I can tell, there are few (to no) grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"The text relies heavily on dominant cultural perspectives and lacks emphasis on the diversity of human nature. It would be helpful to explain differences in race, ethnicity, and nationality (especially as the author uses categories such as “Jews” “East Asians” and “African Americans” for comparison) as well as differences in sex, gender, and sexual orientation, and to cite contemporary sources (e.g., a 1984 one was used on p. 371 to describe discrimination, and a 1994 one was used on p. 439 to explain sexual orientation). The author uses the outdated term “mentally retarded” or “retardation” (p. 367). They also use the binary gender schema (i.e., men versus women) and equate gender identity disorder with transsexualism without effectively explaining gender identity (i.e., transgender/non-binary gender identification are not discussed). They refer to LGBTQ individuals as “homosexuals” (p. 439) and apply a heteronormative lens in discussing sexuality. They also explain that eating disorders can lead people to be “too fat or too thin” (p. 436) which some may perceive as body shaming.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Overall, I found this to be a good text for introducing students to the vast, complex field of psychology. In the classroom I would draw attention to areas of the text that need updated/augmented and describe the most current research findings, adding cross-cultural and international perspectives. I would generally encourage students to use a critical lens while reading this text and to contribute their own personal insight/ideas particular with regard to issues such as culture, race, ethnicity, gender, age, and socioeconomic status. ","created_at":"2019-03-06T14:17:58.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-03-06T14:17:58.000-06:00"},{"id":2778,"first_name":"Bridget","last_name":"Coddou","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Nicholls State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"In my opinion, this book does an excellent job of covering all of the areas and ideas of the subject of Psychology.  The index is appropriate, but I was not able to find the glossary.  I like the depth of the information and how it is displayed.  I believe that the course should absolutely match the level of the students.  As an Instructor that teaches both Intro and higher level Psychology courses, I think that it is imperative for us to be parallel with the students level of interest and strive to motivate them to learn.  Too much information can become overwhelming for students as well as sway them away from the content.  When teaching intro, I try very hard to teach my students the basic concepts as well as pose a \"to be continued\" mindset, in order to increase the likelihood that they will be eager to continue their education in Psychology courses.  This book does just this.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Overall, the accuracy is error-free and unbiased based off of my observations.  I do want to point out that in Chapter 12, when discussing the DSM, it is important that we continue to explain our classification system in terms of how it is used today.  The author talks about the different Axis in the DSM due to this being a 2015 version of the text.  This classification system no longer exists.  It would be important for those teaching this material to be up-to-date and aware of the changes. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"As stated above, the book does seem to be up-to-date except for Chapter 12 where they go into detail about the Axis system of the DSM.  We are now in the DSM-V where we do not have an Axis classification system.  This will be the one area that the author will need to keep up-to-date when discussing diagnoses.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This textbook does an excellent job in writing and is lucid.  The language and picture examples make it very easy to read and understand.   One advantage to moving to a digital textbook is that the student can use internet resources to connect the content.  The videos that are included throughout the text are convenient.  We like convivence when learning.  It is one less step to that the student has to do; therefore, it increases the likelihood that the student will learn that particular concept.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"There were no inconsistencies noted in this text.  ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I think that the Modularity of the text is appropriate; however, I do think that having some thumbnails to show the Chapters would be really nice for the student as well as the Instructor.  It will make it easier to sort through the material if you have multiple Chapters on an exam.  ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I love the organization of this text.  It is very easy to follow.  Considering that I am a person that usually likes paper, I think that this digital text is attractive and organized.  We want to make learning inviting and I really feel like this text does just this. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":" As stated above, this text is very clear and easy to understand. I think that the text could use more end of chapter questions/quizzes and I would like to see glossary words at the end of each particular chapter.  I think that this helps the student organize and structure their ideas.  ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors were noted.  ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No note of any insensitive or offensive language/content in this text.  In order to prevent such accusations, the author may want to include something the Introduction or Acknowledgements that a lot of the information provided is based off of research and findings in particular studies.  I think that this is the rule not the exception when teaching Psychology.  So many topics can and due become controversial, but if we preface these ideas at the outset of our discussions/writings, people tend to remain open-minded and accepting of new ideas. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, I think that this textbook is absolutely appropriate for an Introductory course.  I found it very easy to use which I believe is the absolute first step of engagement for students.  I tell my students all of the time in Intro, I want to set the foundation for you in this course.  I want them to see it as just that.  Learning enough to understand the basic concepts and promoting interest in order to fuel the mind to explore Psychology more in-depth in subsequent courses.   ","created_at":"2019-04-12T12:33:47.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-04-12T12:33:47.000-05:00"},{"id":2810,"first_name":"David","last_name":"Foster","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Open Oregon Educational Resources","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text aligns well with APA standards for Introductory Psychology. The devil is in the details, however. I have reviewed a number of intro textbooks in developing the curriculum for a dual enrollment psychology course. I have found no one text that covers every possible aspect of the standards. That being said, this text provides materials covering the APA standards on a level commensurate with leading introductory texts. One constructive criticism would be to add a list of key terms for each section and/or chapter. Such lists are provided in other open source texts and seem very useful.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The material seems to be accurately conveyed, again, on a level commensurate with leading intro textbooks.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text provided relevant info that corresponds to APA learning standards. Additionally, the open nature of the text automatically lends itself to easy updating and customization.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is written at a level that is accessible for introductory psychology students.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book used a consistent approach in displaying the materials in separate submodules within each chapter and providing a chapter summary at the end.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I appreciate the modularization of text in to smaller, more accessible units.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in a clear and logical fashion. I especially appreciated the organization of the developmental chapter by increasing age rather than theorist.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"I reviewed the pdf version of the text. There were some display issues as some pictures and logos were a little blurred and therefore distracting. Additionally, this version of the text did not appear to be paginated correctly. At times, the figure heading would appear at the bottom of the page while the figure itself would be on the following page by itself (leaving 3/4's of the page blank)","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I did not detect any grammatical errors. However, proofreading is not my strong suit.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text appeared to be culturally appropriate.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Great value for the price!","created_at":"2019-04-19T15:42:07.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-04-19T15:42:07.000-05:00"},{"id":3613,"first_name":"Colette","last_name":"Jacquot","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"University of Texas at Arlington","comprehensiveness_rating":1,"comprehensiveness_review":"I was hoping I  could adopt this textbook for my classes because I realize how expensive books are and the tremendous stress that this expense alone can place on my students. However, I would use only some of the content in this textbook as supplementary material but would need to spend an inordinate amount of time supplementing it to cover major themes which my students need to master. ","accuracy_rating":1,"accuracy_review":"From what I read, the textbook seems accurate as far as its content. However, it is inaccurate regarding representing an Introductory to Psychology textbook.  The chapters discuss only a few topics instead of addressing a number of vital subjects that introductory psychology students need to master. ","relevance_rating":1,"relevance_review":"First, the Social chapter tackles classic experiments well (e.g., Milgram, Asch, Zimbardo, Sherif) and social influence but fails to address other central topics, such as sexism, ageism, heterosexism, and others. Instead, this chapter discusses bystander effect which is a tangential topic at best. Learning is another insufficient topic that is touched on but it is across two chapters: direct and indirect learning. Moreover, instead of devoting an entire chapter to memory, the textbook discusses it at the end of the Indirect Learning chapter. Furthermore, the Cognition and Intelligence chapter covers how to teach a child shape and numbers and how prior learning (i.e., memory) can interfere with problem solving but that is all regarding cognition.  As far as discussing therapy, there is a chapter titled, “The Science of Psychology and Human Potential” which addresses only a few therapeutic interventions: ABA, learned helplessness, CBT, relapse, and conduct disorder interventions. ","clarity_rating":2,"clarity_review":"The way that these chapters are organized seems arbitrary and therefore unclear. Again, in order for a textbook to be considered for adoption, it must not only be clear but also be thorough to cover all of the material needed for an introductory class.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"The textbook fails to address major psychological issues that an introductory class needs to cover.","modularity_rating":1,"modularity_review":"The smaller sections are insufficient. Not only are major themes left out of the book but also tangential topics are included (e.g., bystander effect instead of sexism, ageism, and other vital topics).","organization_rating":1,"organization_review":"A more complete textbook including respected information that other Introduction textbooks cover should be created. Specifically, it is organized differently from any other psychology textbook I have seen. Instead of the typical chapters – Motivation, Learning, Cognition, Social, and others – the book parcels chapters into inadequate topics. ","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"I could not find the search option anywhere.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not see any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"By omitting major themes in psychology, the text is actually insensitive to some misunderstood groups, e.g., older adults, women, overweight people, and other underrepresented groups.","overall_rating":4,"overall_review":"Perhaps it is a good starting point, but I suggest adding a significant amount of material that introductory psychology students need to learn.","created_at":"2020-03-04T18:06:47.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-03-04T18:06:47.000-06:00"},{"id":3745,"first_name":"Kathleen","last_name":"Cain","position":"Professor of Psychology","institution_name":"Gettysburg College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book doesn't necessarily cover every conceivable topic in psychology, but it covers all of the main subfields in psychology and presents at least a few of the central  findings, concepts, and theories in each subfield.  In some respects, the book strikes me as more focused and less sprawling than many introductory psychology textbooks.  A student who reads this book may be less likely to be overwhelmed with information, but at the same would be able to grasp a clear sense of general issues, research issues, and research findings in each topic.  According to the introduction, the author has focused intentionally on presenting topics in a way that leaves students with a sense of coherence about the field rather than with a set of random facts.  The critical thinking questions at the end of the sections are helpful in addressing this focus.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book was accurate and clear.  I particularly liked the way that it described key research and illustrated research findings with graphs and other images.  It definitely provides an accurate overview of the field.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"I'm slightly concerned that the latest edition is from 2015, as psychology changes rapidly based on new research findings.  However, the book certainly covers the classic studies very well.  Sometimes we can be overly concerned with giving students the latest information when the reality is that they're lacking many of the basics - so my concern about the date of publication is not a deep one.  Certainly 21st century psychology is represented effectively in the book, too, so it's not just a book on the history of psych by any means.  However, I do hope that the author continues to update material included in the book.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing is clear both at the micro level of individual sentences and paragraphs and at the macro level of lucid organization.  The writing style aims for a literate audience and in that sense may challenge students who need simpler prose and multiple real life examples to make concepts clear.  Some of the mainstream publisher textbooks excel in examples that make the concepts come alive, and this book has less of those.  There are also fewer helpful additions such as definitions of terms in the margins that one would see in other textbooks.  However, each chapter in this book includes several compelling examples that are explained well, and the writing is crisp and clear, which I greatly appreciate.  There is also a bit more depth than many books provide about psychological research, which I personally love about this book, but which may not work for every student audience.  Some other textbooks are pitched at a simpler level - but these books can still let students get bogged down in the sheer volume of information, a problem that this book often avoids successfully.  Finally, this book includes numerous video clips, which are a terrific addition and really strengthen the clarity of the information provided.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Each chapter is internally consistent in terminology and framework, and the book is organized consistently.  I do wish that there were a bit more of an effort to link content in individual chapters with content in other chapters so that students can see some of the broader connections in what they're reading.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter covers one subfield of psychology (e.g, developmental, cognitive) and in turn is divided into several subsections of several pages each.  One could easily rearrange or even drop a few chapters, and within a chapter, while one would want to go in order of concepts from basic at the beginning to more complex at the end, one could easily drop a subsection.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization is a significant positive feature of this book.  The material is presented consistently in a clear and concise way, and topics flow logically from  one to the next.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I didn't have any major navigation problems, and the video links that I clicked worked well.  A few figures didn't show up, though, and once in a while there was a blank or nearly blank page (not missing text, just a slightly awkward arrangement of the text with blank space in between).","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found a very small handful of typographical errors, but I didn't notice grammatical errors.  In fact, the writing was quite strong.","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"I thought that cultural presentation was one of the weaker areas of this book.  While there are some references to a variety of cultures and some photos of people from a variety of backgrounds, some of the written statements about culture were simplistic (e.g., on p. 26, a sentence reads, \"Psychologists have found that there is a fundamental difference in social norms between Western cultures (including those in the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand) and East Asian cultures (including those in China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, India, and Southeast Asia).\"  There is no mention of nuance, of common ground, or of the variability among individuals within cultures.).  In the section on intelligence, the author mentions variation among US racial and ethnic groups in IQ scores, but offers only a superficial explanation of why these differences exist.  There is no mention of the role that discrimination plays in perpetuating some of these differences.  In the chapter on social psychology, the material on stereotyping and prejudice was accurate, but again presented with less depth than I would prefer.  While I did not see offensive material, I thought the author could have done more to present cultural variation and various cultural issues with nuance and depth.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"n/a","created_at":"2020-04-21T14:49:21.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-04-21T14:49:21.000-05:00"},{"id":3887,"first_name":"Linda","last_name":"Freeman","position":"Professor of Psychology","institution_name":"Valencia College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"At our learning institution, the preponderance of our students select General Psychology in order to fulfill their general education requirement. Since most of our students are not psychology majors, texts oriented towards giving a student an adequate primer of the field are preferred. Hence, this text seems to be a good selection for this type of student. The author's approach to relevant topical areas is an overarching one. This text sufficiently covers the subfields in psychology, without bogging down the reader in the intricacies of our discipline. In particular, I appreciated this author's approach to human development, which tends to be a content heavy area. Additionally, the learning objectives at the beginning of the chapter give a clear roadmap to the reader. The content area named \"key takeaways\" give the reader a nice annotated summary of important topical areas. For professors who want to be more indulgent in the content, the author provides a section on \"exercises and critical thinking.\" The questions posed appear to be sufficiently provocative and relevant.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I find that the text content provides an accurate portrayal of the field. Topical areas are presented in an unbiased, factual manner; however, the exercises on critical thinking provide the student an opportunity to think more \"contextually\" about the information presented.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"There are topical areas in psychology that are ubiquitous to the field. For example, Freud's Personality Theory or Zimbardo's Social Psychological contributions. These theories form the bedrock of our disciple upon which new research is laid upon. For example, the emergence of Positive Psychology and Neuroscience have provided a new and fascinating lens through which we look at human behavior. To this extent, the text seems to present a conventional  view of psychology with dash of 21st century psychology. There is a section dedicated to addressing \"positive emotions,\" although it is limited. Additionally, the surgent topic of mindfulness practice is not covered nor the relevance of Neuroscience in our understanding the connection between the brain and human behavior.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written with an adequate amount of clarity and directness. Frankly, I think the author does a superb job at addressing the heart of the theoretical  matter. Also the demonstration videos provide further clarity on the content. The examples provided seem to be relevant and compelling. Further, the design of each chapter lends itself to clarity. The beginning of the chapter presents clear learning objectives, which serve as an expectational guide, and ends with a summary of key points to consider.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"There are intra-correlations made within each chapter; however, there are few inter-connections made between different chapters. Within each chapter, there is consistency between the concept presented, its description, and the examples used to further elucidate its meaning. For those seeking to give a student a more holistic view of psychology, the text is limited. For example, if you are seeking to provide students a broader sense of how internal emotions and cognitions along with external social events interface, you will have to create your own addendum to the chapter content.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter covers a specific topical area in psychology that is later expanded upon in the chapter. The content areas are directly aligned with the learning objectives presented at the beginning of the chapter and flow into the key summary points very well. The chapter gives a sufficient amount of information to the reader to answer the critical thinking questions posed at the end of the chapter.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of the text is superb and consistent throughout the text. The author appears to have set up a predictable cadence to each chapter beginning with learning outcomes, chapter content, and ending with a synopsis of key points.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text does not appear to present issues related to interface. Navigation through the chapter is clear and direct. The examples and features are crisp and clear. There are no elements that may distract the reader from the topical area being covered. There is a high amount of congruency between the outcomes, the content, examples, exercises, and key points.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I do not see any significant grammatical errors in the text.","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"Although the text is not culturally offensive, it does lack cultural depth. Today's classrooms, comprised of students from various cultures, text material needs to appeal to a wider audience and challenge students to think more deeply about the broader social context. Overall, I would've liked to have seen more culturally relevant information in the chapters on Personality, Social Psychology, Psychological Research, and Psychological Disorders. For example, details about the cultural determinants of personality, the role of culture in prejudices and stereotyping, the ability of researchers to generalize their investigational results to culturally diverse populations, and how the cultural context needs to be accounted for in psychological disorders would have highlighted the all important role of diversity in our discipline.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"N/A","created_at":"2020-06-01T13:42:05.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-01T13:42:05.000-05:00"},{"id":35488,"first_name":"Tina","last_name":"Bogdanowicz","position":"Adjunct faculty","institution_name":"Old Dominion University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"All the main areas in Psychology are covered in a way that is easy to understand.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The research is up to date and the writing is clear and error free.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is based on research that has been shown to be reliable and valid.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Appropriate language was used. Psychology terms were explained so that students could understand what they were reading.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The chapters were organized in a similar manner which made it is easy to find information. The videos were helpful.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The sections of the book were organized so that they could be pulled out for different modules in the course.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics were organized well which gave a nice flow to the text. The grouping of topics makes sense.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not notice any interface issues. The images, charts, and videos were clear.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not see any grammatical errors while reading the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There were no cultural biases. All backgrounds were represented and treated fairly. Causes of bias were covered as well as ways to decrease prejudice.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I like the questions at the end of the chapters that help pull students in and apply what they have learned.","created_at":"2025-05-23T15:04:18.000-05:00","updated_at":"2025-05-23T15:04:18.000-05:00"},{"id":35517,"first_name":"Tanisha","last_name":"Stewart","position":"Adjunct Lecturer","institution_name":"Springfield Technical Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Each chapter was organized in an easy to understand manner. I especially liked how when you clicked on a Chapter in the table of contents, you were able to get a brief synopsis of what each section covered before you clicked on it, then at the end of the Chapter, there were overall summaries.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I love how they included quotes from the actual researchers (Bandura, etc.). I don't think I've ever seen that in an introduction to psychology textbook yet. However, when I took a look at the Intelligence Chapter, the term \"mental retardation\" was still being used, and the definition alluded to the fact that mostly males experience this. That statistic may be accurate, but the way it is worded could come across as offensive.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The references seem to have a good span (1960's to the 2000's). From this, I think that it would be relatively easy to keep it up to date.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing is very clear and easy to read and understand. It is also presented in a way that is easily digestible.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text is mostly consistent in the way it presents information using multiple forms of communication: (text, quotes, videos, etc), however there were a couple of chapters I did not see videos for.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"One of this text's strongest suits is that when you click on a Chapter, it breaks that Chapter down into smaller sections that don't just give titles, but also give synopses of each section.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book is very effective and straightforward in its presentation. Easy to follow, and easy to digest and understand.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I found one chapter where the video was no longer available on YouTube.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I think the text drops the ball in the last chapter on social psychology because it doesn't go into great detail about things like racism, sexism, or intersectionality, which are huge topics that are very culturally relevant and have been for some time.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, I really like this book and I would definitely consider adopting it as a secondary text. It would be a primary text if the issues in the intelligence chapter (updated terminology about intellectual disabilities) and the social psychology chapter (updated discussions about racism, sexism, intersectionality, etc) were resolved. Overall, this was a dynamic and interactive textbook but those issues seriously need to be addressed.","created_at":"2025-06-09T08:34:36.000-05:00","updated_at":"2025-06-09T08:34:36.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/introduction-to-psychology","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:24:02.000-06:00"},{"id":74,"title":"Principles of Social Psychology","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2015,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":"","accessibility_features":[],"description":"Have you ever had trouble teaching the various topics of social psychology and fitting them together to form a coherent field? Unnamed Author felt like he was presenting a laundry list of ideas, research studies, and phenomena, rather than an integrated set of principles and knowledge. He wondered how his students could be expected to remember and understand the many phenomena that social psychologists study? How could they tell what was most important? It was then that he realized a fresh approach to a Social Psychology textbook was needed to structure and integrate student learning; thus, Principles of Social Psychology was born. This textbook is based on a critical thinking approach, and its aim is to get students thinking actively and conceptually – with a greater focus on the forest than the trees. Yes, there are right and wrong answers, but the answers are not the only thing. What is perhaps even more important is how students get to the answers – the thinking process itself. To help students better grasp the big picture of social psychology, and to provide you with a theme that you can use to organize your lectures, Unnamed Author's text has a consistent pedagogy across the chapters. The presentation is organized around two underlying principles that are essential to social psychology: Person and Situation (the classic treatment)The ABCs of social psychology (Affect, Behavior, and Cognition) The author believes these dimensions are fundamental, that they are extremely heuristic, and that they are what he hopes your students (and his) will learn and remember. You may find that this organization represents a more explicit representation of what you're already doing in your lectures. Although the pedagogy is consistent, it is not constraining. You can and will use these dimensions more in some lectures than in others, and you will find them more useful for some topics than others. But they will always work for you when you are ready for them. Perhaps most important, a focus on these dimensions helps us bridge the gap between the textbook, the real-life experiences of our students, and our class presentations. It is almost impossible to can't cover every phenomenon in your lectures – you can naturally let the textbook fill in the details. The goal of Principles of Social Psychology is to allow you to rest assured that the text has provided your students with the foundations– the fundamental language of social psychology – from which you can build as you see fit. And when you turn to ask students to apply their learning to real life, you can know that they will be doing this as social psychologists do – using a basic underlying framework. A note about the organization of this text: it moves systematically from lower to higher levels of analysis – a method that makes sense to students. On the other hand, Unnamed Author insists, the chapter order should not constrain you – choose a different order if you wish. Chapter 1 presents an introduction to social psychology and the research methods in social psychology, Chapter 2 presents the fundamental principles of social cognition, and Chapter 3 focuses on social affect. The remainder of the text is organized around three levels of analysis, moving systematically from the individual level (Chapters 4-6), to the level of social interaction (Chapters 7-10) to the group and cultural level (Chapters 11-13). Rather than relying on “modules” or “appendices” of applied materials, this text integrates applied concepts into the text itself. This approach is consistent with the underlying theme that if students learn to think like social psychologists they will easily and naturally apply that knowledge to any and all applications. The following applications are woven throughout the text: Business and Consumer behavior Environment Health Law It is the \"thinking like a social psychologist\" theme, structured approach and new pedagogy (like research foci and Social Psychology in the Public Interest), that will make teaching and learning Social Psychology from this textbook an even more exciting and rewarding endeavor.","contributors":[],"subjects":[{"id":42,"name":"Psychology","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"BF121","visible_textbooks_count":51,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/psychology"},{"id":9,"name":"Social Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"H1","visible_textbooks_count":285,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/social-sciences"}],"publishers":[{"id":195,"url":"https://www.lib.umn.edu/publishing","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","name":"University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing"}],"formats":[{"id":361,"type":"Online","url":"https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Psychology/Social_Psychology_and_Personality/Principles_of_Social_Psychology","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1720,"type":"PDF","url":"https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Psychology/Social_Psychology_and_Personality/Principles_of_Social_Psychology","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1721,"type":"eBook","url":"http://open.lib.umn.edu/socialpsychology/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2262,"type":"XML","url":"https://open.lib.umn.edu/socialpsychology/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2263,"type":"ODF","url":"https://open.lib.umn.edu/socialpsychology/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":21,"reviews":[{"id":83,"first_name":"Chris","last_name":"Montoya ","position":"Tenured Senior Lecturer ","institution_name":"Thompson Rivers University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"I compared \"Introduction to Social Psychology\" openstax college TM to three exemplar textbooks that I had previously taught from. Those texts were: Robert S. Feldman (2001), Social Psychology 3rd Edition, Prentice Hall New Jersey ISBN: 0 – 13 - 027479 - 8 Alcock, J.E., Carment, D.W. \u0026amp; Sadava, S.W., (2005), A Textbook of Social Psychology, 6th Edition, Pearson Canada Inc., Toronto, ISBN 0 - 13 – 121741 - 0 Aronson, E., Wilson, T.D., Fehr, B. \u0026amp; Akert, R.M., (2013), Social Psychology, 5th Canadian Edition, Pearson Canada Inc., ISBN 978 - 0- 13 - 216539 - 6 In the 11 commentaries, I have compared the current textbook to the 3 exemplars. It is upon these comparisons that I base my comments. Chris Montoya BC Open Textbooks Review Criteria for the Saylor Textbook: Introduction to Social Psychology. Of some interest is the fact that the creator's name was withheld on request. 1. Comprehensiveness - The text covers all areas and ideas of the subject appropriately and provides an effective index and/or glossary. Compared to the other three textbooks on social psychology that I used as templates I have concluded that the Saylor textbook covers all areas and ideas of the subject appropriately. However, and disturbingly, there is no real chapter index, author index with page numbers, or glossary of terms. As an educator I find this most distracting. In my younger days as a student I would run to a chapter table of contents, author index, or glossary of terms at the end of the book. It was always most helpful when the terms were associated with an exact definition, and appropriate page numbers. Often times in the text certain terms are not defined in all areas. Having a glossary really helps. Not having an excellent Subject Index in a textbook or an adequate Chapter Index (Table of Contents) I feel is a great hindrance and deficiency in the current text that I am reviewing. All three of the other exemplar texts have excellent subject indexes. As an instructor I would not use a text that lacked these essential features. I realize that this is an open online text and students can type in words they are unfamiliar with, however, it is the very fact that they are unfamiliar with these terms that concerns me. Whereas I have no problem navigating the nomological pitfalls I feel that the author is assuming a basic level of understanding that the majority of second and third year university students do not have.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"2. Content Accuracy – Content, including diagrams and other supplementary material, is accurate, error-free and unbiased. The content is accurate and compelling. The author writes in an unbiased, objective, and persuasive scientific manner. The diagrams, however, are simplistic, flat, and lack color. In the exemplar texts there were an average of three colors per page. In the current text there were two. In addition, the earth tones used made the reading of what should have been interesting material bland. I find it interesting that in a social psychology textbook there are no actual photographs of people interacting. These types of actual color photographs add dimension, depth, and engage the hearts of the students. In the three other textbooks there are photographs of people interacting in all manner of social, political, emotional, and business etc. environments. By not having actual photographs of people I find that the book comes across as less interesting than its content would otherwise suggest. In addition, the author uses italicized words to highlight I find the addition of bold words embedded in the paragraphs or color words in the margins (as in the other three texts) really highlights important concepts. In general, having taught face-to-face, blended, synchronous, asynchronous, print, web, and online courses, I find that certain excellent features in standard Hard Copy Textbooks also NEED to be incorporated in online copies.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"3. Relevance/Longevity – Content is up-to-date, but not in a way that will quickly make the text obsolete within a short period of time. The text is written and/or arranged in such a way that necessary updates will be relatively easy and straightforward to implement. I am assuming that the text has a publication date of 2013. The three other exemplar texts had references dating to within two years of their publication dates. In addition, all texts had discussed papers that were currently in press. Therefore the contents of the textbook are current and up-to-date. The text is also written in a style that will last. We see further because we stand on the shoulders of giants. This well-known quote applies to all well-written textbooks. As such, for the current textbook, necessary updates will be easy and straightforward to implement.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"4. Clarity - The text is written in lucid, accessible prose, and provides adequate context for any jargon/technical terminology used. The current text is easy to follow, easy to comprehend, and is not overly burdened with jargon or dry statistics. The text, therefore, is clear, and what profs call in the area an easy read. One point: The author seems to write in an older style for instance the definition of self-concept on page 167: \"The self-concept is a knowledge representation that contains knowledge about us, including our beliefs about our personality traits, physical characteristics, abilities, values, goals, and roles as well as the knowledge that we exist as individuals.\" Compared to the 2013 Social Psychology Comparison Text definition: \"The contents of the self; that is, our knowledge about who we are.\" This simple definition appears to the side of the prose in the textbook page 124 highlighted in Bold Large Print Orange \u0026amp; also appears in a most excellent glossary of terms page 498. The text in the rest of the page fleshes out further meaning.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Yes","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Yes","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Yes","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"8. Interface – The text is free of significant interface issues, including navigation problems, distortion of images/charts, and any other display features that may distract or confuse the reader. I don't want to go into too much detail, however, and for example there are minor irritations in the text that concern me. For example in a finished text subheadings should not appear at the bottom of the page with no text below them. On page 66, the subheading: How Schemas Maintain Themselves... is so positioned. In addition, on page 67 under the heading research focus concerning confirmation bias, the author refers to a figure without stating the figure number. He's talking about figure 2.1 but simply says you can see in the following figure. When writing textbooks, or book chapters, or international peer-reviewed journal articles, the interface between what is written and the graphs provided is indeed critical. This pattern of not referring to graphs, charts, and tables continues throughout the textbook.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"9. Grammatical Errors – The text contains no grammatical errors. None that I found, although I do not tend to spend too much time looking for grammar errors. I speed read and scan, when I did start looking … On page 629 Theblack Sheep Effect … The and black were run together… again I am sure that you have grammar editors for such mundane tasks.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"10. Cultural Relevance – The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. It should make use of examples that are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. I am not sure… In Canada we tend not to use the terms Whites and Blacks on page 94 the author uses the following sentence: White, Black, and Hispanic or Mexican-American… The author continues using the White and Black references on the following pages, 614 616 622 628 629.., and more... In addition, we tend not to use the word Indian in Canadian literature but prefer First Nations. Starting on page 315 there are five references to \"Indian\" that I found. Other than these two questionable areas I found the text to be well rounded and non-offensive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"11. Are there any other comments you would like to make about this book, for example, its appropriateness in a Canadian context or specific updates you think need to be made? ... personal preference bonobo monkeys... I refer to these in my lecturers because they make love not war. The 2013 Social Psychology comparison text makes mention : )the current text does not. I find this text appropriate for 4th year University Students although I would not use it for the above listed reasons. I hope this review is useful to your work.\r\nThis review originated in the BC Open Textbook Collection and is licensed under CC BY-ND.","created_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":84,"first_name":"Jennifer","last_name":"Walinga","position":"Associate Professor and School Director","institution_name":"Royal Roads University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Charles Stangor, author, frames the text around the two human motivations of self-concern and other-concern then uses this frame to focus discussions on a variety of individual and social dimensions including altruism, aggression, prejudice, gender differences, and cultural differences, etc. Grounding the text in the fundamental principles helps to anchor the reader in the two key concepts of social pscyh throughout their learning/reading experience which then ensures the learner consistently looks through the lens of a social psychologist, and then links their learning back to these fundamental premises. Such an approach is comprehensive yet cohesive. Providing a conceptual anchor enables the reader to diverge into multiple related concepts and contexts more freely because s/he always has a home base or reference point.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Stangor's examples tend to be 'negative', primarily focused on negative behaviours or influences as opposed to the positive i.e. the ways people harm each other as opposed to help. Even the introduction describes a mass suicide. Examples tend to be shock oriented, perhaps indicative of the bias that undergrads have short attention spans. A broader range of examples and affect is encouraged. In terms of accuracy, the text is well supported, cited, and explained. It appears to be error free.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Stangor is careful to provide a range of citations and references dating back to the earliest cases or theories and including the most recent commentary or developments. In this way, he illustrates the evolution of social psychology and also suggests that it is a social science under continuous development. Such an approach leaves the text open to updates while communicating the idea that a body of research is to under constant evolution and open to continuous contribution and challenge. Stangor also accomplishes the task of illustrating that concepts have originators or major theorists who shall not be discounted or considered obsolete simply because of the date beside their name but that they play a significant role in the development of a construct or insight. The text's effective use of headings enables an editor to focus on a specific area or areas for updating. The references are linked and collated, and therefore easy to expand and update. The simple and repetitive structure is comforting to the reader yet each section is complex and multifaceted enough to provide interest. At the same time, the clear structure provides editors with an easy means to update sections by providing a pattern of components to cycle through.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This text is simply organized and clearly structured providing a rhythmic organizational 'pattern' which enables easy reading and access for the student. Opening with 'Learning Objectives' and ending with 'Key Takeaways' and 'Critical Thinking Exercises' gives the text a pedagogical cohesion and focus while providing the reader with short overviews of each chapter. Some of the allusions are dated i.e. 'be a pepper!' and in order to captivate the undergrad audience, it would be important to ensure that these references are current. The Critical Thinking questions and exercises are rather simplistic and limiting asking yes/no questions at times, and suggesting rather uninspiring and one-dimensional activities i.e. read about...and compose a short report... create a presentation that summarizes. More of this kind of activity are suggested: 'Based on our discussion of resistance to persuasion, what techniques would you use to help a child resist the pressure to start smoking or using recreational drugs?' Video clips, websites, figures and links are interwoven throughout the text for interest and extension. In the Public Interest sections are relevant, applied and purposefully constructed. Easy updating possible. Chapter summaries appreciated by the reader and illustrate an effective summary section that not only highlights the key points of a chapter, but discusses the wider social and human implications for these concepts.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The internal consistency is a key strength of this text. As mentioned earlier, the structure of the book is cyclical and repetitive while sustaining complexity, interest, and variation. The structure includes multiple components, but these are repeated in","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"While Stangor presents a sensible ordering of concepts in his layout, he also leaves the instructor the freedom to re-order or select specific sections as standalone chapters or sub chapters. This characteristic also makes the text relevant to other contexts, courses, and disciplines. As an interdisciplinary field, Social Psych has relevance to many subject areas such as business, health, law, communication, and education. I imagine an instructor in business management feeling free to assign chapters 11 and/or 12 to illustrate the social psychological underpinnings of the organization or to explore the role of diversity and interculturalism within the workplace.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Stangor has organized the topics from lower to higher levels of analysis which provides a general enough flow without constraining the instructor to a complex obscurely linked or too intricate organizational framework. The flow of the individual chapters is also coherent. The framework for each chapter is captured in the learning objectives and introductory paragraph for ease of reading and access. The reasoning or relationships governing the organizational framework of the chapter are also described in the introductory framework. One could of course argue with Stangor's frameworks; however, this in itself may provide fodder for an engaging discussion in the class.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The figures and charts are all clear, colourful, simple, linked and well supported and/or referenced.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There appear to be no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The intercultural sensitivity and awareness illustrated within this text is one of its strengths. Topics, references, issues, references, and examples are from a diverse spectrum but also attend to particular issues of diversity or interculturalism in an insightful, modern, and relevant manner. Chapter 12 of course addresses the issue of 'Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination' directly, but interculturalism is a thread woven into all of the chapters and sections. One weakness of the text is the simplistic nature of its conceptualization of 'culture' as something that is bound by national boundaries alone. Throughout the text, culture is described in terms of national or hemispheric characteristics i.e. individualistic and collectivistic, Western and East Asian. This reviewer would argue for a more sophisticated worldview and discussion of culture as extending to values, beliefs and assumptions as determined by myriad factors including but not limited to race or geography; cultural factors also include education, heritage, economics, experience, employment, history, social influencers, etc.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This book has mostly American references i.e. Obama, advertisements, cultural norms, educational systems, news stories. Canada is mentioned only 7 times compared to America/n which is mentioned 133.\r\nThis review originated in the BC Open Textbook Collection and is licensed under CC BY-ND.","created_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":85,"first_name":"Rajiv","last_name":"Jhangiani","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Capilano University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"On the whole, this text covers all of the topics one would expect to see within a social psychology textbook. However, the author has made some interesting choices that reflect his pedagogical goals and biases. For example, instead of including separate applications of social psychological principles in separate modules at the end of the text (what has become a common approach in the field), he has instead integrated applications (e.g., for health, law, the environment, clinical settings, etc.) within the chapters. On the one hand this is a good idea and allows students to see some possible applications of concepts as they learn them. On the other hand it results in chapters running a bit long and students encountering additional terms and information before they have had a chance to master the basics. The text includes some good pedagogical features, including learning objectives embedded within each module within each chapter, useful exercises at the end of each module, and a section within each chapter on social psychology in the public interest (applications of social psychological principles). For the most part the organization of chapters follows a fairly standard template starting with methods and going on to social cognition, the self, attitudes, social influence, attraction, prosocial behaviour, aggression, groups, and prejudice. However, an early focus on social learning (Chapter 2) and social affect (Chapter 3) is unusual in its prominence (most social psychology textbooks do not include a separate chapter on social affect). The text does not include a table of contents or an index, both of which are highly desirable.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not encounter any obvious errors or problems with the accuracy of the content. Strangor supplies a (sometimes long) list of references at the end of each module within each chapter, which is helpful. Note: The text makes occasional reference to video clips (e.g., See Video Clip 1) that are not available to the reader.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Strangor balances the introduction of classic and contemporary research within each chapter. Given the hierarchical organization of the text (learning objectives within modules within chapters) updates could target specific topic areas. One quibble: Many of the examples provided are fairly outdated (e.g., a 1997 mass suicide, President Bush's approval ratings in 2001, etc.).","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written accessibly. Learning objectives and chapter summaries further assist comprehension.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent. Strangor follows the same pattern in every chapter which makes for a predictable and manageable format. His stated goal was to work from simpler to more complex topics and he makes an effort to build on the information p","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is well organized into chapters and modules within each chapter. Each module includes useful exercises that help consolidate learning.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"For the most part the organization of chapters follows a fairly standard template starting with methods and going on to social cognition, the self, attitudes, social influence, attraction, prosocial behaviour, aggression, groups, and prejudice. However, an early focus on social learning (Chapter 2) and especially social affect (Chapter 3) is unusual in its prominence (most social psychology textbooks do not include a separate chapter on social affect). There are also sub-topics within the text that appear to borrow heavily in content and tone from traditional chapters in an introductory psychology text (e.g., operant conditioning, eyewitness memory, Selye's general adaptation syndrome, etc.). Given that Strangor has also authored an open introductory psychology text this is likely not a coincidence.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The charts and illustrations are clear. However, there are several oddly formatted graphs (e.g., page 256, 347, etc.) in which the bars are inexplicably clustered together towards the left end of the x-axis. Directions to view non-existent video clips should be omitted.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not encounter any grammatical errors but the text does need proof-reading. For example, occasionally there are sets of words printed together with no space in between.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I did not come across anything I would consider insensitive or offensive. However, as far as cultural relevance is concerned, this text is a US edition and the examples (e.g., \"How the Obama campaign effectively used persuasion to defeat John McCain\") and statistics used throughout the text strongly reflect this. Some of the examples (e.g., George Bush's approval ratings in 2001) are also a bit dated, even for a US text. A second year university student in 2013 would have been 7 years old in 2001.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This text needs significant updates to the real life examples used for their relevance within a Canadian context.\r\nThis review originated in the BC Open Textbook Collection and is licensed under CC BY-ND.","created_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":86,"first_name":"Dawn-Louise","last_name":"McLeod","position":"Course Editor","institution_name":"Thompson Rivers University - Open Learning","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook is very through regarding all areas and ideas of the subject. Further, the author presents a clear pedagogical framework: the text applies cognitive load theory, moving, as the writer tells us in the Preface that it will be, \"systematically from lower to higher levels of analysis\" (p. 3), which, as instructional developers and students, we know is a method that works in acquiring new information and knowledge. The writer is well grounded and has a specific focus in the subject through years of teaching and provides many supportive resources, such as real-life examples, video clips, topic summaries, and exercises, and external website URLs, to name a few. However, there is no index, nor is there a glossary. It would be useful, given the amount of terminology in this textbook, to have two sets of glossaries per chapter. One set would appear after the Key Takeaways section (which appears at the end of each topic) and could be called Key Terms, and the other set would be a Chapter Terms section at the end of the chapter, appearing directly after the Chapter Summary. Further, there would be a glossary at the end of the textbook, with page references. These terms would also be included in the index. In the Exercises and Critical Thinking sections, students are asked to define terminology, but because there is no glossary or answer key to the exercises, there is no place for students to compare their definitions with those of the author.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Content appears to be mostly accurate and error-free. Reference lists are consistently and accurately formatted according to APA Style (6th ed.), as are in-text citations—kudos! I checked most of them and found very few, minor errors, other than the spacing issue that I will explain later in this review. There were some errors: for example, Hans Selye's surname was incorrectly spelled as \"Seyle\" five times (on pp. 125, 126, and 128). Also, check the Rosenberg Scale on p. 182; I think it should say \"average number on non-reverse items on the scale is 3 out of 4.\" Also, I am fairly certain that no explanation was attached to the Research Focus sections. From the examples used throughout, I detected a certain amount of bias. The target audience for the textbook itself (not including the Preface) seems to be limited to young, North American, college students. It might be appropriate, given the subject matter, to include a more diverse audience base, such as students from other cultures and in a range of age groups. Also, there is a bias toward a positive thinking approach; there is no mention of cognitive behavioural therapy or other approaches used in psychotherapy. Holmes and Rahe's stress scale is only one approach; others are not mentioned.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Many real-life illustrative sections (used to illustrate a concept, such as the concept of self) are provided throughout the textbook, generally at the beginning of a chapter or section. Both students and instructors can quickly find and tap into these for in-classroom or self-study. These will have to be updated periodically, although some can remain (not be replaced/swapped out). For example, the Dancing Matt Harding reference is already outdated, since Harding has released more videos since 2008. Further, it might be a good idea to use physical separation (in addition to, or perhaps instead of, the use of italic font) between the example material and the textbook commentary, particularly if any third-party material is used. Suggestion: set out some of these illustrative sections as case studies (maybe one case study per chapter) followed later in the topic by exercises and reflective questions that refer back to the case studies.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The writing is lucid and accessible, although paragraphs tend to be on the long side. They could be broken up as appropriate and more expositive subheadings could be introduced to help chunk the content (something an editor could help with). Italic font is used for several purposes: (1) for the illustrative real-life examples of concepts, (2) sometimes for key terms, and (3) for in-text definitions of these key terms. Definitions are sometimes italicized, but additional non-essential words are included (see p. 126 for an example). The Preface should include an explanation of any such font choice and the first chapter should include a reminder of what the author has decided to do in this regard and then apply the choice consistently. Context for jargon and/or technical terminology is provided, particularly by way of the illustrative examples mentioned earlier and in the self-assessment quizzes (such as the true or false quiz on p. 32).","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The framework could benefit from minor changes. Font colour, when referring to a table or figure in text, could be matched when referring to the captions. In the interest of visual consistency, I recommend that the same colour be used for both the caption","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text is currently chunked into numbered topics. This is helpful to instructors who, when designing learning activities that include readings from this textbook, can refer to topic readings by number, and to students, who want to refer back to those topics. The numbering also enables reorganization/realignment of material, especially in a course that may be presented in a non-linear fashion, and it creates a sense of progression through the material. However, as mentioned in the previous section, there are large blocks of unbroken text. More subheadings are needed. Also, providing a mini-table of contents at the start of each chapter could serve as an advance organizer, a heads-up to all readers regarding what to expect in that chapter. One way to organize this in each chapter is to have the mini TOC I have suggested including, then the Learning Objectives and the real-life illustrative example for that chapter.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Information throughout is laddered appropriately, in alignment with the author's statement in the Preface about the systematic ordering of the information. The structure of the textbook and the complexity of the ideas presented builds; the commentary is flowing and easy to understand. Even more clarity and organization could be provided by using a \"roadmap\" at the beginning of the textbook and at the start of each chapter to visually layout the topics and concepts covered. I would prefer to give a 4.5 in this section rather than a perfect 5, because this roadmap/visual index could really enhance the organization of the book and make its framework obvious.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"There are many areas throughout the entire textbook where the space between words has been omitted (I counted around 89 in the first chapter alone); this is the spacing problem I mentioned earlier when talking about the APA citations and the job well done on those. Subheadings need to stand out from body text (see, for example, p. 93). Captions are sometimes inconsistently titled, and these need to be consistent throughout so as to avoid any confusion for readers. Also, it's preferable not to use quotation marks around in-text references to table or figure titles. Number Key Takeaways sections to match the topic number—this would aid readers when searching for materials (especially when reading the textbook online). Number and caption ALL images/diagrams/figures/tables (example: pp. 65, 72 images have no captions). Include the figure number and title with the caption itself instead of separating it; otherwise, the caption could be confused with the body text (the commentary).","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There are minor grammatical errors (for example, on p. 50, use \"a(n\") in diagram.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I have also mentioned in my answer to an earlier question my impression about the apparent target audience for this textbook. Again, it feels as if, from the examples used and places mentioned when discussing a concept, that the intended audience members are predominantly North American (and possibly of European extraction), have English as a first language, are familiar with dorms and fraternities, and are young. This could also be because much of the research referred to is of North American origin. Halloween is mentioned (p. 174), as is Christmas (p. 130), but many students will not be familiar, especially not first hand, with those cultural or religious traditions. I may, however, be sensitive to this type of bias because I work at a university with many international students, and I do acknowledge that the subject of social psychology is based on North American and European research. But what do researchers in other parts of the world have to say about social psychology? Also, I assume by the places referred to (such as \"Seattle,\" \"dorms\"), the spelling (American, as opposed to Canadian or British), and other Americanisms that this textbook is US-centric, which is fine, but could pose a problem if taught in Canadian universities. Both students and instructors would expect a Canadian textbook and attach more credibility to it than to an American one, which is why there are often Canadian editions of course textbooks (at least, that's what we use predominantly in the university where I work). Illustrative examples need to be more globally focused, too.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Provide answer keys and/or sample answers for the exercises included in the textbook. Include a glossary and index. Consider the cultural, social, environmental, and national context in which this textbook might be used. Use more informative and engaging diagrams. Update all real-life examples. Fix the spacing issues. Break up long paragraphs and use more subheadings. Use mini TOCs at the start of each chapter. Strong points are the extensive and wonderfully APA-formatted references, the comprehensiveness of the material, and the engaging and empathic writing style.\r\nThis review originated in the BC Open Textbook Collection and is licensed under CC BY-ND.","created_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":265,"first_name":"Dan","last_name":"Graham","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Colorado State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text covers all of the topics covered in the other social psychology texts I have used.  (Some topics, such as emotions and happiness, are not presented in their own unique section within this text, as they are in others, but these topics are woven throughout this text in a way that works quite well to present this work and reinforce the connection between social behavior and, for example, emotion/well-being across multiple chapters.)\r\n\r\nWhile there is a useful glossary in this textbook, there is no index. The lack of an index at first struck me as a major limitation to the text given the frequency with which I use the indices in hard-copy textbooks. However, given that this entire book is a searchable document, I found that I was able to quickly locate specific topics and researchers. Perhaps, in an online text like this, an index may not be necessary. \r\n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not encounter any wholly inaccurate statements in this text. I believe that some statements could be clearer – for example one Key Takeaway on page 247 reads as follows: “People who have extremely negative attributional styles, in which they continually make external, stable, and global attributions for their behavior, are said to be experiencing learned helplessness.” I think it should be clarified that this attributional style is damaging when employed in response to negative events. This clarification is made earlier, on page 245, in the text. But, on its own, the Key Takeaway as currently written seems incomplete.  ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text balances classic research and historical examples with a good deal of research that has been published in the last five years and examples related to more recent history and technology. Such recent examples will need to be updated in future editions, but no more so than any other Social Psych text I have seen. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Nearly everything in this text was quite clear. One section I found that struck me as potentially unclear was the description of how quick decisions lead to approach or avoidance on page 164: “Snake = bad ? run away; Blueberries = good ? eat” seemed to me to be missing some descriptors that would make these examples clearer. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I found terminology consistent in the text. One structural aspect of the text that I thought was slightly inconsistent was the use of embedded links: \r\nI really like how every line of the Table of Contents is a link to the appropriate portion of the text. This is very handy, but it was only serendipitously that I discovered these links. In my pdf version, these Contents links were not visually evident as they were in other locations such as the noticeable blue embedded links to videos and Figures within the text – these were great.  I also think it would be handy to have links from the in-text citations to the full reference for articles at the end of the text.  Finally, some links did not take me where they said they would. For example, in the preface, the links in the Social Psychology in the Public Interest description appear to be directing readers to various chapters within the text, but instead redirected me to a webpage. \r\n","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is broken down into an appropriate number of chapters and subsections, and within each subsection, there are no excessively long blocks of unbroken text. \r\nI think it would be easier for students to search and navigate within the text if chapters were labeled with the word “Chapter” and if the chapter headings were larger and more obvious.  \r\n","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text was organized quite sensibly and quite similarly to other Social Psychology texts I have taught from (e.g., Baron \u0026amp; Branscombe’s Social Psychology)\r\nI like the “Key Takeaways” sections at the end of each section, I think this provides good repetition for students. \r\nI also like the “Exercises and Critical Thinking” sections – I think these would work well not only for students to undertake on their own, but also for pair-and-share and group discussions in class. \r\nI really like the “Social Psychology in the Public Interest” portions of the text that explain to students how this material applies to relevant and timely topics in their lives (e.g., internet relationships, terrorism, violence prevention). \r\n","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I found the text’s interface to be user-friendly in many ways: As mentioned previously, I like the imbedded video links, enabling students to just click to access resources as they read. This seems quite likely to increase the number of students who view recommended external resources compared with students reading a hard-copy textbook. \r\nI did think that some interface modifications could increase the usability: \r\nThis may simply be an issue of different functionality across various pdf viewing programs and unrelated to the text itself, but I thought it would be nice to allow students to make notes right on the text itself, as in the case of the Twenty Statements Test on page 111. \r\nSome figures were quite small and difficult to read even when the book was viewed at 100% size (e.g., Figures 2.7, 6.13, 8.8). This is one great advantage of online textbooks though, it is possible to enlarge the figures and easily read them when magnified. \r\nAlso, I encountered some spacing issues (e.g., page 60: no space between “prefrontal cortexthe part…”; page 169 spacing in Figure 4.3 caption.)\r\n","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I encountered few grammatical errors, and those that I saw were minor (e.g., the word “are” is missing in Exercise 3 on page 504; the word “them” should be “they” in the final Key Takeaway on page 522).\r\nI was, however, a bit distracted by the formatting within the References sections:\r\nReference formatting appears to follow APA style, other than indentation – which is different (left-justified) for first publication on most (but not all – see pages 198, 284) lists than for all subsequent publications (e.g., pages 26-28). \r\n","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I found the text to be inclusive of research relevant across cultural, racial, ethnic, gender, age, and other groups. I liked that some of the critical thinking prompts asked students to reflect on issues of culture and their role both in the students’ own lives and in society (e.g., “Imagine you are a teacher in a classroom and you see that some children [are] expressing prejudice or discrimination toward other children on the basis of their race. What techniques would you use to attempt to reduce these negative behaviors?”)","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"After reviewing this text, I have found it to be comparable to the textbooks I have assigned to my Social Psychology students in previous semesters. I plan to adopt this open text for my own courses and will recommend it to colleagues.","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":299,"first_name":"Meara","last_name":"Habashi ","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"University of Iowa ","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I do believe that this text covers all the major areas of social psychology, and all the content that I would teach in a related course. I even think it goes a little beyond. To my knowledge, this is the first time I have seen a text that includes a completely independent chapter on conflict and cooperation, these are usually contained within the aggression and helping chapters (which are also included). I also really like the inclusion of the section Thinking Like a Social Psychologist which I believe increases the comprehensiveness of the text. I believe that students will think more completely about the material because of the questions posed to them in this section. They will also be able to make links between course material and life events in a much easier and efficient way. I think this addition is an added bonus to the comprehensiveness! ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I believe that the content of the text is accurate. I do not see any glaring misrepresentations of information. However, I would have liked to see more discussion of some of the classical research articles. For example, in the section of Attitude-behavior consistency, there is no discussion of classical articles claiming attitudes do not predict behavior (LaPiere, 1934 or Wicker, 1969).  It seems like for certain sections there is a lot of historical context for the research and others are missing it. But this may be my own personal biases (in areas in which I do research and teach and I have more information). Overall, I do believe the text is written in an unbiased and accurate manner. ","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"See above about some of the historical focus - I think this might add a little to the relevance. I also do think that because the text is written in an accurate and unbiased manner, it will stand the test of time. The content will not need to change drastically. However, the examples and current event media stories may become something that needs to be updated relatively regularly. I have found that with each passing year, students have become less and less aware of events that I consider current. Although they have basic knowledge, without additional details of the event, they may not be able to make the necessary connections. In addition, many of the hyperlinks in the text to the sites where these events are discussed may need to be updated. There are already a few (video and story) links that are no longer working. This might create a problem for the students and make the text a little less useful and relevant. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I really like the writing style of the author. The text was easy to follow and it is written at a level most students can understand. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"In the preface the author mentions 2 underlying principles of Social (person and situation, and ABCs) and two human motivations (self-concern and other-concern), I really like this idea. I agree with the author that these are very important concepts in social psychology. I did notice while reading most (if not all) the chapters these 4 ideas are mentioned numerous times. I believe that having these consistent topics mentioned in every section of the book will help students make ties across topics that superficially seem like they have nothing in common. This is an innovative way to write a text in social psychology. In addition, I think there is a lot of consistency in the organization of each chapter (see comments for organization below). \n\n","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"I believe that this text is organized similarly to other Introduction to Social Psychology texts when it comes to chapter order and sequence. I do however, like the added information about organization in the preface. Discussing the text as organized by focus at different levels of analysis - individual, social, and group, is an asset, and allows instructors to structure the course at these levels as well. However, other than mentioning this in the preface, there is no other indication that the text is organized in this way. A table of contents or section title page might help readers make this distinction, since many instructors and students do not read the preface of a textbook. Overall, I think the modularity of this text is similar to most texts designed as an introductory text to Social Psychology..","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I like that the chapters are similar in structure. Each starts with a media story or current event (although some of these are now dated and may not be relevant to students), which is followed by learning objectives for the section in the chapter. After discussing information and research on the topic of interest, each chapter ends with a section on Thinking like a Social Psychologist (and addition I really like) and then a brief chapter summary. I feel like this consistency is something students will like. It will help them find different types of information very easily once they recognize the structural organization.\n","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"There are some issues with the presentation of information. I tried to click on the very first video link in the text (Video Clip 1 on p. 3-4) and it sent me to a youtbe video error. I understand that not all videos on youtube remain for long periods of time, and this is not the fault of the author or publisher, but I wonder who, if anyone, maintains these when you use an open textbook? Are there alternative video formats that could be used. \n\nI did like the ability to hyperlink to relevant figures or tables, this was very useful. However it was confusing to me that hyperlinks and important terms (vocabulary words) are in the same color. I found myself trying to click on vocabulary words through the first two chapters to see if a definition or text box would come up with additional information. I think it would be easier to follow if these two features had different appearances. Perhaps leave the hyperlinks blue (since most people identify those in that color) and make the important terms bold? It would take care of some confusion. \n\nI would also like to see a table of contents page which includes not just chapter titles, but also subsections. That ways students could link off into their assigned reading from the table of contents. I used the bookmarks tool in adobe to do this, but students who are not tech-savy would not know about this, and I would have to spend class time teaching them to use this tool. It would just be easier if there was something there already for them. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors or typos. The book seems to be relatively well written and is at a level of language that is easy to understand. ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text is culturally relevant. The pictures and images throughout the text contain people of different races and ethnic backgrounds. In addition, the text discusses research from other cultures and culture differences. The nature of social psychology takes into account social and cultural groups, so this text represents that well. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I do think the book has many strengths, and some weaknesses (as all other textbooks do), but for a free book for students, I think this is pretty good! ","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1040,"first_name":"Deborah","last_name":"Deemer","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"University of Northern Iowa","comprehensiveness_rating":2,"comprehensiveness_review":"Social psychology is a vast interdisciplinary enterprise making any attempt to provide a comprehensive overview of the research a daunting task.  The author wisely identifies and takes on a small slice of the field, the interactionist perspective.   The text is an interesting read, made coherent through the repetitive frame of self/other concern.  For the advanced scholar the text serves the author’s desire for engaged and critical thinking when imagining alternative arguments and pieces of research to include.  However, as an introduction to the subject, I found the text lacking in both depth and breadth.   A claim to present a view of the discipline as seen through the eyes of a European Experimental Social Psychologist would better set the reader’s expectations.  Read alongside companion texts, for example the Symbolic Interactionist Approach presented by Kent Sandstrom and his colleagues in Symbols, Selves, and Social Reality could spark critical thinking about embedded psychological versus sociological assumptions.   Alternatively students might critique the view presented in this text, it’s comparative advantages and disadvantages, after a read of Social Psychology and Everyday Life by Darrin Hodgetts and his colleagues in Australia.\n\tObviously it is easier to read and critique a text than to write one!  The author(s) have provided a wonderful service by creating this text as a start to a fuller conversation.  If read as a Wikipedia project the text succeeds in providing a rich and coherent spine on to which many authors could connect and expand upon presented themes.  For example the important work of G. Maruyama could be tucked into the discussion of minority influence.   Addressing small-group interaction in cooperative and competitive contexts allows for the inclusion of Elizabeth Cohen, Stuart Cook, Robert Slavin, Dean Tjosvold, etc.  To facilitate the collaborative writing some stand-alone application chapters would allow more depth around issues of particular interest to the reader.  The inclusion of both an author and subject index at the end of each chapter would greatly facilitate locating and building on existing themes and references.\n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"No errors other than omission were noted.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This social cognitive approach to social psychology is of relevance both as an historic touchstone and a path to current work in neuroscience.    As noted above the interrelated themes provided in the text’s narrative could provide a basis for elaborative writing for years to come.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The author’s style of writing makes principles of social psychology and related concepts easily accessible.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The layout of the text and conceptual framework introduced in the preface and first chapter provide a repetitive form in the provision of content that is utilized in a consistent manner.  A professional in graphic design could help the author make better use of typographic conventions. Most problematic are the links. They possess quotation marks (a very odd practice) and are highlighted in “Minnesota Red,” (the same color used to highlight vocabulary terms). While the links take one to a given chart or figure, clicking vocabulary terms does nothing.  Photos are linked to flicker pages but no new information is provided. In short, three separate actions are associated with one color, providing frustration for the user. Captions would be more accessible if line spacing was a bit tighter, and caption text set flush left.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The initial table of contents provides an easy reference for dividing the text.  The consistent conceptual layout provides coherence even if chapters were to be shuffled.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The consistent layout, with easily identified learning objectives and introductory paragraph, text body,  thinking like a social psychologist and social psychology in the public interest sections, chapter summary, key takeaways, exercises and critical thinking, and chapter references flow smoothly.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Previous reviewers have addressed this topic in some detail.  I would add, while red may be the publishers branding, it is a poor choice for individuals who have issues in perceiving color.  Blue rarely is such a problem and seems more appropriate for hyperlinks.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No errors in grammar were noted","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"For a text in social psychology, the lack of sophistication regarding intersectionality is troubling.  Within the social cognitive perspective chosen for review, Carolyn Sherif’s depiction of the social situation provides an historic introduction to the idea that each setting is infused with cultural meanings.  While national and ethnic identities are important topics there is much more to be said about the meaning of culture.  ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Given the author’s affiliation with APA, I was surprised when a search for Carolyn Sherif came up empty.  Her dismay over social psychology’s drift into marketing polls, paying too little attention to realistic intergroup relations, seems relevant when reflecting on current journalism and our news media.   Her discussion of ethics in research, regarding the too often perceived need to deceive, would also benefit a future generation of social psychologists.","created_at":"2017-02-15T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-15T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1566,"first_name":"Dylan","last_name":"Selterman","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"University of Maryland, College Park","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is a very comprehensive textbook that includes not only the essential topics in social psychology (attitudes, persuasion, prosocial behavior, prejudice), but a good overview of the history of social psychology and various theoretical perspectives. There are even sections toward the end regarding how social psych research can be applied to understand morality and improve cooperation. The only topic lacking that I normally teach in this course is political psychology (i.e. the psychology of liberalism and conservatism).","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate and unbiased. Stangor does a fine job in presenting research based evidence without an agenda, which is more than can be said for other textbook authors in this field. Of course, some may question the robustness of certain research findings (e.g., Bargh et al., 1996) given recent replication attempts, but Stangor presents the research in a highly accurate way.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This is an issue that plagues all textbooks. None are good enough (IMHO) to have strong longevity, unless they are in a Wikipedia format with editable entries. Stangor's book is like the norm--it's up to date but as new findings emerge, there will need to be some revisions. Most of the historical stuff (e.g., the Milgram studies) won't change. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is very clear and free of technical jargon. There is no doubt that intelligent undergraduates will be able to follow the material presented here. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"There is a high level of consistency. At the beginning, Stangor frames the discussion of social psych principles in terms of the ABCs -- affect, behavior, and cognition. Then he revisits this theme throughout the text, making terms consistent and within this general framework. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Modularity is good here. There are plenty of logical sub-sections in each unit (five per chapter). ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are clear. Typically in a social psych course, the basics are presented first regarding social perception, context, the self/situation, etc. and then progress to more applied, specific topics such as aggression/altruism, relationships, groups, etc. This textbook follows that basic organization. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There are no interface issues. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Grammar is fine as far as I can tell. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There is a good discussion of culture throughout the book, with specific attention to how norms and trends are different across the world. There are no cultural insensitivities, nor anything offensive. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"If you're thinking about adopting an open-access textbook, rest assured this book is a worthy substitute for any traditional textbook in terms of quality and comprehensiveness. Strongly recommended. ","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":2487,"first_name":"Nina","last_name":"Dulabaum","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Morton College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook is a comprehensive Open Educational Resource for introductory social psychology courses covering most major areas and significant research. As noted by others, there is no glossary or index but the entire textbook is a searchable PDF file. Professors and students can use smart phones, tablets, laptops, iPads, and computers to access this textbook. It can be uploaded to any learning management system and even emailed to individuals – at the best price possible for students, who may be struggling with the costs of higher education. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"As noted above, the author has addressed most major areas and significant research in social psychology.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Please refer to the end comment.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written in a straightforward style.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This text is internally consistent.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"This text is divided into smaller sections with learning objectives and exercises for critical thinking. It also challenges students, specifically at the end of Chapters 2 - 13, to apply what they have learned to their own lives. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This textbook has a clear structure: each section has distinct learning objectives and key takeaways as well as questions at the end of each section to promote critical thinking. As noted above, “Thinking like a Social Psychologist” is also a valuable feature at the end of Chapters 2 – 13. These components will be very helpful for students and also professors, who are adopting an OER textbook without the usual ancillary materials and supplemental educational technology often available through publishing companies.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The few video links in the text are broken; this may be something easily fixed.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text is well written.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text includes social psychological research from around the world. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I would highly encourage adding a chapter on sustainability. This is a critical interdisciplinary area in psychology today: leveraging psychological research and principles to understand human behavior and to motivate and empower individuals to seek innovative solutions for sustainability. The survival of our global community depends on worldwide action.\r\n\r\nI have adopted this textbook for my social psychology classes; I will add a few texts and videos on sustainability to complete the course. ","created_at":"2018-12-30T15:57:16.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-12-30T15:57:16.000-06:00"},{"id":2744,"first_name":"Omesh","last_name":"Johar","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Central State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I really like the selection of topics covered.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"As far as I know, the text is an accurate representation of the field of social psychology.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"It is 2019, and the text still remains relevant. I do hope that a revised edition will be released in the next couple of years. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"In general, the textbook is easy to read. However, students who are not very well prepared for college-level reading may find it slightly challenging.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"In my reading of the text, I have not found inconsistencies in terminology.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Some sections seem to be very lengthy. Publishers might want to re-visit sub-sections.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"When I teach the class, I like to use my own sequence of chapters. As a starting point, I prefer to distribute chapters into two categories. The first category focusses on the level of the individual (Chapters 2-3, 5, 8-10 fall neatly under modules called cognition, affect, and behavior; Chapter 4 helps to bring it all together under the umbrella of the self). The second category focusses on the social level with chapters 6, 7, and 11-13. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"On rare occasions, students have had difficulties while using the book on their smartphones.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I spotted minor errors here and there.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text is culturally sensitive. That said, I'd like to see a bigger focus on processes relevant to different racial groups and countries around the globe. For instance, the development of a sense of being black or African American could be woven into Chapter 4. Chapter 8 could cover integrate arranged marriages into discussions about love and commitment in relationships.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I teach at a historically black institution. Most of my students are first-generation college students from not very well-to-do backgrounds. I am really glad that a great, free textbook as yours is available to my students. Overall, I really like the book. Thanks a lot for doing such a wonderful job. ","created_at":"2019-04-08T11:22:09.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-04-08T11:22:09.000-05:00"},{"id":2866,"first_name":"Rhiannon","last_name":"Traigle","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Nicholls State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Compared to the text I am currently using, I felt this text was very comprehensive. It covered what I consider the major content areas of the subject. Since it is in line with current texts used for social psychology, I feel it would be easily adaptable to the course I am currently teaching. I believe it is exactly the right amount of information as well as the pertinent information for an introductory course. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"In my opinion, the information presented was accurate and up to date. The information was supported by current research and was unbiased. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"As stated in my feedback on comprehensiveness, I feel the information presented is relevant and covers the key or important concepts. I think it is great foundation to introducing social psychology. I love the Exercises for Critical Thinking. I enjoyed that the text provides opportunities for application to practice. It covered historical perspectives up to current content based on recent research. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The information was presented in a straightforward, clear, and concise manner. It was easy to following and flowed well from one chapter to the next. Terminology was consistent, appropriate for the content, and technical. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text provided a consistent writing style and consistent theme. The layout throughout the text did not vary. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The divided subsections in each chapter were well organized and divided in a way that provided logical starting and stopping points in teaching content. It also allowed for the inclusion or exclusion of concepts without seeming like information was missing or would alter the flow of teaching the material. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I really enjoyed the break-up of sections included throughout the text including Learning Objectives, Thinking Like a Social Psychologist, Social Psychology in the Public, Key Takeaways, and Exercises in Critical Thinking. All of the information was presented in a logical, clear manner that began with basic information and graduated to application. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not encounter any interface issues. I had more difficulty navigating the text, but it is more likely user error since I am new to using online texts.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any major grammatical errors. I did see minor errors including one instance where I noticed there was a lack of spacing between two separate words. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I felt the text was culturally considerate and inclusive. Cultural considerations were used throughout the text. I did not feel that any of the information was presented in offensive or insensitive manner. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-04-29T21:38:51.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-04-29T21:38:51.000-05:00"},{"id":2892,"first_name":"Michelle","last_name":"Shelton","position":"Assistant Professor ","institution_name":"George Fox University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book clearly provides the key components and concepts that many social psychology textbooks cover. In comparing this book with other social psychology textbooks, it is just as comprehensive as most other textbooks. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"This book appears to be accurate, and current within the field of social psychology. I did not see any glaring errors, or any significant bias. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"While this book is very straightforward and engaging with the subject matter, several of the references used are very outdated. In understanding the theory behind the concepts, or a historically perspective of the concepts, material that is less current is applicable, but not when discussing current theories and perspectives. A more current edition would be helpful in the next couple of years. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book's clarity is strong and well-designed. It is very reader-friendly and easy to navigate. The structure of each section lends itself to a good dialogue of the material. The opening story of each chapter is an excellent way to engage students in the material in a very practical sense. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This book is very consistent in the presentation of terms, concepts, theories, frameworks for understanding, etc. It follows a nice pattern that is duplicated throughout each chapter for ease of read, and for instructors to best utilize this book in their courses. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I enjoyed the chapters being broken down into different, distinct sections. While I assigned the entire chapter as reading, I planned my activities and assignments to include a graded item from each of the sections. By doing this I knew students were engaged in each of the sections, and for my planning as a professor, it worked very well. The addition of videos, and a substantive explanation of these videos, was also very helpful. I also appreciated the, \"Thinking  Like a Social Psychologist\" sections in each chapter. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"As previously mentioned, this book is engaging, easy to use and understand, and is very organized. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"It does not appear that there are glaring issues with the interface except for two areas that are fairly consistent complaints from my students who interact with the open resources. First, depending on how the book is downloaded there may or may not be page numbers to list for in-text citations in their papers. Second, as with most open resources textbooks the author's name(s) are removed which makes citing the book difficult for some. A suggestion would be to have APA, MLA, etc., citations available for students. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammar errors. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There were several intersections with culture and social psychology concepts. They were done well, and thoughtfully. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Overall, this is a great book. I have used it once in a Social and Ethical Psychology course, and will use it again. ","created_at":"2019-05-08T14:04:45.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-05-08T14:04:45.000-05:00"},{"id":3712,"first_name":"Alishia","last_name":"Huntoon","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Oregon Institute of Technology","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is a comprehensive textbook that that covers the primary topics that would be expected for an undergraduate social psychology course.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The information covered in this textbook has been accurate and I don't have to worry that my students are reading about any topics or studies that are misleading.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content is contemporary and contains the classic studies, along with examples that today's students can understand.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"It is written at a level that is accessible to a range of students, so I don’t have to worry that it is too difficult or confusing. I had a student review it with me and she found it engaging and clearly written.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The chapters were similarly organized and maintained the same style of writing. The textbook had a good flow from one chapter to the next and did not feel disjointed.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The textbook is set up with typical chapters that you would find in an undergraduate social psychology textbook. Should an instructor want to, they could further break down the chapters into smaller chunks.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Everything was clearly laid out and easy to follow.  The topics were presented in appropriate chapters and it was easy to search for the chapters, as well as within the chapters.  The search tool was a nice option.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I didn't note any interface issues. Everything was laid out nicely.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book was cleanly written.  It was not full of distracting grammatical errors or misleading grammatical mistakes.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not note any offensive examples or language.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I was happy to find this as a comprehensive open social psychology textbook that I could use for my classes.  It is written at a level that is accessible to a range of students, so I don’t have to worry that it is too difficult or confusing. I had a student review it with me and she found it engaging and clearly written. It covers all of the major topics. It may not be the best fit for a higher level social psychology class, but could be supplemented with additional materials, such as journal articles. One concern that I have, since I also want to be considerate of others that may need to teach the course, such as adjuncts, is the availability of support materials.  There are open access slide decks and test banks that go along with each chapter of the textbook, available here https://psychologyexploration.weebly.com/principles-of-social-psychology-oer-ancillaries.html","created_at":"2020-04-12T08:56:11.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-04-12T08:56:11.000-05:00"},{"id":3812,"first_name":"Anna","last_name":"Behler","position":"Assistant Teaching Professor","institution_name":"North Carolina State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook is comprehensive and includes almost all of the topics that I would consider crucial for an undergraduate social psychology course. (See comments on relevance for further detail on additional helpful inclusions.)","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The information presented is accurate and up to date. Research is presented in a way that is unbiased and not misleading.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The book contains many relevant examples, though an updated version would be beneficial. Additionally, there is no mention of the replication crisis and changes in regards to how the field views research and open scientific practices, which is a highly relevant topic, especially within the field of social psychology. This may be my own bias, but it would be helpful if these topics were included in future versions.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is written at a level that is accessible, appropriate, and engaging for college undergraduates.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in its presentation from chapter to chapter. Each chapter follows a similar format and structure, making the book feel highly organized and easy to follow.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The textbook is organized using a similar topic structure as most other texts. However, it is also easily subdivided into smaller sections as a result of the way the authors have laid it out. This is especially helpful when planning to break down larger sections into individual topics/class periods.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organization of the chapters works well and meets the goal set by the author of moving from the individual level to social and group/cultural levels. There are some topics that I might consider teaching a bit later in the semester once students have covered the basics (e.g., social learning), but overall the organization makes sense and flows well.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The text was laid out nicely, and there were no apparent issues navigating through the text or viewing any of the images. However, some of the video links do not work properly unless copied and pasted directly into a browser.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book is well written and contains few, if any, grammatical/typographical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way, though it would benefit from a few more examples that spoke to a wider cultural/demographic base of students.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This textbook is comprehensive and well designed for use in an introductory social psychology course. The text is strong enough for use on its own, or to be used alongside supplemental journal articles and other outside sources. The writing and organization of the text make for an engaging and accessible read for college students, and I strongly recommend it.","created_at":"2020-05-08T15:19:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-05-08T15:19:39.000-05:00"},{"id":4488,"first_name":"Nicole","last_name":"Civettini","position":"Professor of Sociology","institution_name":"Winona State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"For a psychology textbook, I would rate comprehensiveness at a 5.  However, as a sociological social psychology or interdisciplinary text, the book disappoints.  Discussion of symbolic interactionism is a glaring oversight; there is not even a nod to Cooley or Mead in the chapter on the self.  To be fair, I would almost certainly be unsatisfied with any social psychology text that isn't interdisciplinary; however, most are looking for a psychology text, and this fits that bill quite well.  \r\n\r\nIt is, of course, nowhere near as comprehensive within each chapter as a 400-page textbook would be, but it does a nice job of hitting key points, summarizing key studies, and providing images when instructive.  I would consider this text to be at a 100- or 200-level, not well suited to an upper-division course, which would need to get deeper into each subtopic and discuss a wider range of relevant research in more detail.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I found the information presented to be accurate as of 2010; I did not find any terms that were misused or other such errors.  The lack of detail in a shorter text like this can sometimes result in factually correct but misleading information.  With a rather cursory discussion, the space is lacking to bring intersectionality into the picture, and while a claim may be true for a gender sample of the population, a particular finding may be null or even reversed for some sub-populations.  The text misses these, but if brevity is a virtue, it is an unavoidable foible.","relevance_rating":2,"relevance_review":"Disappointingly, the newest citation I could find was 2011 and the vast majority of the material summarized as pre-2005. Especially on such topics as gender identity, discrimination, and group behavior, I really think students need to be given access to the latest work, or at least work within the last several years.  A decade is simply too long to let a textbook go stale.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"First-year students should have no difficulty accessing this information.  I would even be assigning the sections that get more biological (physiology of the nervous system, neuroscience of emotions, etc...) in my sociology courses without any expectation of prior knowledge.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text uses the standard psychological lexicon.  Some of the terms are outside of the sociological realm and would require a bit of additional explanation, but psychology students should find them familiar.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"10I really like the organization of the chapters, though I do which it were divided into three or four larger sections, with the chapters as sub-sections.  It helps students better identify the flow of the course (which, in this text, seems to approximate a micro-to-macro development).","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Chapters are well-organized and visually easy to follow.  There are introductions to each chapter, graphics and text boxes similar to a standard textbook, and chapter summaries.  I particularly like the \"think like a social psychologist\" section in each chapter, which shows students how to apply what they've learned.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The textbook is more visually appealing than I expected from an OER, but less so than a standard text.  One thing that made navigation more challenging is that, when you click on the title of a chapter, it shows you only the introduction/overview and does not automatically drop down the various sections of the chapter.  I can easily see a couple handfuls of students going into the first quiz or two having just read the introduction, not realizing that they've missed 90% of the information. \r\n\r\nIt would also be nice if, at the end of a section, there were a \"Next section\" button that you could click to continue, rather than going back up to the table of context, clicking on the chapter drop down menu, and then clicking on the next section.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The writing was grammatically sound.","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"The text is sorely lacking in the inclusion of transgender and non-binary people and relevant issues.  I realize that most research compares men to women or discusses results with respect to men and women, but it is important to communicate to students that, in these instances, \"we don't yet have substantial data on how a given theory would apply to non-binary people,\" or \"we don't have sufficient research on how this process operates for transgender individuals.\"  Of course, an effort must be made to include research on LGBTQIA+ people whenever possible, which had not been done here.  Part of this is attributable to the textbook being a decade out of date, but even discussion of LGB people and issues is sporadic.  \r\nAs with most psychology texts, there is a clear bias toward a white, middle-class, able-bodies, heterosexual, Western set of mores and values.  This may yet be an inescapable phenomenon for textbooks available in English, but this one really shows its age here.  Unfortunately, I will not be using it purely on this basis.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2020-12-28T18:05:59.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-12-28T18:05:59.000-06:00"},{"id":4523,"first_name":"Olivia","last_name":"Aspiras","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Clarke University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook covers a broad range of topics and addresses the core components of social psychology. There's no index or glossary but I don't see this as a big problem because terms can be searched in electronic textbooks.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Overall, the content is accurate. There were some issues discussed that I think could be improved by including more research from multiple perspectives, such as the section on media and aggression.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Much of the research discussed are from older studies. Many times using older, classic studies is fine, but I do think the book would benefit from adding in more recent research. Also, many of the real-world examples are old. I think the book could be easily updated by replacing the real-world examples and the \"Research Focus\" sections with more recent content.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook is well-written. It's breaks down key terms and concepts in a way that I think students will be able to more easily understand than some other textbooks I've used. The author frequently uses tables and images to demonstrate concepts, which was helpful.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The approach to social psychology is consistent throughout the book. At the start of the book, the author discusses affect, behavior, and cognition (ABCs) and then ties this into each chapter. It's also helpful that the author clearly defines key terms in each chapter, even if they've been defined in a previous chapter, so that instructors could pick and chose chapters from this book without it impacting student learning.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The author breaks each chapter up into several subsections, and uses multiple subheadings within those. Instructors could easily reorganize content to fit with the structure of their course.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The order of the chapters and the content within each chapter are presented in a logical fashion.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Overall, the interface is fine. However, some of the videos weren't great quality.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There were just a few errors in the book.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The textbook does touch on culture more than some of the other social psychology textbooks I've read. However, I think that greater representation of different races and backgrounds in the photos would be useful. Additionally, changing \"he or she\" to \"they\" to match the new APA recommendations and be more inclusive would be a simple way to improve the book.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2021-01-06T09:42:23.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-01-06T09:42:23.000-06:00"},{"id":4671,"first_name":"Josh","last_name":"Pranger","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Trine University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text provides a comprehensive overview into the field of social psychology. It introduced each area I was hoping to cover in my course.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I've not discovered any errors in the text.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text is slightly older than what I was looking for with a 2015 republishing date. Despite this, I did not find this to be a limitation.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is clear and easy to read. Each section is broken up well.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The presentation of the text remains consistent and easy to follow throughout.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modularity of the text was consistent with what I would expect to find in most standard textbooks.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The chapters flow in a logical manner. When developing my course, I assigned the chapters sequentially in the same fashion as the authors.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There were no issues or concerns found with the interface of the text.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text was free of grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is culturally sensitive and provides examples from multiple backgrounds and perspectives.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2021-03-03T15:23:33.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-03-03T15:23:33.000-06:00"},{"id":4795,"first_name":"Lisa","last_name":"Hollis-Sawyer","position":"Associate Professor, Gerontology Program Coordinator","institution_name":"Northeastern Illinois University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The Principles of Social Psychology textbook provides comprehensive coverage of the principles and theories related to the study of social psychology. The 13 book chapters cover the following topics:  Introducing Social Psychology (Chapter 1), Social Learning and Social Cognition (Chapter 2), Social Affect (Chapter 3), The Self (Chapter 4),  Attitudes, Behavior, and Persuasion (Chapter 5); Perceiving Others (Chapter 6), Influencing and Conforming (Chapter 7), Liking and Loving (Chapter 8), Helping and Altruism (Chapter 9), Aggression (Chapter 10), Working Groups: Performance and Decision Making (Chapter 11), Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination (Chapter 12); and Competition and Cooperation in Our Social Worlds (Chapter 13). These topics reflect standard topics covered in a typical social psychology class.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The textbook does a good job of presenting complex topics accurately and in understandable terms with helpful illustrations. The coverage of research and associated illustrative examples in each chapter is both appropriate and topic relevant. For example, in section 1.3 “Conducting Research in Social Psychology” of the textbook, it is important to present and give examples of how to “operationally define” social behaviors when conducting research in social psychology because this is a step that new researchers have to learn. Some chapters contain research that would benefit from updated citations (e.g., last five years of research).","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content presented in each chapter is relevant to what would be covered in a typical social psychology course. Further, the design of the chapters creates an effective “scaffolding” of topic-relevant knowledge building within and across chapters. For example, in Chapter 11's “Working Groups: Performance and Decision Making,” concepts about internal factors and processes related to cognitive processes logically transition to more expanded and external processes and outcomes (e.g., the manifestation of groupthink as an observable social behavior).","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The design of the textbook's chapters is clear in terms of its content and learning objectives for the students. The text is presented in accessible and comprehensible language. Further, the author offers a clear context for introduced terminology and concepts to support clarity and understanding. At the beginning of sections within a chapter, learning objectives are offered to help the student focus on achieving the learning goals.  The textbook does a good job of helping the student learner apply learned content by offering chapter elements of “Research Focus.” “Key Takeaways'' and  “Exercises and Critical Thinking” boxes in chapters’ sections. References are provided for students to look up the research presented in each section.  Finally, the author offers a helpful chapter summary at the end of each chapter. Although presenting rather complex topics related to social psychology, the author conveys the theories and concepts clearly and understandably. For example, in Chapter 10, the complex and critical factors underlying human aggression starts with a real-world incident and then covers a variety of topics ranging from the “internal” influence of hormones to “external” environmental factors of social reinforcement and role modeling (e.g., Bandura’s social cognitive theory) are explained clearly with supporting examples and images.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"An important characteristic of this book is that it offers a consistently structured reading experience for students to provide learning objectives through applied activities to reinforce reading concepts further. Further, the textbook presents relevant and supportive images and illustrations to supplement written content across the chapters.  It might be helpful to start each chapter with an overview of learning objectives for the entire chapter and have a summative applied activity (e.g., discussion questions or an online activity) after the chapter summary. A major strength is that the textbook is written in tone and terminology that is consistent and appropriate for an undergraduate student audience. The chapters contain content that is consistently and logically presented to build knowledge, integrating the previously-mentioned support of learning objectives and applied to learning activities.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book's sections are independent units that can be easily assigned as separate reading assignments in a course. This textbook design offers great flexibility for instructors in their course design and textbook utilization.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book is well-organized, logical in its sequencing of chapters and section topics within the chapters, well-written in both content and tone, and presents relevant information for studying social psychology. It is helpful that the author provides a list of references for each chapter section.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There are no apparent interface issues with the textbook.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There are no apparent grammatical issues with the textbook.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The textbook has no indications of cultural insensitivity or offensiveness in content. It would be great if there were more examples incorporating inclusivity of different races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"It is great that each chapter starts with a real-world example that focuses on the topics to be covered (e.g., having the opening textbox of “How the Obama Campaign Effectively Used Persuasion to Defeat John McCain” in Chapter 5, which focuses on attitudes, behavior, and persuasion. The only caution is that these social media examples can become outdated over time. Although the textbook does a great job in covering content for teaching a course in social psychology, it would be helpful if it offered available links to review the test item bank and PowerPoint slides.  On p. 597, there are “prompts” for linkages, but the actual links are not there.","created_at":"2021-04-19T16:37:56.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-04-19T16:37:56.000-05:00"},{"id":5095,"first_name":"Michelle","last_name":"Wright","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Eastern Oregon University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Overall, I believe the book covers all areas and ideas about social psychology adequately. It does so in chunks of topics relates to the main topic of the chapter. This breakdown is essentially for describing the areas and ideas well. This format also gets the \"main idea\" of the section clear to students so there is no question about what materials are being covered. One area that I believe the book could improve on is discussing culture and diversity in relation to the topics being covered. For example, there is not much discussion of how culture might impact attributions in the attribution theory section of the textbook. It is important for students to understand how the topics in social psychology are embedded within a cultural context. I also believe that the section on reducing prejudice should be revamped to be more current. There are more details needed about programs implemented that help to reduce prejudice and more broadly what we can do as a society (specifically at the individual level) can do to reduce prejudice and to promote a world with justice, equity, inclusion, and dignity of all people.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Overall, the book is accurate and error-free. I also believe, at least overall, that it is unbiased. I did not feel that one topic was discussed in more detail than another, even though the other topic needed just as much discussion. There was a lot of balance in terms of discussion given to each of the topics. Research supporting statements and other information covered in the book were also provided. I did not perceive any gaps where information was provided but no sources were provided. Even controversies within social psychology included various sources. The textbook also has a section after chapters on \"Exercises and Critical Thinking\". I thought these might be a bit biased but they were not and allowed students to address/confront their own limitations in their thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors. This is a challenge often with social psychology - there are students with various perspectives and world experiences and sometimes textbooks in social psychology can come off as \"preachy\", according to students' perspectives.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The book, for the most part, contains up-to-date information. It is a bit on the dated side in terms of when it was published. There is new research daily that might be important for the textbook. For example, more up-to-date information about programs to reduce prejudice as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social psychology principles. It seems as if the textbook has not been updated recently and I'm uncertain how it might be updated in the future. This is unfortunate because social psychology is a dynamic field, and information and research changes very frequently. Students might come away from the textbook with out-of-date information. There are definitely updates needed to the textbook to keep it relevant to current times.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is very clear on all the topics it describes. If jargon or technical terminology is used, the authors do a good job of explaining and defining these terms and concepts. Another aspect of the book that is great is the amount of examples offered. If a topic is covered, like on the authority in cults, the textbook provides an example of a cult that has been studied by social psychology. The textbook also presents case studies to highlight specific topics as well. Students do well with case studies and are better able to apply the content of the case to the content of the textbook. Overall, the book presents a balanced context for understanding the concepts without being overly technical and confusing to students. It \"holds students' hands\" when describing complex concepts.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I did not find anything in the textbook that is inconsistent. Terminologies used are consistent throughout the textbook, and any alternative terminologies that might be used in the social psychology literature are also provided.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modularity is the best portion of the textbook. It is divisible into smaller reading sections as specific topics. There is not an enormous amount of text without any context or labeling. If there is a lot of text to be covered, there are often even subsections within that text. It is also possible to get into any section within the textbook without previous context. The frequent labeling makes this possible. This is good for students who might be reading sections at a time and might have a time delay between reading various sections. The frequent labeling also helps make it easier for students to find concepts they might have forgotten or might be in learning materials. Sometimes text can get overly wordy and it makes it tough for students to find information that they might need for a test or assignment.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Overall, I think the chapter organization is clear, along with the subsections within the topics in the text as well. There are only two topics that I think should be covered close to each other. It is the \"Self\" and \"Perceiving Others\" sections. They are separate by another chapter. Most textbooks and how I would prefer to teach these chapters is close to each other; for me, understanding the self informs our understanding of others. However, it might not be too much of a big deal that they are separated by one chapter.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I used an older computer to navigate the textbook. I did not find any issues with interface; there were no navigation problems, issues with images/chats, or with videos. The only thing that might be somewhat confusing is how the videos are displayed. At first, it looks like the video did not load but if one reads it is clear that one might click on the link to view the videos. It might be a bit more helpful to have the videos embedded within the context so that readers see the video link.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not identify any grammatical errors. I also did not find any sentence structure errors either.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I commented on this prior, but I will elaborate more here. Social psychology is embedded within society and so culture and diversity of important. I feel like that textbook could use some revision that highlights these differences. There are examples provided about races and ethnicities, but more is needed, especially in the reducing prejudice section and on attribution theory (and aggression and other topics as well). Another concern that I have is that races and ethnicities are mentioned, as well as gender, but other diversity-related matters are not (i.e., ableism).","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, I do recommend this textbook. I do think it needs to be updated, though, as the publication date is around 2010 with the original content. Faculty might need to provide other materials to supplement the 11 year old literature.","created_at":"2021-06-14T11:19:12.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-06-14T11:19:12.000-05:00"},{"id":33572,"first_name":"Ariel","last_name":"Ladum","position":"Part-time faculty","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers all the basic concepts that are appropriate for a lower-level psychology course focused on social psychology.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The book includes accurate information, but if I were using this book I would need to supplement the book to include more cultural influences as well as recent social changes related to gender identity.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This book has some more recent research but appears to focus on more seminal research in the field (as is typical of that introductory-level psychology textbooks), and easily could be supplemented.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Yes! This book is very reader friendly!","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Yes, the book maintains internal consistency in terms of using the same terms for concepts throughout.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Yes! This book is great for identifying pertinent topics and information based on its modules within chapters.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This book follow a layout that is typical of how introductory textbooks in social psychology present topics moving from the individual to the group.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Text and images are easy to read.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text is clearly, and 'cleanly,' written.","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"I did not see a cultural perspective emphasized, and this would need to be supplemented by the instructor.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2021-12-23T20:08:32.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-12-23T20:08:32.000-06:00"},{"id":33805,"first_name":"JoNell","last_name":"Strough","position":"Professor","institution_name":"West Virginia University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text provides adequate coverage of the fundamental topics of an introductory course in social psychology. The topics covered are equivalent to those covered in other textbooks.  The text does not, however, include an index or glossary.  Key terms appear in bold within the text along with their definitions.","accuracy_rating":2,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate in that it is supported with citations of research studies.  At times, it seemed that there was a bias towards evolutionary explanations for social behavior.  This is surprising given that social psychology focuses on proximal causes and the power of the situation rather than more distal causes. \r\n\r\nThe table that showed the heritability of attitudes lacked any discussion of how heritability coefficients are computed.  Heritability coefficients have been critiqued on both methodological and conceptual grounds.","relevance_rating":2,"relevance_review":"In terms of the fundamental content of a social psyc text, it up to date--the relevant topics are covered .  In many cases, so-called \"classic studies\" that are foundational to the field are featured.  The classic study can be used as the base for discussing more recent research.  The way that the text is arranged would make it easy to update. However,  I did not see citations of research published within the last 10  years--it may be time for an update. In at least one instance, a 2001 meta-analysis  was referred to as 'recent.' Whereas different people have different definitions of 'recent,' it is likely that college students will not see a study that was conducted the year they were born as 'recent.'  The chapter on persuasion uses the Obama 2008 campaign as an opening example. More recent elections could be used.   \r\n\r\nThe text could be brought up to date by incorporating examples from contemporary culture to apply course concepts (e.g., political party differences in the acceptance of masking and COVID-19 vaccines; the \"Me too Movement' and the \"Black Lives Matter Movement\" and climate change). Social psychology can be applied to these examples to help students think more critically about their social world.  In particular, the discussion of the commons dilemma could be significantly enhanced by greater attention to global climate change.  The text makes a passing reference to climate change, but this is a central issue for Generation Z. \r\n\r\nIn terms of appearing out of date, the text adheres to the gender binary (discussing gender differences--or differences between men and women).  Many millennials and members of Gen Z are attuned to viewing gender in a nonbinary fashion. While research on gender diverse persons may lag, these issues are still important to acknowledge.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The reading level of the text is appropriate for an undergraduate audience.  Key terms are adequately defined.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent.  Each chapter has a similar structure which facilitates readability due to knowing what to expect in terms of chapter organization.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is easy to read.  It is organized into subsections (even within chapters) that have their own reference section.  This would make it easy to reorganize the material.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text follows the standard organization of introductory level social psychology courses.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The images and figures are clear and easy to navigate.  Hyperlinks within the text to videos are a nice touch (although the link to the video on emotions did not work).  The inclusion of 'learning objectives' and 'key takeaways' as well as the sections that encourage readers to 'think like a social psychologist' are features of the interface that encourage the reader to actively engage with the text, not just absorb it passively.  The inclusion of basic power point slides for each chapter is a benefit for instructors who may be teaching the course for the first time by providing them a foundation upon which to build and add their own content and examples.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"See comments above about the gender binary when discussing gender differences","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Generally speaking, I think the text is adequate--it would provide a foundation in the basic content relevant to an introductory course in social psychology.  However, I do think the text could be improved by an update that includes references to more recent research and carefully considers the likely audience for the text (college students) and uses contemporary issues to engage them.","created_at":"2022-04-24T17:39:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-04-24T17:39:37.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/principles-of-social-psychology","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:25:49.000-06:00"},{"id":75,"title":"Research Methods in Psychology","edition_statement":"4th American Edition","volume":null,"copyright_year":2019,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":"","accessibility_features":[],"description":"This fourth edition (published in 2019) was co-authored by Rajiv S. Jhangiani (Kwantlen Polytechnic University), Carrie Cuttler (Washington State University), and Dana C. Leighton (Texas A\u0026M University—Texarkana) and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Revisions throughout the current edition include changing the chapter and section numbering system to better accommodate adaptions that remove or reorder chapters; continued reversion from the Canadian edition; general grammatical edits; replacement of “he/she” to “they” and “his/her” to “their”; removal or update of dead links; embedded videos that were not embedded; moved key takeaways and exercises from the end of each chapter section to the end of each chapter; a new cover design.","contributors":[{"id":4756,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":"Assistant Professor","first_name":"Carrie","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Cuttler","location":"Washington State University","background_text":"Dr. Carrie Cuttler received her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of British Columbia. She has been teaching research methods and statistics for over a decade. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Washington State University, where she primarily studies the acute and chronic effects of cannabis on cognition, mental health, and physical health. Dr. Cuttler was also an OER Research Fellow with the Center for Open Education and she conducts research on open educational resources. She has over 50 publications including the following two published books: A Student Guide for SPSS (1st and 2nd edition) and Research Methods in Psychology: Student Lab Guide. Finally, she edited another OER entitled Essentials of Abnormal Psychology. In her spare time, she likes to travel, hike, bike, run, and watch movies with her husband and son. You can find her online at @carriecuttler or carriecuttler.com."},{"id":4939,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":"Associate Vice Provost, Open Education","first_name":"Rajiv","middle_name":"S.","last_name":"Jhangiani","location":"Kwantlen Polytechnic University","background_text":"Dr. Rajiv Jhangiani is the Associate Vice Provost, Open Education at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in British Columbia. He is an internationally known advocate for open education whose research and practice focuses on open educational resources, student-centered pedagogies, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Rajiv is a co-founder of the Open Pedagogy Notebook, an Ambassador for the Center for Open Science, and serves on the BC Open Education Advisory Committee. He formerly served as an Open Education Advisor and Senior Open Education Research \u0026 Advocacy Fellow with BCcampus, an OER Research Fellow with the Open Education Group, a Faculty Workshop Facilitator with the Open Textbook Network, and a Faculty Fellow with the BC Open Textbook Project. A co-author of three open textbooks in Psychology, his most recent book is Open: The Philosophy and Practices that are Revolutionizing Education and Science (2017). You can find him online at @thatpsychprof or thatpsychprof.com."},{"id":4940,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":"Assistant Professor","first_name":"Dana","middle_name":"C.","last_name":"Leighton","location":"Texas A\u0026M University, Texarkana","background_text":"Dr. Dana C. Leighton is Assistant Professor of Psychology in the College of Arts, Science, and Education at Texas A\u0026M University—Texarkana. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Arkansas, and has 15 years experience teaching across the psychology curriculum at community colleges, liberal arts colleges, and research universities. Dr. Leighton’s social psychology research lab studies intergroup relations, and routinely includes undergraduate students as researchers. He is also Chair of the university’s Institutional Review Board. Recently he has been researching and writing about the use of open science research practices by undergraduate researchers to increase diversity, justice, and sustainability in psychological science. He has published on his teaching methods in eBooks from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology, presented his methods at regional and national conferences, and received grants to develop new teaching methods. His teaching interests are in undergraduate research, writing skills, and online student engagement. For more about Dr. Leighton see http://www.danaleighton.net and http://danaleighton.edublogs.org"}],"subjects":[{"id":42,"name":"Psychology","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"BF121","visible_textbooks_count":51,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/psychology"},{"id":9,"name":"Social Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"H1","visible_textbooks_count":285,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/social-sciences"}],"publishers":[{"id":507,"url":"https://kpu.pressbooks.pub/psychmethods4e/","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:40.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-08-02T15:48:04.000-05:00","name":"Kwantlen Polytechnic University"}],"formats":[{"id":856,"type":"Online","url":"https://kpu.pressbooks.pub/psychmethods4e/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":857,"type":"PDF","url":"https://kpu.pressbooks.pub/psychmethods4e/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1764,"type":"eBook","url":"https://kpu.pressbooks.pub/psychmethods4e/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1990,"type":"XML","url":"https://kpu.pressbooks.pub/psychmethods4e/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1991,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"https://www.amazon.com/dp/1085976920?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":43,"reviews":[{"id":87,"first_name":"Rajiv","last_name":"Jhangiani","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Capilano University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is well organized and written, integrates excellent pedagogical features, and covers all of the traditional areas of the topic admirably. The final two chapters provide a good bridge between the research methods course and the follow-up course on behavioural statistics. The text integrates real psychological measures, harnesses students' existing knowledge from introductory psychology, includes well-chosen examples from real life and research, and even includes a very practical chapter on the use of APA style for writing and referencing. On the other hand, it does not include a table of contents or an index, both of which are highly desirable. The one chapter that requires significant revision is Chapter 3 (Research Ethics), which is based on the US codes of ethics (e.g., Federal policy \u0026amp; APA code) and does not include any mention of the Canadian Tri-Council Policy Statement.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The very few errors I found include the following: 1. The text should read \"The fact that his F score…\" instead of \"The fact that his t score…\" on page 364 2. Some formulae are missing the line that separates the numerator from the denominator. See pages 306, 311, 315, and 361 3. Table 12.3 on page 310 lists the variance as 288 when it is 28.8","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text is up-to-date and will not soon lose relevance. The only things I would add are a brief discussion of the contemporary case of Diederik Stapel's research fraud in the chapter on Research Ethics, as well as some research concerning the external validity of web-based studies (e.g., Gosling et al.'s 2004 article in American Psychologist).","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Overall, the style of writing makes this text highly accessible. The writing flows well, is well organized, and includes excellent, detailed, and clear examples and explanations for concepts. The examples often build on concepts or theories students would have covered in their introductory psychology course. Some constructive criticism: 1. When discussing z scores on page 311 it might have been helpful to point out that the mean and SD for a set of calculated z scores are 0 and 1 respectively. Good students will come to this realization themselves, but it is not a bad thing to point it out nonetheless. 2. The introduction of the concept of multiple regression might be difficult for some students to grasp. 3. The only place where I felt short of an explanation was in the use of a research example to demonstrate the use of a line graph on page 318. In this case the explanation in question does not pertain to the line graph itself but the result of the study used, which is so fascinating that students will wish for the researchers' explanation for it.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is organized very well into chapters, modules within each chapter, and learning objectives within each module. Each module also includes useful exercises that help consolidate learning.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"As mentioned earlier, the style of writing makes this text highly accessible. The writing flows well, is well organized, and includes excellent, detailed, and clear examples and explanations for concepts. The examples often build on concepts or theories students would have covered in their introductory psychology course. Only rarely did I feel that the author could have assisted the student by demonstrating the set-by-step calculation of a statistic (e.g., on page 322 for the calculation of Pearson's r)","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The images, graphs, and charts are clear. The only serious issues that hamper navigation are the lack of a table of contents and an index. Many of the graphs will need to be printed in colour (or otherwise modified) for the students to follow the explanations provided in the text.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text is written rather well and is free from grammatical errors. Of course, spellings are in the US convention.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive. Of course, it is not a Canadian edition and so many of the examples (all of which are easy to comprehend) come from a US context.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I have covered most of these issues in my earlier comments. The only things left to mention are that the author should have clearly distinguished between mundane and psychological realism, and that, in my opinion, the threats to internal validity could have been grouped together and might have been closer to an exhaustive list.\r\nThis review originated in the BC Open Textbook Collection and is licensed under CC BY-ND.","created_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":222,"first_name":"Moin","last_name":"Syed","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"University of Minnesota","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is thorough in terms of covering introductory concepts that are central to experimental and correlational/association designs. I find the general exclusion of qualitative and mixed methods designs hard to defend (despite some researchers’ distaste for the methods). While these approaches were less commonly used in the recent past, they are prevalent in the early years of psychology and are ascending once again. It strikes me as odd to just ignore two whole families of methods that are used within the practice of psychology—definitely not a sustainable approach. \r\n\r\nI do very much appreciate the emphasis on those who will both practice and consume psychology, given the wide variety of undergraduate career paths. \r\n\r\nOne glaring omission is a Table of Contents within the PDF. It would be nice to make this a linked PDF, so that clicking on the entry in a TOC (or cross-references) would jump the reader to the relevant section. \r\n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not see an errors. The chapter on theory is not as clear as it could be. The section “what is theory” is not very clear, and these are difficulte concepts (difference between theory, hypothesis, etc.). A bit more time spent here could have been good. Also, the discussion of functional, mechanistic, and typological theories leaves out the fourth of Pepper’s metaphors: contextualism. I’m not sure that was intentional and accidental, but it is noticeable!","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This is a research methods text focused on experimental and association designs. The basics of these designs do not change a whole lot over time, so there is little likelihood that the main content will become obsolete anytime soon. Some of the examples used are a bit dated, but then again most of them are considered “classics” in the field, which I think are important to retain (and there is at least one “new classic” included in the ethics section, namely the fraudulent research linking autism to the MMR vaccine).","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is extremely clear and accessible. In fact, it may even be *too* simple for undergraduate use. Then again, students often struggle with methods, so simplicity is good, and the simplicity can also make the book marketable to high school courses (although I doubt many high schools have methods courses). ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Yes, quite consistent throughout. Carrying through the same examples into different chapters is a major strength of the text. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I don’ anticipate any problems here. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The book flows well, with brief sections. I do wonder if maybe the sections are too brief? Perhaps too many check-ins? The “key take-aways” usually come after only a few pages. As mentioned above, the book is written at a very basic level, so this brevity is consistent with that approach. It is not a problem, per se, but those considering adopting the text should be aware of this aspect. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No problems here. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not detect any grammatical errors. The text flows very well. ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The book is fairly typical of American research methods books in that it only focuses on the U.S. context and draws its examples from “mainstream” psychology (e.g., little inclusion of ethnic minority or cross-cultural psychology). However, the text is certainly not insensitive or offensive in any way.\r\n","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Nice book, thanks for writing it!","created_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":285,"first_name":"Alyssa","last_name":"Gibbons","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Colorado State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text covers everything I would consider essential for a first course in research methods, including some areas that are not consistently found in introductory texts (e.g., qualitative research, criticisms of null hypothesis significance testing). The chapters on ethics (Ch. 3) and theory (Ch. 4) are more comprehensive than most I have seen at this level, but not to the extent of information overload; rather, they anticipate and address many questions that undergraduates often have about these issues. \r\n\r\nThere is no index or table of contents provided in the PDF, and the table of contents on the website is very broad, but the material is well organized and it would not be hard for an instructor to create such a table. Chapter 2.1 is intended to be an introduction to several key terms and ideas (e.g., variable, correlation) that could serve as a sort of glossary.    ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found the text to be highly accurate throughout; terms are defined precisely and correctly. \r\n\r\nWhere there are controversies or differences of opinion in the field, the author presents both sides of the argument in a respectful and unbiased manner. He explicitly discourages students from dismissing any one approach as inherently flawed, discussing not only the advantages and disadvantages of all methods (including nonexperimental ones) but also ways researchers address the disadvantages. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"In several places, the textbook explicitly addresses the history and development of various methods (e.g., qualitative research, null hypothesis significance testing) and the ways in which researchers' views have changed. This allows the author to present current thinking and debate in these areas yet still expose students to older ideas they are likely to encounter as they read the research literature. I think this approach sets students up well to encounter future methodological advances; as a field, we refine our methods over time. I think the author could easily integrate new developments in future editions, or instructors could introduce such developments as supplementary material without creating confusion by contradicting the test. \r\n\r\nThe examples are generally drawn from classic psychological studies that have held up well over time; I think they will appeal to students for some time to come and not appear dated. \r\n\r\nThe only area in which I did not feel the content was entirely up to date was in the area of psychological measurement; Chapter 5.2 is based on the traditional view and not the more comprehensive modern or holistic view as presented in the 1999 AERA/APA Standards for Educational and Psychological Measurement. However, a comprehensive treatment of measurement validity is probably not necessary for most undergraduates at this stage, and they will certainly encounter the older framework in the research literature. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook does an excellent job of presenting concepts in simple, accessible language without introducing error by oversimplification. The author consistently anticipates common points of confusion, clarifies terms, and even suggests ways for students to remember key distinctions. Terms are clearly and concretely defined when they are introduced. In contrast to many texts I have used, the terms that are highlighted in the text are actually the terms I would want my students to remember and study; the author refrains from using psychological jargon that is not central to the concepts he is discussing. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I noticed no major inconsistencies or gaps. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The division of sections within each chapter is useful; although I liked the overall organization of the text, there were points at which I would likely assign sections in a slightly different order and I felt I could do this easily without loss of continuity. The one place I would have liked more modularity was in the discussion of inferential statistics: t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson's r are all covered within Chapter 13.2. On the one hand, this enables students to see the relationships and similarities among these tests, but on the other, this is a lot for students to take in at once. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I found the overall organization of the book to be quite logical, mirroring the sequence of steps a researcher would use to develop a research question, design a study, etc. As discussed above, the modularity of the book makes it easy to reorder sections to suit the structure of a particular class (for example, I might have students read the section on APA writing earlier in the semester as they begin drafting their own research proposals). I like the inclusion of ethics very early on in the text, establishing the importance of this topic for all research design choices. \r\n\r\nOne organizational feature I particularly appreciated was the consistent integration of conceptual and practical ideas; for example, in the discussion of psychological measurement, reliability and validity are discussed alongside the importance of giving clear instructions and making sure participants cannot be identified by their writing implements. This gives students an accurate and honest picture of the research process - some of the choices we make are driven by scientific ideals and some are driven by practical lessons learned. Students often have questions related to these mundane aspects of conducting research and it is helpful to have them so clearly addressed. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Although I didn't encounter any problems per se with the interface, I do think it could be made more user-friendly. For example, references to figures and tables are highlighted in blue, appearing to be hyperlinks, but they were not. Having such links, as well as a linked, easily-navigable and detailed table of contents, would also be helpful (and useful to students who use assistive technology). ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I noticed no grammatical errors. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Where necessary, the author uses inclusive language and there is nothing that seems clearly offensive. The examples generally reflect American psychology research, but the focus is on the methods used and not the participants or cultural context. The text could be more intentionally or proactively inclusive, but it is not insensitive or exclusive.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I am generally hard to please when it comes to textbooks, but I found very little to quibble with in this one. It is a very well-written and accessible introduction to research methods that meets students where they are, addressing their common questions, misconceptions, and concerns. Although it's not flashy, the figures, graphics, and extra resources provided are clear, helpful, and relevant. \r\n","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":334,"first_name":"Karen","last_name":"Pikula","position":"Psychology Instructor PhD","institution_name":"Central Lakes College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers all the areas and ideas of the subject of research methods in psychology for the learner that is just entering the field. The authors cover all of the content of an introductory research methods textbook and use exemplary examples that make those concepts relevent to a beginning researcher. As the authors state, the material is presented in such a manner as to encourage learners  to not only be effective consumers of current research but also engage as critical thinkers in the many diverse situations one encounters in everyday life.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate, error free, and unbiased. It explains both quantiative and qualitative methods in an unbiased manner. It is a bit slim on qualitative. It would be nice to have a bit more information on, for example, creating interview questions, coding, and qualitative data anaylisis.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text is up to date, having just been revised. This revision was authored by Rajiv Jhangiani (Capilano University, North Vancouver) and includes the addition of a table of contents and cover page that  the original text did not have, changes to Chapter 3 (Research Ethics) to include a contemporary example of an ethical breach and to reflect Canadian ethical guidelines and privacy laws, additional information regarding online data collection in Chapter 9 (Survey Research). Jhangiani has  correcte of errors in the text and formulae, as well as changing spelling  from US to Canadian conventions. The text is also now available in a inexpensive hard copy which students can purchase online or college bookstores can stock. This makes the text current and updates should be minimal.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is very easy to read and also very interesting as the authors supplement content with amazing real life examples.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This text is easily and readily divisible into smaller reading sections that can be assigned at different points within a course. I am going to use this text in conjunction with the OER OpenStax Psychology text  for my Honors Psychology course. I currently use the OER Openstax Psychology textbook for my Positive Psychology course as well as my General Psychology course, ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics in the text are presented in logical and clear fashion. The way they are presented allows the text to be used in conjuction with other textbooks as a secondary resource.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is free of significant interface issues. It is written in a manner that follows the natural process of doing research.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contained no noted grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive and actually has been revised to accomodate Canadian ethical guidelines as well as those of the APA.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I have to say that I am excited to have found this revised edition. My students will be so happy that there is also a reasonable priced hard coopy for them to purchase. They love the OpenStax Psychology text with the hard copy available from our bookstore. I do wish there were PowerPoints available for the text as well as a test bank. That is always a bonus!","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":548,"first_name":"Abbey","last_name":"Dvorak","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"University of Kansas","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text includes basic, essential information needed for students in an introductory research methods course. In addition, the text includes three chapters (i.e., research ethics, theory, and APA style) that are typically absent from or inadequately covered in similar texts. However, I did have some areas of concern regarding the coverage of qualitative and mixed methods approaches, and nonparametric tests. Although the author advocates for the research question to guide the choice of approach and design, minimal attention is given to the various qualitative designs (e.g., phenomenology, narrative, participatory action, etc.) beyond grounded theory and case studies, with no mention of the different types of mixed methods designs (e.g., concurrent, explanatory, exploratory) that are prevalent today. In addition, common nonparametric tests (e.g., Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney, etc.) and parametric tests for categorical data (e.g., chi-square, Fisher’s exact, etc.) are not mentioned.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The text overall is accurate and free of errors. I noticed in the qualitative research sub-section, the author describes qualitative research in general, but does not mention common practices associated with qualitative research, such as transcribing interviews, coding data (e.g., different approaches to coding, different types of codes), and data analysis procedures. The information that is included appears accurate.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text appears up-to-date and includes basic research information and classic examples that rarely change, which may allow the text to be used for many years. However, the author may want to add information about mixed methods research, a growing research approach, in order for the text to stay relevant across time.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text includes clear, accessible, straightforward language with minimal jargon. When the author introduces a new term, the term is immediately defined and described. The author also provides interesting examples to clarify and expand understanding of terms and concepts throughout the text.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent and uses similar language and vocabulary throughout. The author uses real-life examples across chapters in order to provide depth and insight into the information. In addition, the vocabulary, concepts, and organization are consistent with other research methods textbooks.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modules are short, concise, and manageable for students; the material within each module is logically focused and related to each other. I may move the modules and the sub-topics within them into a slightly different order for my class, and add the information mentioned above, but overall, this is very good.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The author presents topics and structures chapters in a logical and organized manner. The epub and online version do not include page numbers in the text, but the pdf does; this may be confusing when referencing the text or answering student questions. The book ends somewhat abruptly after the chapter on inferential statistics; the text may benefit from a concluding chapter to bring everything together, perhaps with a culminating example that walks the reader through creating the research question, choosing a research approach/design, etc., all the way to writing the research report.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I used and compared the pdf, epub, and online versions of the text. The epub and online versions include a clickable table of contents, but the pdf does not. The table format is inconsistent across the three versions; in the epub version (viewed through ibooks), the table data does not always line up correctly, making it difficult to interpret quickly. In the pdf and online versions, the table format looks different, but the data are lined up. No index made it difficult to quickly find areas of interest in the text; however, I could use the Find/Search functions in all three versions to search and find needed items.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"As I read through this text, I did not detect any glaring grammatical errors. Overall, I think the text is written quite well in a style that is accessible to students.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The author uses inclusive, person-first language, and the text does not seem to be offensive or insensitive. As I read, I did notice that topics such as diversity and cultural competency are absent.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I enjoyed reading this text and am very excited to have a free research methods text for my students that I may supplement as needed. I wish there was a test question bank and/or flashcards for my students to help them study, but perhaps that could be added in the future. Overall, this is a great resource!","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":574,"first_name":"Joel","last_name":"Malin","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Miami University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook covers all or nearly all of what I believe are important topics to provide an introduction to research methods in psychology. One minor issue is that the pdf version, which I reviewed, does not include an index or a glossary. As such, it may be difficult for readers to zero in on material that they need, and/or to get a full sense of what will be covered and in what order.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not notice errors.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The book provides a solid overview of key issues related to introductory research methods, many of which are nearly timeless.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing is clear and accessible. It was easy and pleasing to read.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Terms are clearly defined and build upon each other as the book progresses.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I believe the text is organized in such a way that it could be easily divided into smaller sections.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The order in which material is presented seems to be well thought out and sensible.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not notice any issues with the interface. I reviewed the pdf version and thought the images were very helpful.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book is written in a culturally relevant manner.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":943,"first_name":"Sarah","last_name":"Allred","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Rutgers University, Camden","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"Mixed.  For some topics, there is more (and more practical) information than in most textbooks.  I appreciated the very practical advice to students about how to plot data (in statistics chapters).  Similarly, there is practical advice about how to comply with ethical guidelines.  The section on item development in surveys was very good. \n\nOn the other hand, there is far too little information about some subjects.  For example, independent and dependent variables are introduced in passing in an early chapter and then referred to only much later in the text.  In my experience, students have a surprisingly difficult time grasping this concept.  Another important example is sampling; I would have preferred much more information on types of samples and sampling techniques, and the problems that arise from poor sampling. A third example is the introduction to basic experimental design. Variables, measurement, validity, and reliability are all introduced in one chapter.\n\nI did not see an index or glossary. \n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found no errors. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The fundamentals of research methods do not change much.  Given the current replication crisis in psychology, it might be helpful to have something about replicability. ","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"Mixed.  The text itself is spare and clear.  The style of the book is to explain a concept in very few words.  There are some excellent aspects of this, but on the other hand, there  are some concepts that students have a very difficult time undersatnding if they are not embedded in concrete examples.  For example, the section on main effects and interactions shows bar graphs of interactions, but this is presented without variable names or axis titles, and separate from any specific experiment. \n","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":" Sometimes the chapter stucture is laid out on the title page, and other times it is not.  Some graphs lack titles and variable names.  ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The chapters can be stand alone, but sometimes I found conceptually similar pieces spread across several chapters, and conceptually different pieces in the same chapters. ","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The individual sentences and paragraphs are always very clear.  However, I felt that  more tables/outlines of major concepts would have been helpful.  For example, perhaps a flow chart of different kinds of experimental designs would be useful.  (See section on comprehensiveness for more about organization). \n\nThe flow from one topic to the next was adequate.  \n","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I read the pdf. Perhaps the interface is more pleasant on other devices, but I found the different formats and fonts in image/captions/main text/figure labels distracting. Many if the instances of apparently hyperlinked (blue) text to do not link to anything. \n","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors, and prose is standard academic English. ","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Like most psychology textbooks available in the US, examples are focused on important experiments in US history. ","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"I really wanted to be happy with this text.  I am a supporter of the Open Textbook concept, and I wanted to find this book an acceptable alternative to the variety of Research Methods texts I’ve used. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this book as superior in quality.  ","created_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1127,"first_name":"Shannon","last_name":"Layman","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"University of Texas at Arlington","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The sections in this textbook are overall more brief than in previous Methods texts that I have used. Sometimes this brevity is helpful in terms of getting to the point of the text and moving on. In other cases, some topics could use a bit more detail to establish a better foundation of the content before moving on to examples and/or the next topic.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not find any incorrect information or gross language issues.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Basic statistical and/or methodological texts tend to stay current and up-to-date because the topics in this field have not changed over the decades. Any updated methodologies would be found in a more advanced methods text.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is very clear and the ideas are easy to follow/ presented in a logical manner. The most helpful thing about this textbook is that the author arrives at the point of the topic very quickly. Another helpful point about this textbook is the relevancy of the examples used. The examples appear to be accessible to a wide audience and do not require specialization or previous knowledge of other fields of psychology.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I feel this text is very consistent throughout. The ideas build on each other and no terms are discussed in later chapters without being established in previous chapters.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter had multiple subsections which would allow for smaller reading sections throughout the course. The amount of content in each section and chapter appeared to be less than what I have encountered in other Methods texts.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of the topics in this textbook follows the same or similar organization that I see in other textbooks. As I mentioned previously, the ideas build very well throughout the text.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not find any issues with navigation or distortion of the figures in the text.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There were not any obvious and/or egregious grammatical errors that I encountered in this text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This topic is not really an issue with a Methods textbook as the topics are more so conceptual as opposed to topical. That being said, I did not see an issue with any examples used.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I have no other comments than what I addressed previously.","created_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1130,"first_name":"Meghan","last_name":"Babcock","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"University of Texas at Arlington","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text includes all important areas that are featured in other Research Methods textbooks and are presented in a logical order. The text includes great examples and provides the references which can be assigned as supplemental readings. In addition, the chapters end with exercises that can be completed in class or as part of a laboratory assignment. This text would be a great addition to a Research Methods course or an Introductory Statistics course for Psychology majors.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate. I did not find any errors and the material is unbiased.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Yes - the content is up to date and would be easy to update if/when necessary.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written at an appropriate level for undergraduate students and explains important terminology. The research studies that the author references are ones that undergraduate psychology majors should be familiar with. The only section that was questionable to me was that on multiple regression in section 8.3 (Complex Correlational Designs). I am unaware of other introductory Research Methods textbooks that cover this analysis, especially without describing simple regression first.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in terms of terminology. The framework is also consistent - the chapters begin with Learning Objectives and ends with Key Takeaways and Exercises.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is divisible into smaller reading sections - possibly too many. The sections are brief, and in some instances too brief (e.g., the section on qualitative research). I think that the section headers are helpful for instructors who plan on using this text in conjunction with another text in their course.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics were presented in a logical fashion and are similar to other published Research Methods texts. The writing is very clear and great examples are provided. I think that some of the sections are rather brief and more information and examples could be provided.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I did not see any interface issues. All of the links worked properly and the tables and figures were accurate and free of errors. I particularly liked the figures in section 5.2 on reliability of measurement.\n\nThere are three comments that I have about the interface, however. First, I was expecting the keywords in blue font to be linked to a glossary, but they were not. I would have appreciated this feature. Second, I read this text as a PDF on an iPad and this version lacking was the Table of Contents (TOC) feature. Although I was able to view the TOC in different versions, I would have appreciated it in the PDF version. Also, it would be nice if the TOC was clickable (i.e., you could click on a section and it automatically directed you to that section). Third, I think the reader of this text would benefit from a glossary at the end of each chapter and/or an index at the end of the text. The \"Key Takeaways\" sections at the end of each chapter were helpful, but I think that a glossary would be a nice addition as well.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors of any kind. The text was easy to read and I think that undergraduate students would agree.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text was not insensitive or offensive to any races, ethnicities, or backgrounds. I appreciated the section on avoiding biased language when writing manuscripts (e.g., using 'children with learning disabilities' instead of 'special children' or using 'African American' instead of 'minority').","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I think that this text would be a nice addition to a Research Methods \u0026amp; Statistics course in psychology. There are some sections that I found particularly helpful: (1) 2.2 and 2.3 - the author gives detailed information about generating research questions and reviewing the literature; (2) 9.2 - this section focuses on constructing survey questionnaires; (3) 11.2 and 11.3 - the author talks about writing a research report and about presenting at conferences. These sections will be great additions to an undergraduate Research Methods course. The brief introduction to APA style was also helpful, but should be supplemented with the most recent APA style manual.","created_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1190,"first_name":"Pramit","last_name":"Nadpara","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Virginia Commonwealth University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text book provides good information in certain areas, while not comprehensive information in other areas.  The text provides practical information, especially the section on survey development was good.  Additional information on sampling strategies would have been beneficial for the readers.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"There are no errors.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Research method is a common topic and the fundamentals of it will not change over the years.  Therefore, the book is relevant and will not become obsolete.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The text in the book is clear.  Certain aspects of the text could have been presented more clearly.  For example, the section on main effects and interactions are some concepts that students may have difficulty understanding.  Those areas could be explained more clearly with an example.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"Graphs in the book lacks titles and variable names.  Also, the format of chapter title page needs to be consistent.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"At times there were related topics spread across several chapters.  This could be corrected for a better read by the audience..","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The book text is very clear, and the flow from one topic to the next was adequate. However, having a outline would help the reader.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The PDF copy of the book was a easy read.  There were few links that were missing though.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There were no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The text is not offensive and examples in it are mostly based on historical US based experiments.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"I would start of by saying that I am a supporter of the Open Textbook concept.  In this day and age, there are a variety of Research Methods book/text available on the market.  While this book covers research methods basics, it cannot be recommended in its current form as an acceptable alternative to the standard text.  Modifications to the text as recommended by myself and other reviewers might improve the quality of this book in the future.","created_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1315,"first_name":"George","last_name":"Woodbury","position":"Graduate Student","institution_name":"Miami University, Ohio","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text covers the typical areas for an undergraduate psychology course in research design. There is no table of contents included with the downloadable version, although there is a table of contents on the website (which excludes sub-sections of chapters). The sections on statistics are not extensive enough to be useful in and of themselves, but they are useful for transitions to a follow-up statistics course. There does not seem to be a glossary of terms, which made it difficult at times for my read through and I assume later for students who decide to print the text. The text is comprehensive without being wordy or tedious.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Relatively minor errors; There does not seem to be explicit cultural or methodological bias in the text.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is up-to-date, and examples from the psychology literature are generally within the last 25 years. Barring extensive restructuring in the fundamentals of methodology and design in psychology, any updates will be very easy to implement.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Text will be very clear and easy to read for students fluent in English. There is little jargon/technical terminology used, and the vocabulary that is provided in the text is contemporary","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"There do not seem to be obvious shifts in the terminology or the framework. The text is internally consistent in that regard.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is well divided into chapter and subsections. Each chapter is relatively self-contained, so there are little issues with referring to past material that may have been skipped. The learning objectives at the beginning of the chapter are very useful. Blocks of text are well divided with headings.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"As mentioned above, the topics of the text follow the well-established trajectory of undergraduate psychology courses. This makes it very logical and clear.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The lack of a good table of contents made it difficult to navigate the text for my read through. There were links to an outside photo-hosting website (flickr) for some of the stock photos, which contained the photos of the original creators of the photos. This may be distracting or confusing to readers. However, the hyperlinks in general helped with navigation with the PDF.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No more grammatical errors than a standard, edited textbook.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Very few examples explicitly include other races, ethnicities, or backgrounds, however the examples seem to intentionally avoid cultural bias. Overall, the writing seems to be appropriately focused on avoiding culturally insensitive or offensive content.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"After having examined several textbooks on research design and methodology related to psychology, this book stands out as superior.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1321,"first_name":"Angela","last_name":"Curl","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Miami University (Ohio)","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"\"Research Methods in Psychology\" covers most research method topics comprehensively. The author does an excellent job explaining main concepts. The chapter on causation is very detailed and well-written as well as the chapter on research ethics. However, the explanations of data analysis seem to address upper level students rather than beginners. For example, in the “Describing Statistical Relationships” chapter, the author does not give detailed enough explanations for key terms. A reader who is not versed in research terminology, in my opinion, would struggle to understand the process. While most topics are covered, there are some large gaps. For example, this textbook has very little content related to qualitative research methods (five pages).","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content appears to be accurate and unbias.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The majority of the content will not become obsolete within a short time period-- many of the information can be used for the coming years, as the information provided is, overall, general in nature. The notably exceptions are the content on APA Code of Ethics and the APA Publication Manual, which both rely heavily on outdated versions, which limits the usefulness of these sections. In addition, it would be helpful to incorporate research studies that have been published after 2011.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The majority of the text is clear, with content that is easy for undergraduate students to read and understand. The key points included in the chapters are helpful, but some chapters seem to be missing key points (i.e., the key points do not accurately represent the overall chapter).","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text seems to be internally consistent in its terminology and organization.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter is broken into subsections that can be used alone. For example, section 5.2 covers reliability and validity of measurement. This could be extremely helpful for educators to select specific content for assigned readings.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in a logical matter for the most part. However, the PDF version of the book does not include a table of contents, and none of the formats has a glossary or index. This can make it difficult to quickly navigate to specific topics or terms, especially when explanations do not appear where expected. For example, the definitions of independent and dependent variables is provided under the heading “Correlation Does Not Imply Causation” (p. 22).\n\nThe text is consistent but needs more visual representations throughout the book, rather than heavily in some chapters and none at all in other chapters. Similarly, the text within the chapters is not easily readable due to the large sections of text with little to no graphics or breaks.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The interface of the text is adequate. However, the formatting of the PDF is sometimes weak. For example, the textbook has a number of pages with large blank spaces and other pages are taken up with large photos or graphics. The number of pages (and cost of printing) could have been reduced, or more graphics added to maximize utility.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"Text appears to be culturally sensitive. I appreciated the inclusion of the content about avoiding biased language (chapter 11).","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Instructors who adopt this book would likely benefit from either selecting certain chapters/modules and/or integrating multiple texts together to address the shortcomings of this text. Further, the sole focus on psychology limits the use of this textbook for introductory research methods for other disciplines (e.g., social work, sociology).","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1578,"first_name":"zehra","last_name":"peynircioglu","position":"Professor","institution_name":"American University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"Short and sweet in most areas.  Covers the basic concepts, not very comprehensively but definitely adequately so for a general beginning-level research methods course.  For instance, I would liked to have seen a \"separate\" chapter on correlational research (there is one on single subject research and one on survey research), a discussion of the importance of providing a theoretical rationale for \"getting an idea\" (most students are fine with finding interesting and feasible project ideas but cannot give a theoretical rationale) before or after Chapter 4 on Theory, or a chapter on neuroscientific methods, which are becoming more and more popular.  Nevertheless, it touches on most traditional areas that are in other books.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not find any errors or biases","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This is one area where there is not much danger of going obsolete any time soon.  The examples might need to be updated periodically (my students tend to not like dated materials, however relevant), but that should be easy.   ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Very clear and accessible prose.  Despite the brevity, the concepts are put forth quite clearly.  I like the \"not much fluff\" mentality.  There is also adequate explanations of jargon and technical terminology.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I could not find any inconsistencies.  The style and exposition frameworks are also quite consistent.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Yes, the modularity is fine.  The chapters follow a logical pattern, so there should not be too much of a need for jumping around.  And even if jumping around is needed depending on teaching style, the sections are solid in terms of being able to stand alone (or as an accompaniment to lectures).","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Yes, the contents is ordered logically and the high modularity helps with any reorganization that an instructor may favor.  In my case, for instance, Ch. 1 is fine, but I would skip it because it's mostly a repetition of what most introductory psychology books also say.  I would also discuss non-experimental methods before going into experimental design.  But such changes are easy to do, and if someone followed the book's own organization, there would also be a logical flow.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"As far as I could see, the text is free of significant interface issues, at least in the pdf version","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I could not find any errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"As far as I could see, the book was culturally relevant.  ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I loved the short and sweet learning objectives, key takeaway sections, and the exercises.  They are not overwhelming and can be used in class discussions, too.","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1816,"first_name":"Eric","last_name":"Lindsey","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Penn State University Berks Campus","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The content of the Research Methods in Psychology textbook was very thorough and covered what I would consider to be the important concepts and issues pertaining to research methods. I would judge that the textbook has a comparable coverage of information to other textbooks I have reviewed, including the current textbook I am using. The range of scholarly sources included in the textbook was good, with an appropriate balance between older and classic research examples and newer more cutting edge research information. Overall, the textbook provides substantive coverage of the science of conducting research in the field of psychology, supported by good examples, and thoughtful questions.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The textbook adopts a coherent and student-friendly format, and offers a precise introduction to psychological research methodology that includes consideration of a broad range of qualitative and quantitative methods to help students identify and evaluate the best approach for their research needs. The textbook offers a detailed review of the way that psychological researchers approach their craft. The author guides the reader through all aspects of the research process including formulating objectives, choosing research methods, securing research participants, as well as advice on how to effectively collect, analyze and interpret data and disseminate those findings to others through a variety of presentation and publication venues. The textbook offers relevant supplemental information in textboxes that is highly relevant to the material in the accompanying text and should prove helpful to learners. Likewise the graphics and figures that are included are highly relevant and clearly linked to the material presented in the text. The information covered by the textbook reflects an accurate summary of current techniques and methods used in research in the field of psychology. The presentation of information addresses the pros and cons of different research strategies in an objective and evenhanded way.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The range of scholarly sources included in the textbook was good, with an appropriate balance between older, classic research evidence and newer, cutting edge research. Overall, the textbook provides substantive coverage of the science on most topics in research methods of psychology, supported by good case studies, and thoughtful questions. The book is generally up to date, with adequate coverage of basic data collection methods and statistical techniques. Likewise the review of APA style guidelines is reflects the current manual and I like the way the author summarizes changes from the older version of the APA manual. The organization of the textbook does appear to lend itself to editing and adding new information with updates in the future.  ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I found the textbook chapters to be well written, in a straightforward yet conversational manner. It gives the reader an impression of being taught by a knowledgeable yet approachable expert. The writing style gives the learner a feeling of being guided through the lessons and supported in a very conversational approach. The experience of reading the textbook is less like being taught and more like a colleague sharing information. Furthermore, the style keeps the reader engaged but doesn't detract from its educational purpose. I also appreciate that the writing is appropriately concise. No explanations are so wordy as to overwhelm or lull the reader to sleep, but at the same time the information is not so vague that the reader can't understand the point at all.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book’s main aim is to enable students to develop their own skills as researchers, so they can generate and advance common knowledge on a variety of psychological topics. The book achieves this objective by introducing its readers, step-by-step, to psychological research design, while maintaining an excellent balance between substance and attention grabbing examples that is uncommon in other research methods textbooks. Its accessible language and easy-to-follow structure and examples lend themselves to encouraging readers to move away from the mere memorization of facts, formulas and techniques towards a more critical evaluation of their own ideas and work – both inside and outside the classroom. The content of the chapters have a very good flow that help the reader to connect information in a progressive manner as they proceed through the textbook. ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Each chapter goes into adequate depth in reviewing both past and current research related to the topic that it covers for an undergraduate textbook on research methods in psychology. The information within each chapter flows well from point-to-point, so that the reader comes away feeling like there is a progression in the information presented. The only limitation that I see is that I felt the author could do a little more to let the reader know how information is connected from chapter to chapter. Rather than just drawing the reader’s attention to things that were mentioned in previous chapters, it would be nice to have brief comments about how issues in one chapter relate to topics covered in previous chapters. \n\nIn my opinion the chapters are arranged in easily digestible units that are manageable in 30-40 minute reading sessions. In fact, the author designed the chapters of the textbook in a way to make it easy to chunk information, and start and stop to easily pick up where one leaves off from one reading session to another. I also found the flow of information to be appropriate, with chapters containing just the right amount of detail for use in my introductory course in research methods in psychology. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The book is organized into thirteen chapters. The order of the chapters offers a logical progression from a broad overview of information about the principles and theory behind research in psychology, to more specific issues concerning the techniques and mechanics of conducting research. Each chapter ends with a summary of key takeaways from the chapter and exercises that do more than ask for content regurgitation. I find the organization of the textbook to be effective, and matches my approach to the course very well. I would not make any changes to the overall format with the exception of moving chapter 11 on presenting research to the end of the textbook, after the chapters on statistical analysis and interpretation.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I found the quality of the appearance of the textbook to be very good. The textbook features appropriate text and section/header font sizes that allow for an adequate zooming level to read large or smalls sections of text, that will give readers flexibility to match their personal preference. There are learning objectives at the start of each chapter to help students know what to expect. Key terms are highlighted in a separate color that are easily distinguishable in the body of the page. There are very useful visuals in every chapter, including tables, figures, and graphs. Relevant supplemental information is also highlighted in well formatted text boxes that are color coded to indicate what type of information is included. My only criticism is that the photographs included in the text are of low quality, and there are so few in the textbook that I feel it would have been better to just leave them out.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors in my review of the textbook. The textbook is generally well written, and the style of writing is at a level that is appropriate for an undergraduate class. ","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"Although the textbook contains no instances of presenting information that is cultural insensitive or offensive, it does not offer an culturally inclusive review of information pertaining to research methods in psychology. I found no inclusion of examples of research conducting with non European American samples included in the summary of studies. Likewise the authors do place much attention on the issue of cultural sensitivity when conducing research. If there is one major weakness of the textbook I would say it is in this area, but based on my experience it is not an uncommon characteristic of textbooks on research methods in psychology. ","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1845,"first_name":"Elizabeth","last_name":"Do","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Virginia Commonwealth University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Although this textbook does provide good information regarding introductory concepts necessary for the understanding of correlational designs, and is presented in a logical order. It  does not, however, cover qualitative methodologies, or research ethics as it relates to other countries outside of the US. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"There does not seem to be any errors within the text.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Since this textbook covers a topic that is unlikely to change over the years and it's content is up-to-date, it remains relevant to the field.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The textbook is written at an appropriate level for undergraduate students and is useful in that it does explain important terminology. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"There does not seem to be any major inconsistencies within the text.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Overall, the text is very well organized - it is separated into chapters that are divided up into modules and within each module, there are clear learning objectives. It is also helpful that the textbook includes useful exercises for students to practice what they've read about from the text.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics covered by this textbook are presented in an order that is logical. The writing is clear and the examples are very useful. However, more information could be provided in some of the chapters and it would be useful to include a table of contents that links to the different chapters within the PDF copy, for reader's ease in navigation when looking for specific terms and/or topics.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Overall, the PDF copy of the textbook made it easy to read; however, there did seem to be a few links that were missing. Additionally, it would be helpful to have some of the graphs printed in color to help with ease of following explanations provided by the text. The inclusion of a table of contents would also be useful for greater ease with navigation.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There does not seem to be any grammatical errors in the textbook. Also, the textbook is written in a clear way, and the information flows nicely.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"This textbook focuses primarily on examples from the United States. It does not seem to be culturally insensitive or offensive in anyway and I liked that it included content regarding the avoidance of biased language (chapter 11).","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This textbook makes the material very accessible, and it is easy to read/follow examples. ","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1848,"first_name":"Kevin","last_name":"White","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"East Carolina University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book covers all relevant topics for an introduction to research methods course in the social sciences, including measurement, sampling, basic research design, and ethics. The chapters were long enough to be somewhat comprehensive, but short enough to be digestible for students in an introductory-level class. Student reviews of the book have so far been very positive. The only section of the text for which more detail may be helpful is 2.3 (Reviewing the Research Literature), in which more specific instructions related to literature searches may be helpful to students. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not notice any issues related to accuracy. Content appeared to be accurate, error-free, and unbiased. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"One advantage of this book is that it is relevant to other applied fields outside of psychology (e.g., social work, counseling, etc.). Also, the exercises at the end of chapter sections are helpful.   ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The clarity of the text provides students with succinct definitions for research-related concepts, without unnecessary discipline-specific jargon. One suggestion for future editions would be to make the distinctions between different types of non-experimental research a bit more clear for students in introductory classes (e.g., \"Correlational Research\" in Section 7.2).","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Formatting and terminology was consistent throughout this text. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"A nice feature of this book is that instructors can select individual sections within chapters, or even jump between sections within chapters. For example, Section 1.4 may not fit for a class that is less clinically-oriented in nature.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The flow of the text was appropriate, with ethics close to the beginning of the book (and an entire chapter devoted to it), and descriptive/inferential statistics at the end. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not notice any problems related to interface. I had no trouble accessing or reading the text, and the images were clear.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contained no discernible grammatical errors. ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The book does not appear to be culturally insensitive in any discernible way, and explicitly addresses prejudice in research (e.g., Section 5.2). However, I think that continuing to add more examples that relate to specific marginalized groups would help improve the text (and especially exercises). ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Overall, this book is very useful for an introductory research methods course in psychology or social work, and I highly recommend. ","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1915,"first_name":"Chris","last_name":"Koch","position":"Professor of Psychology","institution_name":"George Fox University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"All appropriate areas and topics are covered in the text. In that sense, this book is equivalent to other top texts dealing with research methods in psychology.  The appeal of this book is the brevity and clarity. Therefore, some may find that, although the topics are covered, topics may not be covered as thoroughly they might like. Overall, the coverage is solid for an introductory course in research methods.\n\nIn terms of presentation, this book could be more comprehensive. Each chapter does start with a set of learning objectives and ends with \"takeaways\" and a short set of exercises. However, it lacks detailed chapter outlines, summaries, and glossaries. Furthermore, an index does not accompany the text.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found the book to be accurate with content being fairly presented. There was no underlying bias throughout the book.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This is an introductory text for research methods. The basics of research methods have been consistent for some time. The examples used in the text fit the concepts well. Therefore, it should not be quickly dated. It is organized in such a way that sections could be easily modified with more current examples as needed.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is easy to read. It is succinct yet engaging. Examples are clear and terminology is adequately defined.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"New terms and concepts are dealt with chapter by chapter. However, those things which go across chapters are consistently presented.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The material for each chapter is presented in subsections with each subsection being tied to a particular learning objective. It is possible to use the book by subsection instead of by chapter. In fact, I did that during class by discussing the majority of one chapter, discussing another chapter, and then covering what I previously skipped, ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"In general, the book follows a \"traditional\" organization, matching the organization of many competing books. As mentioned in regard to modularity, I did not follow the organization of the book exactly as it was laid out. This may not necessarily reflect poorly on the book, however, since I have never followed the order of any research methods book. My three exams covered chapter 1 through 4, chapters 5, 6, part of 8, and chapters 7, the remainder of 8, 9, and 10. Once we collected data I covered chapters 11 through 13.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The text and images are clear and distortion free. The text is available in several formats including epub, pdf, mobi, odt, and wxr. Unfortunately, the electronic format is not taken full advantage of. The text could be more interactive. As it is, it is just text and images. Therefore, the interface could be improved.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book appeared to be well written and edited.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I did not find anything in the book that was culturally insensitive or offensive. However, more examples of cross-cultural research could be included.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I was, honestly, surprised by how much I liked the text. The material was presented in easy to follow format that is consistent with how I think about research methods. That made the text extremely easy to use. Students also thought the book was highly accessible Each chapter was relatively short but informative and easy to read.","created_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1972,"first_name":"Michel","last_name":"Heijnen","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"University of North Carolina Wilmington","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers all areas related to research methods, not only for the field of psychology, but also to other related fields like exercise science. Topics include ethics, developing a research questions, experimental designs, non-experimental designs, and basic statistics, making this book a great resource for undergraduate research methods classes.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Reviewed content is accurate and seems free of any personal bias.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The topic of research methods in general is not expected to change quickly. It is not expected that this text will become obsolete in the near future. Furthermore, for both the field of psychology as well as other related fields, the examples will continue to have an application to explain certain concepts and will not be outdated soon, even with new research emerging every day.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written so an undergraduate student should be able to understand the concepts. The examples provided in the text greatly contribute to the understanding of the topics and the proposed exercises at the end of each chapter will further apply the knowledge.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The layout and writing style are consistent throughout the text.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Layout of the text is clear, with multiple subsection within each chapter. Each chapter can easily be split into multiple subsection to assign to students. No evidence of self-refers was observed, and individual chapters could be assigned to students without needed to read all preceding chapters. For example, Chapter 4 may not be particularly useful to students outside of psychology, but an instructor can easily reorganize the text and skip this chapter while students can still understand following chapters.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Topics are addressed in a logical manner. Overall, an introduction to research is provided first (including ethics to research), which is followed by different types of research, and concludes with types of analysis.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No images or tables are distorted, making the text easy to read.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors observed in text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Text is not offensive and does not appear to be culturally insensitive.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I believe that this book is a great resource and, as mentioned previously, can be used for a wider audience than just psychology as the basics of research methods can be applied to various fields, including exercise science.","created_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2949,"first_name":"Christopher","last_name":"Garris","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University of Denver","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Most content areas in this textbook were covered appropriately extensively.  Notably, this textbook included some content that is commonly missing in other textbooks (e.g. presenting your research).  \r\nThere were some areas where more elaboration and more examples were needed.  For example, the section covering measurement validities included all the important concepts, but needed more guidance for student comprehension.  Also, the beginning chapters on 'common sense' reasoning and pseudoscience seemed a little too brief.  ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Overall, this textbook appeared to be free from glaring errors.  There were a couple of instances of concern, but were not errors, per se.  For example, the cut-off for Cronbach's alpha was stated definitively at .80, while this value likely would be debated among researchers.    ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This textbook was presented in such a way that seemed protect it from becoming obsolete within the next few years.  This is important for continued, consistent use of the book.  \r\nThe authors have revised this book, and those revisions are clearly summarized in the text.  Importantly, the APA section of the textbook appears to be up-to-date.  Also, the use of QR codes throughout the text is a nice touch that students may appreciate. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Connected to comprehensiveness, there are some important content areas that I felt were lacking in elaboration and examples (e.g. testing the validity of measurement; introduction of experimental design), which inhibits clarity.  Overall, however, the topics seemed to be presented in a straightforward, accessible manner.  The textbook includes links to informative videos and walk-throughs where appropriate, which seem to be potentially beneficial for student comprehension. The textbook includes tools designed to aid learning, namely \"Key Takeaways\" and \"Exercises\" sections at the end of most modules, but not all.  \"Key Takeaways\" seemed valuable, as they were a nice bookend to the learning objectives stated at the beginning of each module.  \"Exercises\" did not appear to be as valuable, especially for the less-motivated student.  On their face, these seemed to be more designed for instructors to use as class activities/active learning.  \r\nLastly, many modules of the textbook were text-heavy and visually unappealing.  While this is superficial, the inclusion of additional graphics, example boxes, or figures in these text-heavy modules might be beneficial.  ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The textbook appeared to be internally consistent with its approach and use of terminology.  ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The textbook had a tendency to 'throw out' big concepts very briefly in earlier modules (e.g. sampling, experimental/non-experimental design), and then cover them in more detail in later modules.  This would have been less problematic if the text would explicitly inform the student that these concepts would be elaborated upon later.  Beyond this issue, the textbook seems to lend itself to being divided up and used on module-by-module basis.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organization of the chapters did not make intuitive sense to me.  The fact that correlation followed experimental research, and that descriptive research was the second-to-last module in the sequence was confusing.  That said, textbook is written in such a way that an instructor easily assign the modules in the order that works best for their class.  ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Overall, the interface worked smoothly and there were few technical issues.  Where there were issues (e.g. inconsistent spacing between lines and words), they were negligible.  ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text seemed to be free from glaring grammatical problems.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Because this is a methodology textbook, it does not lend itself to too much cultural criticism.  That said, the book did not rely on overly controversial examples, but also didn't shy away from important cultural topics (e.g. gender stereotypes, vaccines).  ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-05-24T12:06:06.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-05-24T12:06:06.000-05:00"},{"id":3020,"first_name":"Matthew","last_name":"DeCarlo","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Radford University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The authors do a great job of simplifying the concepts of research methods and presenting them in a way that is understandable.  There is a tradeoff between brevity and depth here.  Faculty who adopt this textbook may need to spend more time in class going in depth into concepts, rather than relying on the textbook for all of the information related to key concepts.  The text does not cover qualitative methods in detail.  ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The textbook provides an accurate picture of research methods.  The tone is objective and without bias.  ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The textbook is highly relevant and up to date.  Examples are drawn from modern theories and articles.  ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing is a fantastic mix of objective and authoritative while also being approachable.  ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book coheres well together.  Each chapter and section are uniform.   ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This book fits very well within a traditional 16 week semester, covering roughly a chapter per week.  One could take out specific chapters and assign them individually if research methods is taught in a different way from a standard research textbook.  ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Content is very well organized.  The table of contents is easy to navigate and each chapter is presented in a clear and consistent manner.  The use of a two-tier table of contents is particularly helpful.  ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Standard pressbooks interface, which is great.  Uses all of the standard components of Pressbooks well, though the lack of H5P and interactive content is a drawback.  ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammar errors.  ","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"The book does not deal with cultural competence and humility in the research process.  Integration of action research and decolonization perspectives would be helpful.  ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-06-26T13:37:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-06-26T13:37:00.000-05:00"},{"id":3185,"first_name":"Robert","last_name":"Michael","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"University of Louisiana at Lafayette","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Successfully spans the gamut of topics expected in a Research Methods textbook. Some topics are covered in-depth, while others are addressed only at a surface level. Instructors may therefore need to carefully arrange class material for topics in which depth of knowledge is an important learning outcome.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The factual content was error-free, according to my reading. I did spot a few grammatical and typographical errors, but they were infrequent and minor.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Great to see nuanced—although limited—discussion of issues with Null Hypothesis Significance Testing, Reproducibility in Psychological Science, and so forth. I expect that these areas are likely to grow in future editions, perhaps supplementing or even replacing more traditional material.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Extremely easy to read with multiple examples throughout to illustrate the principles being covered. Many of these examples are \"classics\" that students can easily relate to. Plus, who doesn't like XKCD comics?","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The textbook is structured sensibly. At times, certain authors' \"voices\" seemed apparent in the writing, but I suspect this variability is unlikely to be noticed by or even bothersome to the vast majority of readers.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The topics are easily divisible and seem to follow routine expectations. Instructors might find it beneficial and/or necessary to incorporate some of the statistical thinking and learning into various earlier chapters to facilitate student understanding in-the-moment, rather than trying to leave all the statistics to the end.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Sensible and easy-to-follow structure. As per \"Modularity\", the Statistical sections may benefit from instructors folding in such learning throughout, rather than only at the end.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Beautifully presented, crisp, easy-to-read and navigate. Caveat: I read this online, in a web-browser, on only one device. I haven't tested across multiple platforms.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"High quality writing throughout. Only a few minor slip-ups that could be easily fixed.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Includes limited culturally relevant material where appropriate.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-10-14T14:27:27.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-10-14T14:27:27.000-05:00"},{"id":3209,"first_name":"Mickey","last_name":"White","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"East Tennessee State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The table of contents is well-formatted and comprehensive. Easy to navigate and find exactly what is needed, students would be able to quickly find needed subjects.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content appears to be accurate and up-to-date.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This text is useful and relevant, particularly with regard to expressing and reporting descriptive statistics and results. As APA updates, the text will be easy to edit, as the sections are separated.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Easy to read and engaging.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Chapters were laid out in a consistent manner, which allows readers to know what is coming. The subsections contained a brief overview and terminology was consistent throughout. The glossary added additional information.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Sections and subsections are delineated in a usable format.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The key takeaways were useful, including the exercises at the end of each chapter.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Reading the book online is a little difficult to navigate page-by-page, but e-pub and PDF formats are easy to navigate. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No errors noted.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Would be helpful to have a clearer exploration of cultural factors impacting research, including historical bias in assessment and research outside of research ethics.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-10-23T13:33:20.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-10-23T13:33:20.000-05:00"},{"id":3450,"first_name":"Tiffany","last_name":"Kindratt","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"University of Texas at Arlington","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is comprehensive with an effective glossary of terms at the end. It would be beneficial to include additional examples and exercises for students to better understand concepts covered in Chapter II, Overview of the Scientific Method, Chapter IV, Psychological Measurement, and Chapter XII Descriptive Statistics.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The text is accurate and there are minimal type/grammatical errors throughout. The verbiage is written in an unbiased manner consistently throughout the textbook.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is up-to-date, and examples can be easily updated for future versions. As a public health instructor, I would be interested in seeing examples of community-based examples in future versions. The current examples provided are relevant for undergraduate public health students as well as psychology students.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written in a clear manner. The studies used can be easily understood by undergraduate students in other social science fields, such as public health. More examples and exercises using inferential statistics would be helpful for students to better grasp the concepts.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The framework for each chapter and terminology used are consistent. It is helpful that each section within each chapter begins with learning objectives and the chapter ends with key takeaways and exercises. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is clearly divided into sections within each chapter. When I first started reviewing this textbook, I thought each section was actually a very short chapter. I would recommend including a listing of all of the objectives covered in each chapter at the beginning to improve the modularity of the text. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Some of the topics do not follow a logical order. For example, it would be more appropriate to discuss ethics before providing the overview of the scientific method. It would be better to discuss statistics used to determine results before describing how to write manuscripts. However, the text is written in a way that that the chapters could be assigned to students in a different order without impacting the students’ comprehension of the concepts.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not encounter any interface issues when reviewing this text. All links worked and there were no distortions of the images or charts that may confuse the reader. There are several data tables throughout the text which are left-aligned and there is a large amount of empty white space next it. I would rearrange the text in future versions to make better use of this space.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contains minimal grammatical errors. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The examples are culturally relevant. I did not see any examples that may be considered culturally insensitive or offensive in any way.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"As an instructor for an undergraduate public health sciences and methods course, I will consider using some of the content in this text to supplement the current textbook in the future.","created_at":"2020-01-01T17:55:55.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-01-01T17:55:55.000-06:00"},{"id":3499,"first_name":"Lauren","last_name":"Mathieu-Frasier","position":"Adjunct Instructor","institution_name":"University of Indianapolis","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"As other reviews have mentioned, this textbook provides a comprehensive look at multiple concepts for an introductory course in research methods in psychology. Some of the concepts (i.e., variables, external validity) are briefly described and glossed over that it will take additional information, examples, and reinforcement from instructors in the classroom. Other sections and concepts, like ethics or reporting of research were well-described and thorough. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"It appeared that the information was accurate, error-free, and unbiased. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The information is up-to-date. In the section on APA presentation, it looks like the minor adjustments to the APA Publication Manual 7th Edition would need to be included. However, this section gives a good foundation and the instructor can easily implement the changes.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is clearly written written and provides an appropriate context when terminology is used. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"There aren't any issues with consistency in the textbook. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The division of smaller sections can be beneficial when reading it and assigning it to classes. The sections are clearly organized based on learning objectives. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The textbook is organized in a logical, clear manner. There may be topics that instructors choose to present in a different manner (non-experimental and survey research prior to experimental). However, this doesn't generally impact the organization and flow of the book. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"While reading and utilizing the book, there weren't any navigation issues that could impact the readability of the book. Students could find this textbook easy to use. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Grammatical errors were not noted.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There weren't any issues with cultural sensitivity in the examples of studies used in the textbook. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2020-01-13T12:24:44.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-01-13T12:24:44.000-06:00"},{"id":4035,"first_name":"Alice","last_name":"Frye","position":"Associate Teaching Professor","institution_name":"University of Massachusetts Lowell","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Hits all the necessary marks from ways of knowing to measurement, research designs, and presentation.  Comparable in detail and content to other Research Methods texts I have used for teaching.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Correct and to the point. Complex ideas such as internal consistency reliability and discriminant validity are well handled--correct descriptions that are also succinct and articulated simply and with clear examples that are easy for a student reader to grasp.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Seems likely to have good staying power. One area that has changed quickly in the past is the usefulness of various research data bases. So it is possible that portion could become more quickly outdated, but there is no predicting that. The current descriptions are useful.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Very clearly written without being condescending, overly casual or clunky.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Excellent consistency throughout in terms of organization, language usage, level of detail and tone.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Imho this is one of the particular strengths of the text. Chapters are well divided into discrete parts, which seems likely to be a benefit in cohorts of students who are increasingly accustomed to digesting small amounts of information.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Well organized, straightforward structure that is maintained throughout.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No problems with the interface.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The grammar level is another notable strength. Ideas are articulated clearly, and with sophistication, but in a syntactically very straightforward manner.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text isn't biased or offensive. I wish that to illustrate various points and research designs it had drawn more frequently on research studies that incorporate a specific focus on race and ethnicity.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This is a very good text. As good as any for profit text I have used to teach a research methods course, if not better.","created_at":"2020-06-22T16:13:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-22T16:13:37.000-05:00"},{"id":4098,"first_name":"Brittany","last_name":"Jeye","position":"Assistant Professor of Psychology","institution_name":"Worcester State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"All of the main topics in a Research Methods course are covered in this textbook (e.g., scientific method, ethics, measurement, experimental design, hypothesis testing, APA style, etc.). Some of these topics are not covered as in-depth as in other Research Method textbooks I have used previously, but this actually may be a positive depending on the students and course level (that is, students may only need a solid overview of certain topics without getting overwhelmed with too many details). It also gives the instructor the ability to add content as needed, which helps with flexibility in course design.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not note any errors or inaccurate/biasing statements in the text.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"For the most part, everything was up to date. There was a good mix of classic research and newer studies presented and/or used as examples, which kept the chapters interesting, topical and relevant. I only noted the section on APA Style in the chapter “Presenting Your Research” which may need some updating to be in line with the new APA 7th edition. However, there should be only minor edits needed (the chapter itself was great overview and introduction to the main points of APA style) and it looks like they should be relatively easy to implement.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text was very well-written and was presented at an accessible level for undergraduates new to Research Methods. Terms were well-defined with a helpful glossary at the end of the textbook.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The consistent structure of the textbook is huge positive. Each chapter begins with learning objectives and ends with bulleted key takeaways. There are also good exercises and learning activities for students at the end of each chapter. Instructors may need to add their own activities for chapters that do not go into a lot of depth (there are also instructor resources online, which may have more options available).","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This is one of the biggest strengths of this textbook, in my opinion. I appreciate how each chapter is broken down into clearly defined subsections. The chapters and the subsections, in particular, are not lengthy, which is great for students’ learning. These subsections could be reorganized and used in a variety of ways to suit the needs of a particular course (or even as standalone subsections).","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics were presented in a logical manner. As mentioned above, since the textbook is very modular, I feel that you could easily rearrange the chapters to fit your needs (for example, presenting survey design before experimental research or making the presenting your research section a standalone unit).","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I downloaded the textbook as an ebook, which was very easy to use/navigate. There were no problems reading any of the text or figures/tables. I also appreciated that you could open the ebook using a variety of apps (Kindle, iBook, etc.) depending on your preference (and this is good for students who have a variety of technical needs).","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There were no grammatical errors noted.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The examples were inclusive of races, ethnicity and background and there were not any examples that were culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. In future iterations of the replicability section, it may be beneficial to touch upon the “weird” phenomena in psychology research (that many studies use participants who are western, educated and from industrialized, rich and democratic countries) as a point to engage students in improving psychological practices.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I will definitely consider switching to this textbook in the future for Research Methods.","created_at":"2020-06-26T16:46:20.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-26T16:46:20.000-05:00"},{"id":4465,"first_name":"Maureen","last_name":"O'Connell","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Bunker Hill Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text edition has covered all ideas and areas of research methods in psychology. It has provided a glossary of terms, sample APA format, and sample research papers. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is unbiased, accurate, and I did not find any errors in the text. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is current and up-to-date. I found that the text can be added to should material change, the arrangement of the text/content makes it easily accessible to add material, if necessary. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is clear, easy to understand, simplistic writing at times, but I find this text easy for students to comprehend. All text is relevant to the content of behavioral research. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text and terminology is consistent. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is organized well and sectioned appropriately. The information is presented in an easy-to-read format, with sections that can be assigned at various points during the semester and the reader can easily locate this. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics in the text are organized in a logical and clear manner. It flows really well. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is presented well, including charts, diagrams, and images. There did not appear to be any confusion with this text. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contains no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text was culturally appropriate and not offensive. Clear examples of potential biases were outlined in this text which I found quite helpful for the reader. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Overall, I found this to be a great edition. Much of the time I spend researching outside material for students has been included in this text. I enjoyed the format, easier to navigate, helpful to students by providing an updated version of discussions and practice assignments, and visually more appealing. ","created_at":"2020-12-15T15:22:53.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-12-18T08:41:24.000-06:00"},{"id":4495,"first_name":"Greg","last_name":"Mullin","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Bunker Hill Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I was VERY pleased with the comprehensiveness of the text.  I believe it actually has an edge over the publisher-based text that I've been using for years.  Each major topic was thoroughly covered with more than enough detail on individual concepts.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not find any errors within the text.  The authors provided an unbiased representation of research methods in psychology.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content connects to classic, timeless examples in the field, but also mixes in a fair amount of more current, relatable examples.  I feel like I'll be able to use this version of the text for many years without its age showing.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The authors present a clear and efficient writing style throughout that is rich with relatable examples.  The only area that may be a bit much for undergraduate-level student understanding is the topic of statistics.  I personally scale back my discussion of statistics in my Intro to Research Methods course, but for those that prefer a deeper dive, the higher-level elements are there.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I did not notice any shifts with the use of terminology or with the structural framework of the text.  The text is very consistent and organized in an easily digestible way.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The authors do a fantastic job breaking complex topics down into manageable chunks both as a whole and within chapters.  As I was reading, I could easily see how I could align my current approach of teaching Intro to Research Methods with their modulated presentation of the material.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I effortlessly moved through the text given the structural organization.  All topics are presented in a logical fashion that allowed each message to be delivered to the reader with ease.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I read the text through the PDF version and found no issue with the interface.  All image and text-based material was presented clearly.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I cannot recall coming across any grammatical errors.  The text is very well written.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not find the text to be culturally insensitive in any way.  The authors use inclusive language and even encourage that style of writing in the chapter on Presenting Your Research.  I would have liked to see more cross-cultural research examples and more of an extended effort to include the theme of diversity throughout, but at no point did I find the text to be offensive.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This is a fantastic text and I look forward to adopting it for my Intro to Research Methods course in the Spring.  :)","created_at":"2020-12-30T12:30:05.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-01-06T11:41:41.000-06:00"},{"id":4554,"first_name":"Veronica","last_name":"Howard","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"University of Alaska Anchorage","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"VERY impressed by the coverage of single subject designs. I would recommend this content to colleagues.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content appears accurate.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"By expanding to include more contemporary research perspectives, the authors have created a wonderful dynamic that permits the text to be the foundation for many courses as well as revision and remixing for other authors.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Book easy to read, follow.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Content overall consistent. Only mild inconsistency in writing style between chapters.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Exceptionally modular. All content neatly divided into units with smaller portions. This would be a great book to use in a course that meets bi-weekly, or adapted into other formats.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Content organized in a clear and logical fashion, and would guide students through a semester-long course on research methods, starting with review content, broad overview of procedures (including limitations), then highlighting less common (though relevant) procedures.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Rich variety of formats for use.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No errors found.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I would appreciate more cultural examples.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2021-01-11T00:35:02.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-01-11T20:00:43.000-06:00"},{"id":4690,"first_name":"Amy","last_name":"Foley","position":"Instructor/Field \u0026 Clinical Placement Coordinator","institution_name":"University of Indianapolis","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text provides a comprehensive overview of the research process from ideation to proposal.  It covers research designs common to psychology and related fields.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Accurate information!","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This book is current and lines up well with the music therapy research course I teach as a supplemental text for students to understand research designs.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Clear language for psychology and related fields.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The format of the text is consistent.  I appreciate the examples, different colored boxes, questions, and links to external sources such as video clips.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"It is easy to navigate this text by chapters and smaller units within each chapter.  The only confusion that has come from using this text includes the fact that the larger units have roman numerals and the individual chapters have numbers.  I have told students to \"read unit six\" and they only read the small chapter 6, not the entire unit for example.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Flows well!","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I have not experienced any interface issues.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not found any grammar errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Book appears culturally relevant.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This is a great resource for research methods courses in psychology or related fields.  I am glad to have used several chapters of this text within the music therapy research course I teach where students learn about research design and then create their own research proposal.","created_at":"2021-03-11T13:29:20.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-03-11T13:29:20.000-06:00"},{"id":4823,"first_name":"Anika","last_name":"Gearhart","position":"Instructor (TT)","institution_name":"Leeward Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Includes the majority of elements you expect from a textbook covering research methods. Some topics that could have been covered in a bit more depth were factorial research designs (no coverage of 3 or more independent variables) and external validity (or the validities in general).","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Nothing found that was inaccurate.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Looks like a few updates could be made to chapter 11 to bring it up to date with APA 7. Otherwise, most examples are current.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Very clear, a great fit for those very new to the topic.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The framework is clear and logical, and the learning objectives are very helpful for orienting the reader immediately to the main goals of each section.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Subsections are well-organized and clear. Titles for sections and subsections are clear.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Though I think the flow of this textbook for the most part is excellent, I would make two changes: move chapter 5 down with the other chapters on experimental research and move chapter 11 to the very end. I feel that this would allow for a more logical presentation of content.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The webpage navigation is easy to use and intuitive, the ebook download works as designed, and the page can be embedded directly into a variety of LMS sites or used with a variety of devices.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors in this book.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"While there were some examples of studies that included participants from several cultures, the book does not touch on ecological validity, an important external validity issue tied to cultural psychology, and there is no mention of the WEIRD culture issue in psychology, which seems somewhat necessary when orienting new psychology students to research methods today.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I currently use and enjoy this textbook in my research methods class. Overall, it has been a great addition to the course, and I am easily able to supplement any areas that I feel aren't covered with enough breadth.","created_at":"2021-04-22T22:49:36.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-04-22T22:49:36.000-05:00"},{"id":4839,"first_name":"Laura","last_name":"Stull","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Anderson University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book covers essential topics and areas related to conducting introductory psychological research. It covers all critical topics, including the scientific method, research ethics, research designs, and basic descriptive and inferential statistics. It even goes beyond other texts in terms of offering specific guidance in areas like how to conduct research literature searches and psychological measurement development. The only area that appears slightly lacking is detailed guidance in the mechanics of writing in APA style (though excellent basic information is provided in chapter 11).","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"All content appears accurate. For example, experimental designs discussed, descriptive and inferential statistical guidance, and critical ethical issues are all accurately addressed, See comment on relevance below regarding some outdated information.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Chapter 11 on APA style does not appear to cover the most current version of the APA style guide (7th edition). While much of the information in Chapter 11 is still current, there are specifics that did change from 6th to 7th edition of the APA manual and so, in order to be current, this information would have to be supplemented with external sources.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is extremely well organized, written in language and terms that should be easily understood by undergraduate freshmen, and explains all necessary technical jargon.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent throughout in terms of terminology and the organizational framework (which aids in the readability of the text).","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is divided into intuitive and common units based on basic psychological research methodology. It is clear and easy to follow and is divided in a way that would allow omission of some information if necessary (such as \"single subject research\") or reorganization of information (such as presenting survey research before experimental research) without disruption to the course as a whole.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"As stated previously, the book is organized in a clear and logical fashion. Not only are the chapters presented in a logical order (starting with basic and critical information like overviews of the scientific method and research ethics and progressing to more complex topics like statistical analyses).","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No issues with interface were noted. Helpful images/charts/web resources (e.g., Youtube videos) are embedded throughout and are even easy to follow in a print version of the text.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical issues were noted.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No issues with cultural bias are noted. Examples are included that address topics that are culturally sensitive in nature.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I ordered a print version of the text so that I could also view it as students would who prefer a print version. I am extremely impressed with what is offered. It covers all of the key content that I am currently covering with a (non-open source) textbook in an introduction to research methods course. The only concern I have is that APA style is not completely current and would need to be supplemented with a style guide. However, I consider this a minimal issue given all of the many strengths of the book.","created_at":"2021-04-23T15:32:03.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-04-23T15:32:03.000-05:00"},{"id":4859,"first_name":"Laura","last_name":"Getz","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"University of San Diego","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The topics covered seemed to be at an appropriate level for beginner undergraduate psychology students; the learning objectives for each subsection and the key takeaways and exercises for each chapter are also very helpful in guiding students’ attention to what is most relevant. The glossary is also thorough and a good resource for clear definitions. I would like to see a final chapter on a “big picture” or integrating key ideas of replication, meta-analysis, and open science.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"For the most part, I like the way information is presented. I had a few specific issues with definitions for ordinal variables being quantitative (1st, 2nd, 3rd aren’t really numbers as much as ranked categories), the lack of specificity about different forms of validity (face, content, criterion, and discriminant all just labeled “validity” whereas internal and external validity appear in different sections), and the lack of clear distinction between correlational and quasi-experimental variables (e.g., in some places, country of origin is listed as making a design quasi-experimental, but in other chapters it is defined as correlational).","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Some of the specific studies/experiments mentioned do not seem like the best or most relevant for students to learn about the topics, but for the most part, content is up-to-date and can definitely be updated with new studies to illustrate concepts with relative ease.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Besides the few concepts I listed above in “accuracy”, I feel the text was very accessible, provides clear definitions, and many examples to illustrate any potential technical/jargon terms.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I did not notice any issues with inconsistent terms except for terms that do have more than one way of describing the same concept (e.g., 2-sample vs. independent samples t-test)","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I assigned the chapters out of order with relative ease, and students did not comment about it being burdensome to navigate.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The order of chapters sometimes did not make sense to me (e.g., Experimental before Non-experimental designs, Quasi-experimental designs separate from other non-experimental designs, waiting until Chapter 11 to talk about writing), but for the most part, the chapter subsections were logical and clear.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I had no issues navigating the online version of the textbook other than taking a while to figure out how to move forward and back within the text itself rather than going back to the table of contents (this might just be a browser issue, but is still worth considering).","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors of note.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"There was nothing explicitly insensitive or offensive about the text, but there were many places where I felt like more focus on diversity and individual differences could be helpful. For example, ethics and history of psychological testing would definitely be a place to bring in issues of systemic racism and/or sexism and a focus on WEIRD samples (which is mentioned briefly at another point).","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I was very satisfied with this free resource overall, and I recommend it for beginning level undergraduate psychology research methods courses.","created_at":"2021-04-29T18:25:04.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-04-29T18:25:04.000-05:00"},{"id":4972,"first_name":"Seth","last_name":"Surgan","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Worcester State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Pitched very well for a 200-level Research Methods course. This text provided students with  solid basis for class discussion and the further development of their understanding of fundamental concepts.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"No issues with accuracy.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Coverage was on target, relevant, and applicable, with good examples from a variety of subfields within Psychology.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Clearly written -- students often struggle with the dry, technical nature of concepts in Research Methods. Part of the reason I chose this text in the first place was how favorably it compared to other options in terms of clarity.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"No problems with inconsistent of shifting language. This is extremely important in Research Methods, where there are many closely related terms. Language was consistent and compatible with other textbook options that were available to my students.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Chapters are broken down into sections that are reasonably sized and conceptually appropriate.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of this textbook fit perfectly with the syllabus I've been using (in one form or another) for 15+ years.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"This textbook was easy to navigate and available in a variety of formats.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No problems at all.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Examples show an eye toward inclusivity. I did not detect any insensitive or offensive examples or undertones.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I have used this textbook for a 200-level Research Methods course run over a single summer session. This was my first experience using an OER textbook and I don't plan on going back.","created_at":"2021-05-24T14:10:42.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-05-24T14:10:42.000-05:00"},{"id":5025,"first_name":"Anna","last_name":"Behler","position":"Assistant Professo","institution_name":"North Carolina State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is very thorough and covers all of the necessary topics for an undergraduate psychology research methods course. There is even coverage of qualitative research, case studies, and the replication crisis which I have not seen in some other texts.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"There were no issues with the accuracy of the text.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is very up to date and relevant for a research methods course. The only updates that will likely be necessary in the coming years are updates to examples and modifications to the section on APA formatting.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The clarity of the writing was good, and the chapters were written in a way that was accessible and easy to follow.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I did not note any issues with consistency.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter is divided into multiple subsections. This makes the chapters even easier to read, as they are broken down into short and easy to navigate sections. These sections make it easy to assign readings as needed depending on which topics are being covered in class.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The organization was one of the few areas of weakness, and I felt that the chapters were ordered somewhat oddly. However, this is something that is easily fixed, as chapters (and even subsections) can be assigned in whatever order is needed.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There were no issues of note with the interface, and the PDF of the text was easy to navigate.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text was well written and there were no grammatical/writing errors of note.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Overall, the book did not contain any notable instances of bias. However, it would probably be appropriate to offer a more thorough discussion of the WEIRD problem in psychology research.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2021-06-01T21:28:04.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-06-01T21:28:04.000-05:00"},{"id":5138,"first_name":"Sharlene","last_name":"Fedorowicz","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Bridgewater State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The comprehensiveness of this book was appropriate for an introductory undergraduate psychology course. Critical topics are covered that are necessary for psychology students to obtain foundational learning concepts for research. Sections within the text and each chapter provide areas for class discussion with students to dive deeper into key concepts for better learning comprehension. The text covered APA format along with examples of research studies to supplement the learning. The text segues appropriately by introducing the science of psychology, followed by scientific method and ethics before getting into the core of scientific research in the field of psychology. Details are provided in quantitative and qualitative research, correlations, surveys, and research design. Overall, the text is fully comprehensive and necessary introductory research concepts.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The text appears to be accurate with no issues related to content.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The text provided relevant research information to support the learning. The content was up-to-date with a variety of different examples related to the different fields of psychology. However, some topics such as in the pseudoscience section were not very relevant and bordered the line of beliefs. Here, more current or relevant solid examples would provide more relevancy in this part of the text. Bringing in more solid or concrete examples that are more current for students may have been more appropriate such as lack of connection between information found on social media versus real science.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The language and flow of the chapters accompanied by the terms, concepts, and examples of applied research allows for clarity of learning content. Terms were introduced at the appropriate time with the support of concepts and current or classic research. The writing style flows nicely and segues easily from concept to concept. The text is easy for students to understand and grasp the details related to psychological research and science.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text provides consistency in the outline of each chapter. The beginning section chapter starts objectives as an overview to help students unpack the learning content. Key terms are consistently bolded followed by concept or definition and relevant examples. Research examples are pertinent and provide students with an opportunity to understand application of the contents. Practice exercises are provided with in the chapter and at the and in order for students to integrate learning concepts from within the text.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Sections and subsections are clearly organized and divided appropriately for ease-of-use. The topics are easily discernible and follow the flow of ideal learning routines for students. The sections and subsections are consistently outlined for each concept module. The modularity provides consistency allowing for students to focus on content rather than trying to discern how to pull out the information differently from each chapter or section. In addition, each section and subsection allow for flexibility in learning or expanding concepts within the content area.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organization of the textbook was easy to follow and each major topic was outlined clearly. However, the chapter on presenting research may be more appropriately placed toward the end of the book rather than in the middle of the chapters related to research and research design. In addition, more information could have been provided upfront around APA format so that students could identify the format of citations within the text as practice for students throughout the book.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface of the book lends itself to a nice layout with appropriate examples and links to break up the different sections in the chapters. Examples where appropriate and provided engagement opportunities for the students for each learning module. Images and QR codes or easily viewed and used. Key terms are highlighted in relevant figures, graphs, and tables were appropriately placed. Overall, the interface of the text assisted with the organization and flow of learning material.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors were detected in this book.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text appears to be culturally sensitive and not offensive. A variety of current and classic research examples are relevant. However, more examples of research from women, minorities, and ethnicities would strengthen the culture of this textbook. Instructors may need to supplement some research in this area to provide additional inclusivity.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, I was impressed by the layout of the textbook and the ease of use. The layout provides a set of expectations for students related to the routine of how the book is laid out and how students will be able to unpack the information. Research examples were relevant, although I see areas where I will supplement information. The book provides opportunities for students to dive deeper into the learning and have rich conversations in the classroom. I plan to start using the psychology textbook for my students starting next year.","created_at":"2021-06-23T14:35:15.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-06-23T14:35:15.000-05:00"},{"id":34105,"first_name":"Sara","last_name":"Peters","position":"Associate Professor of Psychology","institution_name":"Newberry College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text serves as an excellent resource for introducing survey research methods topics to undergraduate students. It begins with a background of the science of psychology, the scientific method, and research ethics, before moving into the main types of research. This text covers experimental, non-experimental, survey, and quasi-experimental approaches, among others. It extends to factorial and single subject research, and within each topic is a subset (such as observational research, field studies, etc.) depending on the section.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I could find no accuracy issues with the text, and appreciated the discussions of research and cited studies.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"There are revised editions of this textbook (this being the 4th), and the examples are up to date and clear. The inclusion of exercises at the end of each chapter offer potential for students to continue working with material in meaningful ways as they move through the book and (and course).","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The prose for this text is well aimed at the undergraduate population. This book can easily be utilized for freshman/sophomore level students. It introduces the scientific terminology surrounding research methods and experimental design in a clear way, and the authors provide extensive examples of different studies and applications.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Terminology is consistent throughout the text. Aligns well with other research methods and statistics sources, so the vocabulary is transferrable beyond the text itself.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Navigating this book is a breeze. There are 13 chapters, and each have subsections that can be assigned. Within each chapter subsection, there is a set of learning objectives, and paragraphs are mixed in with tables and figures for students to have different visuals. Different application assignments within each chapter are highlighted with boxes, so students can think more deeply given a set of constructs as they consider different information. The last subsection in each chapter has key summaries and exercises.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The sections and topics in this text are very straightforward. The authors begin with an introduction of psychology as a science, and move into the scientific method, research ethics, and psychological measurement. They then present multiple different research methodologies that are well known and heavily utilized within the social sciences, before concluding with information on how to present your research, and also analyze your data. The text even provides links throughout to other free resources for a reader.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"This book can be navigated either online (using a drop-down menu), or as a pdf download, so students can have an electronic copy if needed. All pictures and text display properly on screen, with no distortions. Very easy to use.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There were no grammatical errors, and nothing distracting within the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This book includes inclusive material in the discussion of research ethics, as well as when giving examples of the different types of research approaches. While there is always room for improvement in terms of examples, I was satisfied with the breadth of research the authors presented.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This text provides an overview of both research methods, and a nice introduction to statistics for a social science student. It would be a good choice for a survey research methods class, and if looking to change a statistics class into an open resource class, could also serve as a great resource.","created_at":"2022-11-03T16:00:15.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-11-03T16:00:15.000-05:00"},{"id":34339,"first_name":"Brianna","last_name":"Ewert","position":"Psychology Instructor","institution_name":"Salish Kootenai College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text includes the majority of content included in our undergraduate Research Methods in Psychology course. The glossary provides concise definitions of key terms. This text includes most of the background knowledge we expect our students to have as well as skill-based sections that will support them in developing their own research projects.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content I have read is accurate and error-free.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is relevant and up-to-date.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is clear and concise. I find it pleasantly readable and anticipate undergraduate students will find it readable and understandable as well.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The terminology appears to be consistent throughout the text.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modular sections stand alone and lend themselves to alignment with the syllabus of a particular course. I anticipate readily selecting relevant modules to assign in my course.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book is logically organized with clear and section headings and subheadings. Content on a particular topic is easy to locate.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is easy to navigate and the format/design are clean and clear. There are not interface issues, distortions or distracting format in the pdf or online versions.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text is grammatically correct.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I have not found culturally insensitive and offensive language or content in the text. For my courses, I would add examples and supplemental materials that are relevant for students at a Tribal College.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This textbook includes supplemental instructor materials, included slides and worksheets. I plan to adopt this text this year in our Research Methods in Psychology course. I expect it to be a benefit to the course and students.","created_at":"2022-12-30T13:35:06.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-12-30T13:35:06.000-06:00"},{"id":34861,"first_name":"William","last_name":"Johnson","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"Old Dominion University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook covers every topic that I teach in my Research Methods course aside from psychology careers (which I would not really expect it to cover).","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I have not noticed any inaccurate information (other than directed students to read Malcolm Gladwell). I appreciate that the textbook includes information on research errors that have not been supported by replication efforts, such as embodied cognition.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Many of the basic concepts of research methods are rather timeless, but I appreciate that the text includes newer research as examples while also including \"classic\" studies that exemplify different methods.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing is clear and simple. The keywords are bolded and reveal a definition when clicked, which students often find very helpful. Many of the figures are very helpful in helping students understand various methods (I really like the ones in the single-subject design subchapter).","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is very consistent in its terminology and writing style, which I see as a positive compared to other open psychology textbooks where each chapter is written by subject matter experts (such as the NOBA intro textbook).","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"I teach this textbook almost entirely in order (except for moving chapters 12 \u0026 13 earlier in the semester to aid students in writing Results sections in their final papers). I think that the organization and consistency of the book reduces its modularity, in that earlier chapters are genuinely helpful for later chapters.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"I preferred the organization of previous editions, which had \"Theory in Research\" as its own chapter. If I were organizing the textbook, I am not sure that I would have out descriptive or inferential statistics as the final two chapters (I would have likely put Chapter 11: Presenting Your Research as the final chapter). I also would not have put information about replicability and open science in the inferential statistics section.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is easy to read and the formatting is attractive. My only minor complaint is that some of the longer subchapters can be a pretty long scroll, but I understand the desire for their only to be one page per subchapter/topic.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not noticed any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I do not think the textbook is insensitive, but there is not much thought given to adapting research instruments across cultures. For instance, talking about how different constructs might have different underlying distributions in different cultures would be useful for students. In the survey methods section, a discussion of back translation or emic personality trait measurement/development for example might be a nice addition.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I choose to use this textbook in my methods classes, but I do miss the organization of the previous American editions. Overall, I recommend this textbook to my colleagues.","created_at":"2024-01-12T12:48:06.000-06:00","updated_at":"2024-01-12T12:48:06.000-06:00"},{"id":34944,"first_name":"Beth","last_name":"Mechlin","position":"Associate Professor of Psychology \u0026 Neuroscience","institution_name":"Earlham College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is an extremely comprehensive text for an undergraduate psychology course about research methods. It does an excellent job covering the basics of a variety of types of research design. It also includes important topics related to research such as ethics, finding journal articles, and writing reports in APA format.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not notice any errors in this text.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is very relevant. It will likely need to be updated over time in order to keep research examples relevant. Additionally, APA formatting guidelines may need to be updated when a new publication manual is released. However, these should be easy updates for the authors to make when the time comes.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This text is very clear and easy to follow. The explanations are easy for college students to understand. The authors use a lot of examples to help illustrate specific concepts. They also incorporate a variety of relevant outside sources (such as videos) to provide additional examples.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent and flows well from one section to the next. At the end of each large section (similar to a chapter) the authors provide key takeaways and exercises.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This text is very modular. It is easy to pick and choose which sections you want to use in your course when. Each section can stand alone fairly easily.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text is very well organized. Information flows smoothly from one topic to the next.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is great. The text is easy to navigate and the images display well (I only noticed 1 image in which the formatting was a tad off).","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is culturally relevant.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This is an excellent text for an undergraduate research methods course in the field of Psychology. I have been using the text for my Research Methods and Statistics course for a few years now. This text focuses on research methods, so I do use another text to cover statistical information. I do highly recommend this text for research methods. It is comprehensive, clear, and easy for students to use.","created_at":"2024-03-19T06:03:41.000-05:00","updated_at":"2024-03-19T06:03:41.000-05:00"},{"id":35326,"first_name":"Yang","last_name":"Liu","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"James Madison University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook effectively explains the fundamental concepts of research methods. It would be improved by adding an Index section.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not find any error nor biased expressions in Research Methods in Psychology","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Research Methods in Psychology is a textbook suitable to beginners. This textbook provides comprehensive coverage of the basics of research methods. I do not expect this textbook to include advanced or cutting-edge research methods","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook is clear and easy to follow overall.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The terminology is consistent throughout the textbook.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is divided into small learning modules. Very easy to navigate.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in a clear manner. I recommend considering merge some sections.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not notice any interface issue.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical error.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"As a textbook for Research Methods in Psychology, I did not notice any offensive language. Other reviewers discussed that this textbook did not place much spotlight on cultures outside of US.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I would like to say thanks to the authors for their contribution to open education.","created_at":"2024-12-03T14:05:58.000-06:00","updated_at":"2024-12-03T14:05:58.000-06:00"},{"id":35431,"first_name":"Jia","last_name":"Wu","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Northeastern Illinois University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook does a commendable job covering all relevant areas and ideas of the subject. I suggest converting the glossary into a table format. This would improve its readability and accessibility, making it easier for readers to quickly locate and understand key terms.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Regarding accuracy, I didn’t notice any significant content errors. However, I did observe several APA citation errors, which is understandable given that this textbook was published prior to the latest APA edition. Future updates should consider aligning citations with the most recent guidelines.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The authors have done a good job of highlighting updates from the previous version to the current one for each chapter. However, some references are a bit outdated. Overall, the content is current, and the way the material is organized makes it easy to update in the future without making the text quickly feel out of date.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The text is generally clear and written in an accessible manner, doing a good job of providing adequate context for any jargon or technical terminology. This helps make complex concepts easier to understand for readers. Overall, the language is straightforward, ensuring that even challenging ideas are conveyed in an easy-to-follow way. However, some figures are unclear, such as Figure 5.1 on page 113, Figure 5.2 on page 114, the figure on page 134, and Figure 6.1 on page 146. The use of different colors to highlight learning objectives and key takeaways is a great strategy to guide the reader’s focus and enhance clarity. \n\nEach module ends with a note and references, but the full reference list is located at the end of the textbook. It’s a bit unclear what distinguishes the references in each module from those in the final list, as they seem to overlap. Clarifying this would improve the overall coherence of the text.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text maintains consistency in terminology and framework, contributing to a cohesive structure. To further enhance readability, ensuring key terms and concepts are consistently used throughout would be beneficial, although the authors have done well in this area.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I appreciate the modular structure of each chapter. The text is clearly divided into smaller, manageable sections, making it easy to assign specific modules at different points in the course. It avoids long, uninterrupted blocks of text and isn’t overly self-referential, allowing for flexible reorganization without disrupting the reader's understanding.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"I recommend moving Chapter III on Research Ethics earlier in the textbook, ideally before introducing scientific methods, to establish a strong foundation in ethical considerations. Additionally, I suggest reorganizing the methodology chapters by grouping Measurement, Survey Research, and Factorial Designs together, as they share key conceptual overlaps. Experimental Research designs could also be more logically structured by arranging them in the sequence of Non-Experimental, True Experimental, and Quasi-Experimental. This would provide a clearer progression and help readers better understand the distinctions between different research approaches. Finally, I’d propose making qualitative research design its own standalone chapter.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Each module begins with a clearly highlighted learning objective, ensuring a smooth reading experience without any navigation issues. The text is well-organized, with no significant interface problems, such as distorted images or charts, that could distract or confuse the reader.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text is well-written with minimal grammatical errors. The sentence structure is clear, and the language flows smoothly, which makes it easy for readers to follow. There are no noticeable issues with grammar that would distract from the overall comprehension of the material.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Efforts to use more inclusive terminology are evident, as noted in the revisions from previous editions. For example, terms like \"men\" and \"women\" have been replaced with \"males\" and \"females.\" Additionally, potentially offensive or stigmatizing examples have been removed, reflecting a commitment to cultural sensitivity. While these changes demonstrate progress in fostering inclusivity, further attention could be given to ensuring that language remains culturally responsive and reflective of diverse identities.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2025-04-03T17:21:29.000-05:00","updated_at":"2025-04-03T17:21:29.000-05:00"},{"id":35610,"first_name":"Thelma","last_name":"Esterline","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Trine University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"It is very comprehensive with it's information. On track with published books","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Very accurate information","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Most of the references were well done and ones students will understand","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Any jargon and terminology was well explained","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Upon review it was very consistent throughout the book","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"It could use more visual aids it was hard to know how to read it without downloading ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Well organized","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"As mentioned before the interface was not the greatest. It was hard to know how to turn the pages and when ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No issues with grammar","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I was unable to find anything culturally insensitive ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Even though I currently have a publishers textbook for the course I did offer this as an alternative to students who could not afford the book","created_at":"2025-08-29T14:47:46.000-05:00","updated_at":"2025-08-29T14:47:46.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/research-methods-in-psychology-3rd-american-edition","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:31:06.000-06:00"},{"id":153,"title":"Educational Psychology","edition_statement":"Second Edition","volume":null,"copyright_year":2009,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":"","accessibility_features":[],"description":"Chapters in the text can be assigned either from beginning to end, as with a conventional printed book, or they can be selected in some other sequence to meet the needs of particular students or classes. In general the first half of the book focuses on broader questions and principles taken from psychology per se, and the second half focuses on somewhat more practical issues of teaching. But the division between “theory” and “practice” is only approximate; all parts of the book draw on research, theory, and practical wisdom wherever appropriate. Chapter 2 is about learning theory, and Chapter 3 is about development; but as we point out, these topics overlap with each other as well as with the concerns of daily teaching. Chapter 4 is about several forms of student diversity (what might be called individual differences in another context), and Chapter 5 is about one form of diversity that has become prominent in schools recently—students with disabilities. Chapter 6 is about motivation, a topic that is heavily studied by psychological researchers, but that also poses perennial challenges to classroom teachers. Following these somewhat more basic psychological chapters, we turn to several lasting challenges of classroom life—challenges that seem to be an intrinsic part of the job. Chapter 7 offers ideas about classroom management; Chapter 8, ideas about communicating with students; Chapter 9, about ways to assist students' complex forms of thinking; and Chapter 10, about planning instruction systematically. The book closes with two chapters about assessment of learning: Chapter 11 focuses on teachers' own efforts to assess students, and Chapter 12 focuses on standardized measures of assessment. We have organized material and features in ways that we hope will allow for a variety of students, instructors, and institutions to use the book. For instructors and courses that seek a strong focus on research and the research process, for example, we have included an extra “chapter” on research methods—Appendix C, “The Reflective Practitioner”—that discusses the nature of research and the research process. We have also included a set of research-related case studies in Appendix B, “Deciding for yourself about the research”, that describe a number of particular educational research programs or topics in detail and that invite students to reflect on the quality and implications of the research. Whether or not a strong focus on research is a priority in your particular course, there are additional features of the book that are intended to help students in learning about educational psychology. In particular, each chapter ends with a “Chapter summary”, a list of “Key terms”, and links to Internet sites (called “Further resources”) relevant to the themes of the chapter. One of the sites that is cited frequently and that may be particularly helpful to instructors is the teachingedpsych wiki (http://teachingedpsych.wikispaces.com/), an archive of hundreds of teaching and learning materials that supports the teaching of introductory educational psychology. Teachingedpsych is a project of the Special Interest Group on the Teaching of Educational Psychology (TEP SIG), affiliated with the American Educational Research Association. All in all, we hope that you find Educational Psychology a useful and accessible part of your education. If you are preparing to be a teacher, good luck with your studies and your future! If you are an instructor, good luck with helping your students learn about this subject!","contributors":[{"id":3679,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Kelvin","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Seifert","location":"University of Manitoba","background_text":"Kelvin Seifert is professor of educational psychology at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. He earned a BA from Swarthmore College in 1967 and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1973, in a combined program from the School of Education and the Department of Psychology. His research interests include the personal identity development of teachers, the impact of peers in 0pre-service teacher education, and the development of effective strategies of blended learning. He is the author of four university textbooks (with Houghton Mifflin, in traditional print format) about educational psychology, child and adolescent development, and lifespan human development. He is also the editor of the online Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy. Recent publications include “Student cohorts: Support groups or intellectual communities?” (Teachers College Record) and “Learning about peers: A missed opportunity for educational psychology” (The Clearinghouse). His professional service includes serving as chair of the Department of Educational Administration, Foundations, and Psychology at the University of Manitoba, and serving as president of the American Educational Research Association Special Interest Group on Teaching Educational Psychology. During his career of 35 years, he has taught introductory educational psychology over 75 times."},{"id":3680,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Rosemary","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Sutton","location":"Cleveland State University","background_text":"Rosemary Sutton attended graduate school and earned her MS in Educational Psychology from the University of Illinois and her Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University in Human Development. She joined the Cleveland State University faculty in Cleveland, Ohio in 1983 and since that time has taught pre-service and in service undergraduates and graduate students educational psychology and educational technology. She has received several University awards for her teaching and has conducted numerous workshops for teachers in North East Ohio. Dr Sutton has published a variety research articles on teacher development as well as equity issues in mathematics, technology, and assessment. Her recent research interests have focused in two areas: teaching educational psychology and teachers' emotions. Recent publications can be found in Social Psychology of Education, Educational Psychology Review, Journal of Teacher Education, and an edited volume, Emotions and Education. Since 2004, Dr Sutton has been working as an Administrator, first as the Director of Assessment for the University. This position involved coordinating the student learning assessment for all graduate, undergraduate, and student support programs. In August 2007, Dr Sutton was appointed Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies and is now responsible for overseeing offices and functions from academic and student service areas in order to create a campus culture that coordinates student services with the academic mission of the University."}],"subjects":[{"id":5,"name":"Education","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"L7","visible_textbooks_count":144,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/education"},{"id":42,"name":"Psychology","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"BF121","visible_textbooks_count":51,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/psychology"},{"id":9,"name":"Social Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"H1","visible_textbooks_count":285,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/social-sciences"}],"publishers":[{"id":367,"url":"https://umanitoba.ca/libraries/","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-08-24T21:04:46.000-05:00","name":"University of Manitoba"}],"formats":[{"id":627,"type":"PDF","url":"http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~seifert/EdPsy2009.pdf","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4","textbook_reviews_count":19,"reviews":[{"id":151,"first_name":"Kelly","last_name":"Lynch","position":"Teacher - Elementary Education","institution_name":"University of Oklahoma","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Text covers all aspects of what a teacher would encounter throughout the year in a classroom.  Very comprehensive.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"To my knowledge and experience, this text is very accurate on all fronts.  It is up-to-date when it addresses standardized testing, management challenges, and student diversity.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content in this text will need to be updated at times to keep in step with changes in standardized testing.  Other than that particular section, I don't believe there will be signifigant updating needed regularly.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Text is easy to read, comprehend, and offers varied examples to address multiple ages of children and adults.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Consistency is not an issue.  Text is in step with current terminology. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Text is clearly divided into smaller sections. Very easy to assign. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Text is well organized and easy to follow. Topics are clear and easily defined.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Text is very clear and easy to read. Information is easy to interpret.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No signifigant grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Text is culturally diverse.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"none","created_at":"2015-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2015-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":159,"first_name":"Selma","last_name":"Koç","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Cleveland State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"\"Educational Psychology” by Seifert and Sutton covers a wide variety of topics providing examples from everyday classroom situations. The authors need to be commended for a book that can lay a strong foundation in the area for prospective teachers. The structure of the book, the contents, the easy-to-read approach, how the authors make connections relevant to theory and practice and among the topics will be of value to the educational psychology courses. The language of the book makes it clear for the prospective teachers develop an understanding of how major theories of learning and models can be relevant and useful in teaching and learning. The inclusion of the chapters on the nature of classroom communication, facilitating complex thinking, teacher-made assessment strategies and examples provided as well as the appendices with respect to preparing students for licensure, research and the reflective practitioner complement the book compared to the other outlets in the area. For example, in the appendix titled \"deciding for yourself about the research,\" the readers are provided with examples of several research\r\nproblems, how they were conducted and their implications that reflect many of the themes of the book chapters.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content seems to be accurate, error-free and unbiased.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The book starts with a chapter about the changing teaching profession: new trends in education such as diversity in students, use of technology to support learning, accountability in education, increased professionalism of teachers. Updates can easily be made if necessary if new trends or influences in education were to occur.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is written in a clear and easy-to-understand style that is adequate for those who are novice to educational psychology. The language of the text makes it appealing for exploring the book content further. Although the book is written by two authors, it's hard to detect the difference between the authors' writing.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent in terms of terminology and framework.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The table of contents is well organized and easily divisible into reading sections that can be assigned at different points within the course. The authors do a great job providing headings and subheadings to avoid reader fatigue or overload that contibute to the the reading of the content more appealing.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in a manner that is suitable for an educational psychology course that flows with the course content and activities.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text does not have any interface or navigation issues when read on-screen or in print.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not noticed any grammar mistakes or issues with the writing mechanics that will disrupt the meaning of the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book makes use of diversity and cultural relevance as it provides numerous examples from everyday classroom situations as well as the research it discusses.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This is a book that can rivet the attention of teacher candidates because of its easy-to-understand style. I commend the authors for a book that clearly communicates the purpose of studying educational psychology and how it relates to teaching and learning.","created_at":"2015-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2015-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":794,"first_name":"Maite","last_name":"Correa","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Colorado State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook is very comprehensive. Any prospective or current teacher could use it as an introduction or a refresher (respectively). The topics covered are ample and the references and additional readings provided at the end of each chapter help the reader expand on the topic if needed. The text provides an effective index at the beginning and a glossary for each unit.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content is accurate. Drawing from different pedagogical approaches, the authors manage to create a balance that helps the reader make their own choices.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Content is relatively up-to-date. Although chapter 12 might become obsolete depending on state requirements for standardized tests, overall, the text can stand the test of time (taking into account that pedagogy is an area that changes rapidly).  ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is accessible for any reader. All jargon or terminology is explained. It is suitable for teacher candidates, for teachers who want a refresher and for anyone interested in pedagogy.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework. Chapters flow into each other very well, although they could be used separately (see modularity below).","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text could be used as a whole textbook divided by units (the order seems appropriate for an \"Intro to Pedagogy\" course), but it could also be divided into smaller reading sections that can be assigned at different points within the course. It could also be used as a companion to any other handbook that is discipline-specific (Math, Language Arts, World Languages, etc.). Case studies at the end make it very easy to assign them at any point.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics in the text follow a logical fashion. From the introduction (learning process and student development) until the end (assessment and standardized tests), the text increases in specificity/complexity. The case studies in the appendices are very conveniently located at the end for easy access in case the chapters are assigned in isolation.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Although the indentation in the tables could be improved and some images could be formatted to be more visually appealing, the interface in general is appropriate.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contains no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. On the contrary, it follows pedagogies that are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This is a great textbook that can be used in any education course at both undergraduate and graduate levels. It can be complemented with research articles in each discipline if needed, but it can be perfectly used on its own.","created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1079,"first_name":"Cecelia","last_name":"Monto","position":"Dean, Education and Humanities, and Adjunct Instructor in Education","institution_name":"Chemeketa Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book provides an overall comprehensive look at educational psychology, but I think it could be updated.  If I use this text, I would supplement this text with current sources on:\n•\tEducational neuroscience\n•\tPoverty and the brain (use Eric Jensen and other sources)\n•\tThe need for greater diversity in the teaching force  (use Linda Darling-Hammond and others)\n•\tBilingualism in the U.S.\n•\tThe concept of grit (use Duckworth), and for U.S. use I would fold in current legislation and historical pieces. \n•\tCommunication during conflict \n   Each chapter begins with an inviting story on the opening pages, and then moves on to the core topic.  The stories seem a little simplistic, but they do provide a welcoming beginning to each chapter.  Some of the openers (such as journals kept by author Kelvin Seifert) would not relate well to U.S. students.\n   I would have liked a “social justice perspective” woven into the book. This could be related to students as they imagine their future teaching role, and the contribution they will make to kids, and to greater society. In the U.S., education has a solid link to democracy, and the historical foundation is powerful to students. Arne Duncans’ quote could be used to lead this idea. ““I believe that education is the civil rights issue of our generation. And if you care about promoting opportunity and reducing inequality, the classroom is the place to start. Great teaching is about so much more than education; it is a daily fight for social justice.”\n   There are no photos or eye-catching items in the text. The authors comment that this is for cost reduction purposes, however, since the text is offered digitally it could add a needed dimension to the text. \n\nChapters 1, 2 and 3\n   The first chapter would be a good place to lay the ground work for education as a vehicle for social justice. The “trends in teaching” paragraphs should be updated. I actually thought the first chapter was a little short. \n   There was good coverage of the learning process, although I would add information about learning and the brain.  and the major learning theories (behaviorism, Piaget, Vygotsky, Bruner), as related to educational psychology and the implications to teaching. The Student development chapter was appropriate for a course on educational psychology, but may present too much information for more introductory courses. \n     I would have liked a more straight forward piece written about stages of development, with a clear outline of physical, cognitive, social and character development, and I would have included a clear graph of Piaget’s model for cognitive development with this section. They do cover this, but the writing is less clear for me in this section. Same on Maslow- I would have liked a simpler hierarchy of needs chart. Erik Erkison’s psychosocial development section is good. The outline for Kohlberg’s stages of moral reasoning, and linkage to ethical thinking and justice was good, with Gilligan’s framework included. For US use, I would add in examples from US schools and even court cases to exemplify points.  \n\nChapters 4, 5 and 6\n   The student diversity section was not comprehensive. The content on learning styles, and multiple intelligences was fine. There was some information on Talented and Gifted, but it was not linked to learning disabilities. I would have folded in Chapter 5 into Chapter 4, instead of making it a separate chapter on Students with Special Educational Needs. The separate chapter on Students with Special Educational Needs offered pretty good detail for an overview class. The ADHD section was good. I would recommend more content on dyslexia. \n   The segment addressing behavioral issues could be linked to societal and SES issues. I appreciated the inclusion of hearing loss and vision impairment, because I have not seen that in many texts. I would have introduced the concept of differentiated learning in this section, and then revisited it in the later section. \n   The Gender roles section of chapter 4 is incomplete and dated, more information is needed on different sexual orientations. \n   I would have liked to see deeper content related to the bilingual and second language learners. The initial chapter mentions language diversity, but too briefly.  There is no mention of the need of greater diversity in the teaching force itself. Authors could use research from Linda Darling-Hammond to write about this topic. In Chapter 4, the Student Diversity section., there is discussion of bilingualism, but seemed too clinical. I would have liked discussion of why language learners need models ….. and more coverage of English language learners in relation to motivation would have been helpful. The part on cultural identity development was good. This could be addressed by adding journal articles on this topic into supplementary coursework. Content related to low SES and the role poverty plays in the psychological profile of students is missing. \n   The Student Motivation chapter would be appealing to students. I think this could be inserted into any time frame of the class. Perhaps this information would have been better if directly linked to the learning theory section, ie Skinner’s behaviorism, or to the Student Motivation Chapter. I would have liked to see more about making learning relevant and placed in the real world context in this chapter. Motivation linked to self-efficacy was good, but the self-determination section seemed a little esoteric and I don’t think would resonate with U.S. students. This might be a good chapter to include a piece about “grit” (by Duckworth) and learning. \n\nChapter 7 and 8\n   I would re-title this section, to use words such a Creating a Positive and Productive Learning Environment, and fold in the student motivation section and the classroom communication section. This chapter could be shorter, and written in a way that made inquiry with the reader to make it more relevant. That would leave more room to fold in the other chapters. The segment on focusing on future solutions rather than past mistakes is excellent. I would have liked to see the use of the word pedagogy in this section. I would remove the section on “functions of talk”, and reduce down the section on nonverbal communication. That would leave more room for additional information about communication and conflict and also cross cultural communication, which are areas where students need help. I would also shorten the section on classroom communication, and build in more inquiry for student readers in this section.\n \nChapter 9, 10, 11 and 12\n   Facilitation Complex Thinking and Planning instruction and Assessment  could be combined.  I would like to see the concepts of diagnostic, formative and summative assessment included, and then linked to current examples. This would align with the concepts of student-centered and teacher-centered learning, with discussion on the methodology such as inquiry based learning, cooperative/collaborative learning. Setting learning goals and “backward design” could be added to the curriculum section. The section outlining Bloom’s Taxonomy with examples and revisions is excellent. I am glad you included Marzano.  I would revisit the concept of differentiated instruction with the information presented on response to intervention. I would move the multicultural education and anti-bias education section out of this chapter, and in to the earlier section on student diversity. Information on alternative approaches to learning, like online learning and service learning is good.\n   The assessment section was thoughtfully written, and would challenge students to consider how they are making assessment decisions. Getting students to consider the validity and reliability of assessment is critical, and revisiting the concept of bias as related to assessment is important. I would reduce the content related to teacher made assessments, and perhaps have the students evaluate existing assessments ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Overall, information was accurate. Some sections that are dated presented slightly inaccurate information. For example, the authors give data about the Hispanic population in the U.S. from 2005, which was 14%. This should be adjusted to 18%, and notice of the growth of this segment should be noted to represent the true picture. The U.S. National Center for Educational Statistics notes about 25% of students in public school are Hispanic (and even that information is 3 years old). The licensing chapter is also dated and therefore inaccurate. \n   The sections on “deciding for yourself”, which explained the research procedures used  and gave more content information, were a great vehicle to encourage students to consider the complexities of research, and demonstrate their ability to evaluate and critically consider complicated topics, thus improving the accuracy of their own thinking.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The authors bring a unique perspective to educational psychology because they are from outside the U.S.  I appreciate their candor in acknowledging that most major textbooks in this area cover similar content, but are quite expensive when printed and published via conventional manner. \n   However, there are some content issues that jeopardize the relevance and longevity of the book. I would like to see the concept of educational neuroscience addressed in the early sections on cognitive development. The Student Development Chapter 3 would need to be re-worked for greater relevance for U.S. use. I would have liked to see development issues tied to social factors. The authors did some of this when they discussed health issues, but for the most part social links are missing. To improve relevance, I would like to see information on how poverty affects the brain and learning. I would also like to see a section devoted to the importance of having a diverse teaching workforce.\n   The section on technology use in schools is quite dated and unrealistic. Discussion of single-computer classrooms is outdated. Although they must exist, I have never observed such a classroom in at least 10 years. There needs to be more emphasis on using technology in a myriad of ways, from harnessing the power of smart phones, tablets, and internet resource gathering was not fully covered. Chapter 10 references online learning, but it could have been made more relevant by explaining this book as an example. \n   The final section on licensing requirements was outdated. Our state no longer uses PRAXIS. Perhaps because licensing is done on a state-by-state basis, this section should encourage instructors to use their own state resources in this area. \n   Other topics that would improve relevance would be the topic “grit”, and the development of communication skills that address conflict. \n   The citations seem dated, not much past 2006. The publication date is 2011. Relevant current publications and issues should be brought in.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Due to the consistent writing style and predictable format, the book was clear and easy to follow. Additional charts or graphs could reinforce points made in the book, and thus might improve clarity for visual learners. Chapter summaries clearly reinforce main points for students to grasp. Lists of key points and terminology also added clarity, such as the listing at the end of Chapter 3.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Overall consistency was good. Writing style was straightforward and standardized throughout the text, which made reading easier. The links to additional articles were consistently presented, and therefore would be easy to reference.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is designed in a modular framework, and authors note that chapters can be taught in any order. Some of the repetition crosses over modules, which helps with clarity.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The text flowed in a logical manner, and as a reader I would recommend teaching from it from the structure already presented. In terms of organization, I would move the Action Research table to a different section, not right up front. The first three chapters fit together nicely as a unit. In this early section, I would also like to see more on changes in the brain that occur from learning new information. Chapters 4 and 5 meshed well. As I already noted,  I suggest linking the learning section with the motivation section .I would organize the material in Chapter 6 to fold into the later Chapters 7 or 8.  The final chapters regarding instructional planning, assessment and facilitation of complex thinking could be reorganized. \n     Each chapter finished with a summary, which could help students organize their thinking. I would change the layout of the summary into bullet points, to make it more readable.  Key vocabulary was also highlighted, so that students could focus on the language specifics of the education field.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The online resources, with examples of assignments, are beneficial. Simple assignments, such as creating a chart summarizing human development, would be easy for students to follow and reinforce their reading. There was a large array of resources and articles, which would allow instructors to supplement and make the chapters more relevant. \n\tI would like to see more reflection pieces, like journals on certain topics. The autobiography assignments were too vague. The assignment on “true confessions” from students regarding moral development would be too risky in a community college setting. \n\tI would also like to see some video pieces attached as additional resources. In the communication section towards the end of the book, it would have been great to observe examples of communication styles in the classroom, or include interviews with teachers. Video clips demonstrating children in varying stages of development would also be useful. \n\tI know it’s always easier to ask for more resources than to provide them. But these additional elements would provide variety to the course.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The grammar was correct and accurate.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Greater relevance could be achieved by updating resources used and broadening topics to include current issues in the United States. Some opening stories did not mesh well with current student experience. For example, the Chapter 4 opening story would not be relate-able to the students in my class. As noted earlier, more emphasis on the importance of a bicultural and bilingual teaching workforce was not mentioned, and this perspective is critical. Lead in stories could provide a venue for greater cultural perspectives on teaching and student experience, and is needed.  \n   The text also lacks mention of social justice issues as they relate to teaching, which is an important point in proving cultural relevancy. Reflective assignments and inquiry based writing could be added to challenge students to broaden their thinking and relate content to their own circumstances.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Many sections of the text are solid, and I would like to use content for an online book that I will create for our Foundations of Education course. I read this text through the lens of that course need, and I was looking for some elements that are understandably not covered in this text. \n   The current text I am using incorporates a lot of student reflection, and I think including that aspect into this text would make it more engaging. I also  noted that the lack of content related to social justice and the teaching field is a concern.","created_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1652,"first_name":"Stephen","last_name":"Vassallo","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"American University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers most of what one might expect in an conventional educational psychology text for teacher education. However, I am surprised that self-regulated learning is not included in the book. This notion has been an important area of study for educational psychologists for about 4 decades now. Self-regulated learning is often discussed in the section on \"higher order thinking.\" There are also other ideas such as growth mindset and grit that are more contemporary than self-regulated learning. I would like to see these concepts discussed in an educational psychology text. I would also like to see some text on embodied cognition, which is a perspective of memory that is contrasted with the information processing perspective, which also happens to not be discussed. Although the information processing theory is philosophically and conceptually limited, it can be helpful for thinking about teaching. There are also sociocultural theories, beyond Vygotsky, that can be helpful for getting a broad and diverse representation of the field.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Educational psychology is never unbiased. The one major error in this book is that this bias is not acknowledged. However, I am hesitant to call that an error of the authors and the text an error of the field. I did not find any errors in representing the elements of the field that are typically taught to teachers. However, what is typically taught to teachers relating to educational psychology misses a great deal of complexities--including those biases that underpin theories, perspectives, methods, ways of reasoning, and models. The authors are accurate in explaining the theories and concepts that are taught in an educational psychology text. ","relevance_rating":2,"relevance_review":"The text is written in a way that can support adding contemporary ideas. For example, grit and growth mindset are getting a good deal of attention among educational psychologists, psychologists, administrators, and policy makers. These notions can easily be integrated in the chapter on motivation. These notions are also problematic. I would suggest integrating not just explanations of these ideas but their philosophical and ideological complexities. As another example, researchers have recently debunked the learning styles framework. I think it is worth talking about \"learning styles\" but offer different perspectives related to this way of reading and naming students. I am not suggesting that authors shape their texts in response to every educational fad that emerges, but I think authors should try to capture as best they could the critical nuances with the ideas they present to teachers. One of the major shortcomings of this book is the contemporary relevance but I rated this high because the structure of the book lends itself well to integrating new content.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is clear and lucid. All terminology is explained well. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent. And although consistency is generally a positive quality of a book, I would like to see competing and contradictory text. For example, developmental frameworks can be useful for teaching but they can also be implicated in a number of problematic student evaluations and educational interventions. It is useful and valuable to capture the inconsistencies with thinking about learning, development, and teaching. With that said, the authors are consistent within their frame of reference. They present educational psychology ideas that are intended to improve teaching and learning. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The authors do a fine job at partitioning the text and labeling sections with appropriate headings. Although topics and concepts across chapters are related, each chapter can stand on its own and does not have to be assigned in chronological order. The text is not overly self-referential. In fact, I argue that it lacks self-reference. There are many ideas that need to be considered together and hyperlinks can help students make those connections. For example, the chapter on complex thinking should be considered in the context of development. I would like to see links between chapters. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This book conforms to the general organization of educational psychology texts. Early in the book the authors introduce readers to theories of learning and then move into development. Following are two chapters on learner differences. One is related to cognitive differences such as learning styles and intelligence. The other is related to special learning needs. The middle chapters center on big topic, including classroom management, motivation, and complex thinking. Like many other books, the last chapters are dedicated to application by focusing explicitly on pedagogy and assessment. Although chapters are dedicated to pedagogy toward the end of the book, the authors integrate suggestions throughout for applying ideas to the classroom. The organization and flow makes sense. I might consider, however, having the \"complex thinking\" chapter follow learning and development. The book is organized and written in such a way to support assignment chapters out of the listed order. I think that is more important than having the book chapters conform to how I might organize topic. Instructors will likely have different ideas about topic organization and this book allows for that possibility.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The images, charts, and tables are clear. There was nothing that distracted me as a reader. I did experience any problems with navigation. One very minor interface issue was that the tables were a little drab. Reviewing the tables felt like I was reviewing a quickly constructed table on a Word file. Perhaps shading title boxes or different rows or columns, for example, might make for targeted attention and aesthetic pleasure. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any grammatical errors in this book.","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"I do not believe the authors say anything explicitly offensive or insensitive. There are some examples and discussion of cultural groups and variation. Some educational psychology textbooks have a chapter dedicated to cultural differences in learning and development. This book does not have such a chapter, but rather has evidence of cultural relevance sprinkled modestly throughout. The issue of culture has not quite been handled well in general within educational psychology texts. This limitation is characteristic of the field in general and not specific to the text. ","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I would like to see some hyperlinks in the text. There are many ideas that are related to each other but are in different chapters. If hyperlinks are not possible to refer students to other chapters, perhaps not just refer students to outside sources at the end of the chapter, but also point them to different chapters within the book. \n\nThis textbook is a solid educational psychology book. Aside from missing discussion of some contemporary ideas, concepts, and critical perspectives, the authors provide a good overview of the field. I recommend using this book for a course but supplementing some of the material. I suggest certainly bringing in readings on grit, growth mindset, self-regulated learning, and embodied cognition. I also suggest bringing in text about critical educational psychology, which can support the reflections on the ways ideology, history, culture, and politics operate in and through educational psychology. ","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":2254,"first_name":"Nautu","last_name":"Leilani","position":"Asst. Prof. of Education/Exec. Dir. of K12 Programs","institution_name":"Southern Utah University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"\r\n\tThis resource is very comprehensive. It actually covers the content for several of our courses at our institution (introduction to teaching, principles of learning and teaching, educational psychology, classroom management, and instructional planning/assessment). With a resource like this and being so comprehensive we could definitely remove the barrier of cost for our students.\r\n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"\r\n\tThe content in this resource is accurate. I was not able to find any errors and did not find biases. We already have professors in our department using this resource and I have not heard from them that there has been any issues in these areas either.\r\n","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"\r\n\tThe content is up to date and will not become obsolete. Since the book is so comprehensive I don't believe the authors could go in depth on many of the topics. They discuss the topics very well. The only suggestion I would have is that they add to each section actual strategies to help teachers with applicability.\r\n","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"\r\n\tThe text is written so that a student new to the field could understand it - the authors take time to explain terminology that is specific to the field.\r\n","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"\r\n\tI did not find any inconsistencies in terminology or the framework provided. I believe that in using this text in our classes, we will be more equipped to add further comment on this section.\r\n","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"\r\n\tOne of the biggest concerns we have now in our College is overwhelming our students with too much reading. The problem when we do this is that the students choose to do none of it. The smaller chunks that the author provided makes this a resource that helps us address this concern. We could definitely use this resource as an introduction to all these topics and then jump off from there. Since the chunks of reading are small the students will likely read it and get the foundation we need them to have to go deeper.\r\n","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"\r\n\tWe just did a scope and sequence of our courses in Teacher Education and when I compare the flow of this resource to our outcomes from our scope and sequence, I found that the flow matched what we thought should be the flow of our courses in general.\r\n","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"\r\n\tI would have liked to see more graphics and visuals and flowcharts to attract the attention of the reader. I think also the very narrow margins makes it feel like there is too much to read on a page. At the expense of having more pages to read for each chunk I would probably make the margins at least a little bigger.\r\n","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"\r\n\tI didn't necessarily read for grammatical errors - because that would be a read of it just for that - but as I read each part I didn't find any grammar errors that would prevent comprehension.\r\n","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"\r\n\tI would say that the cultural relevance/sensitivity of this book is a good surface attempt. I would have liked the authors to go deeper in other areas of culturally responsive teaching like they did with the english language learner sections.\r\n","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"\r\n\tThank you to the authors for helping us compile such a wonderful resource, and for being willing to share it with us inexpensively. They should be commended. This was a lot of work on their part - and then to be willing to share it liberally is noteworthy. My suggestions were meant to only add to the wonderful work they have done. Thank you again.\r\n","created_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":3225,"first_name":"Mistie","last_name":"Potts","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Manchester University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"While the text offers a clear table of contents, no evidence of an index was observed. The reader can clearly locate topics that are relevant to teaching by using the table of contents, however finding specific theorists may be more challenging without an index of terms/names. The text appears to cover all relevant topics necessary to preservice or in-service teachers. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content covered in this text appears to be accurate and aligns with recent peer-reviewed research in the field of educational psychology. The text clearly cites relevant research to support concepts covered. Each section concludes with references that direct the reader to recent research in the field. This research-based approach appears to be unbiased and consistent with commonly accepted views in the field of educational psychology. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content of this textbook compliments the needs of today’s teachers. In this context, the content is relevant and applicable in a way that will allow it to remain relevant for years to come while providing a realistic way for teachers to utilize the theories and research findings. As research continues to unfold in the field of educational psychology, necessary updates may include small adjustments and manageable changes.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Written with a focus on practitioners, the text is clear and understandable. In this way, the text allows access to important topics in the field of educational psychology without bogging down the reader with complicated prose/jargon. The text calls upon a mild level of background knowledge (e.g., Pavlov and classical conditioning) yet provides contextual clues to include readers lacking this background. In my experiences, most undergraduate teacher preparation students come to the classroom with basic understandings of these topics. The clarity of the text is sufficient for this level of learners. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Terms and conceptual frameworks appear consistent throughout the breadth of the text. Tables with terms common to specific theories/concepts are provided to add clarity throughout the text. The terminology is highlighted with bold print making them easy to identify for the reader. No conflicting terminology or definitions were found during this review of the text. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The layout of the text provides clear sections identified with headers and subheadings. These make the text easy to divide and study in specific sections/topics. It could easily be read in chunks rather than front-to-back without disrupting comprehension of the text. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Similar to other textbooks I have explored in the field of educational psychology, the topics in the text are presented in a logical fashion that lays the groundwork for how individuals learn, educational diversity, development, and commences with topics surrounding the assessment of learning. The flow of text and tables is consistent and clear throughout the text. Distracting content is minimized by excluding sidebars and unnecessary graphics. The organization of the text fosters cognitive processing of the information with little distraction from supplemental information. A clear format for the licensure preparation section allows readers to access important test preparation information as needed. These take the form of sample questions from Praxis II exams, which will assist the reader in practice testing to prepare for the licensure exams. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is free from distracting content such as sidebars, photographs, or text boxes that may detract from comprehension of the material. Links from the table of contents direct the reader to specific sections in the text. The tables provide clear explanations of terms and theories. No displays or distortions of the images/charts/text were noticed in review of this text. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"In review of this text, no grammatical errors were observed. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This text embraces multicultural education and is free from offensive or insensitive material. The omission of photographs alleviates the need to include a diverse array of examples to represent all cultures. The text discusses research relevant to diverse groups of learners and provides culturally relevant concepts to support multicultural education in schools. The examples provided throughout the text are inclusive of race, ethnicities and students from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds. Specifically, this text focuses on subject matter that will support educators as they provide educational experiences for all types of learners. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-10-28T11:47:04.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-10-28T11:47:04.000-05:00"},{"id":3275,"first_name":"Jose","last_name":"Martinez Molinero","position":"Assistant Professor of Secondary Education","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University of Denver","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"In terms of covering all areas, this text provides a comprehensive introduction to the field of teaching. It is organized effectively—it takes the readers through a journey of the joys, challenges, nuances, and realities associated with the teaching profession. The additional materials at the end of the text (Preparing for licensure, Deciding for your self about the research, and Reflective practitioner) provide resources that students in education preparation programs can refer back to as they progress in their respective programs. Although, the text could benefit from presenting other major licensure exam bodies other than Praxis. The text does not include an index or glossary in the traditional sense, however, at the end of each chapter key terms and a works cited is provided.3","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"From my perspective, the content of this text is accurate, error-free, and is unbiased. Furthermore, the authors invite readers to apply a critical lens on the content and research by providing open-ended questions regarding each chapter in the ‘Deciding for Yourself About the Research’ section in the additional materials section in the end. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text is written in broad terms that allow longevity in its relevance. This is mostly achieved by presenting various/multiple theories and approaches when explaining how concepts may be applied in the classroom. Also, the authors recognize and address the differences in the classroom diversity and demographics within the text—although some of the content may not apply to one’s specific situation, other areas of the text will apply.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is accessible to students entering a teacher education program. As I reflect on the students I have had, I can envision my students reading this book and having ‘something to say’ about the content based on their own experiences as students and in their field experiences. What I appreciate the most is the teacher ‘scenarios’ that are presented in the beginning of each chapter and how authentic/realistic they are—this sets the tone for the chapter and captures the reader’s attention—answers the ‘why’ the chapter is important.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in its terminology and framework. One example of this, is once a concept(s) presented within the text, a visual chart or graph of the same information is provided for additional clarity. Moreover, I can expect a list of key terms and works cited at the end of every chapter.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The modularity of the text makes chapters easy to read and therefore makes the content accessible. Although there are some key terms I would like to see bolded versus italicized, the bullet points and section headers will make it easy for me to section off, focus on, or assign certain elements of the chapter to my students.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in a logical, clear fashion. Although, I would say this is true for teacher educators—some of the students in our programs may be completing their field experiences or student teaching in school districts that emphasize (or even romanticize) standardized testing—and this dominates their concerns and questions. Therefore, I would ask those considering the text to reflect on to what extent or where in the curriculum an honest discussion about the value that is (mis)placed on standardized testing should take place. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The navigation is appropriate and accessible from the Table of Contents. It would be helpful to include a navigation link at the end of chapter that takes the reader back to the Table of Contents instead of having to manually scroll back up. The use of pictures and charts are appropriate and helpful for the readers; however, they appear as simple or basic—not as vivid as in a traditional textbook. Typically, this is not an issue—however, the current generation of students’ focus is on ‘clout’ and aesthetics in determining the value of something.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"From my reading of various chapters, I did not find any evident grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I appreciate how inclusive and authentic this text was in discussing the different types of learners. For example, I have use multiple multi-cultural education textbooks in the past, and not one has mentioned the phenomenon of ‘language loss’ that ELLs experience and its implications in the classroom. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-11-11T13:46:49.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-11-11T13:46:49.000-06:00"},{"id":3379,"first_name":"Cassie","last_name":"Bergstrom","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"University of Northern Colorado","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers a wide variety of topics typical to intro to educational psychology texts. The main topics of development, learning, student differences, motivation, classroom environment, and assessment are all covered in what I thought was appropriate depth. There were a few topics that I think could be more strongly emphasized, particularly related to how the brain works in the context of learning, information processing theory, and some additional cognitive topics. But I could also see these as topics that teachers could supplement. I did not see an index, but the table of contents is detailed and linked to the subtopics in the chapters. Each chapter has a list of “key terms” at the end (although they are not linked back to the area in the chapter). No overall index or glossary is present. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not find any content that was inaccurate. There are many citations throughout the text that I was familiar with in the context of the topics being discussed. References are listed by chapter, so the content is supported by outside sources that students can access. I didn’t detect any biased coverage, most of the commentary speaks to how the topics are currently seen in the field of educational psychology.  ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Overall, I do think the text is written broadly enough to be relevant for a number of years. Content in a few areas could be updated, as it is now at least 10 years old. There could definitely be more information on a few topics, for example the role of the brain in learning and memory, growth mindset, grit, autism spectrum, self-regulated learning, etc. These are topics that the field of ed psych has expanded on within the last decade. Other topics could be better positioned to reflect the general thinking in the field (ex. the content on Gardner's multiple intelligences could include more than one sentence of criticism…). I do think the text could be updated fairly easily, and would recommend the authors consider doing so within the next few years. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I really enjoyed the writing style of this text. The authors wrote in a clear, but concise manner. They did a nice job blending their writing styles (as opposed to some texts that feel distinctly written by more than one person). Additionally, the terminology and topics are explained at a level that someone without a background in psychology could understand. There is lots of context for the new ideas and terminology. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The internal consistency of this text is strong. Each chapter has the same organization, beginning with a vignette/story and followed with a number of subsections on different topics. The terminology and framework seem to be consistent across all chapters. Additionally, the headings provided follow the same pattern in chapters, also aiding consistency. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"There are many headings and subheadings in this text, dividing main ideas into smaller chunks that could be assigned. The text is not overly self-referential—but honestly I think a bit more reference would be helpful at some points (for example connecting the info on gifted learners with special needs, mentioning the focus on multicultural and anti-bias education within the chapter on diversity). I do think the chapters could be assigned in a variety of orders, and the many headings improve the modularity of this text. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Yes, I think the topics presented in the chapters of the text flow logically, both across and within chapters. Providing the basis for learning up front (in Chapter 2) is a strength, as is following it with the information on development. Within each chapter, the topics logically follow one another, but not to the extent that assigning one chunk would disrupt the flow. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Overall, I think the PDF of this text looks really good. The interface feels more streamlined than many published texts, as there are no boxes, unnecessary graphics, or other distractions. The addition of a few more hyperlinks within the text (to help navigate) would be beneficial. Since the text is a bit dated, there were a few links at the end of chapters that didn’t work for me—which might confuse readers.  I do wish the text was available in a format other than just a PDF. I have found it beneficial to provide the OER texts directly within the LMS, as opposed to linking out to another source. With the interface of a PDF, I believe this would be more difficult (I’m less likely to cut and paste PDF content, because of the formatting issues and needing to clean up the copy). ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors in my reading of this text. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I didn’t detect any insensitivity or offensive handling of cultural issues within this text. The focus was often not on cultural diversity, and I think this could be improved. There is a full chapter on student diversity, but the section on culture is almost entirely devoted to language (while important, doesn’t encompass everything about culture). I did enjoy that the vignettes at the beginning of the chapters were authentic to the authors, but I think this could be an area that would benefit from including more diversity of representation (particularly the vignette at the beginning of Chapter 4…I’m not sure it’s the best way to speak to diversity).  ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I think this is a strong basic educational psychology text. The writing is clear and easy to read. If I was using this text, I would supplement it with a few topics that are either a bit dated or not covered in the text. But overall, I think it is a strong option for an intro to ed psych OER. ","created_at":"2019-12-14T10:38:09.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-12-14T10:38:09.000-06:00"},{"id":3413,"first_name":"Adam","last_name":"Moore","position":"Assistant Professor ","institution_name":"Roger Williams University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers an overview of educational psychology. I wonder about some other areas within educational psychology that are not addressed such as universal design for learning (UDL) (Rose \u0026 Meyer), multiple intelligences (Gardner), backward design (Wiggins \u0026 McTighe) and growth mindset (Dweck). While some of these theories are not without controversy, it might provide future educators and education professionals a more complete understanding of how one learns by including these topics. Even a critical analysis of these commonly known contemporary theories could help provide necessary background for future professionals. ","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"Some of the terminology used to discuss people with disabilities in the text are not in line with people first language and are not 100% accurate (i.e. use of term IEP (\"P\" means program, not plan). Additionally, authors might consider mentioning the movement to \"end the r word\" instead of using the term \"retarded\".   It is also important that professionals are explicitly told the problem with calling students \"slow learners\" (from p. 96). These ideas tend to support ableist language and ideologies that are too often present in educational settings.      ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This text will support the many education psychology courses offered at most institutions. The topics presented are almost universally taught in educational psychology courses. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The writing is clear and coherent. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in presentation, how terminology is presented, and how information is conveyed. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Many subheadings and bold-face print allow the reader to find information in manageable chunks. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of the text is similar to other educational psychology texts.  Clear and logical presentation of information. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is easy to read, provides some charts and photos, and is clear in presentation. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors that I found in my reading of this text. ","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"There is not a substantial focus on historically minoritized people in this text. While some of the chapters mention race/ethnicity, there is not a consistent focus on people who have minoritized in educational settings (LGBTQ community, racially minoritized people, gender, people from the disability community, etc) nor is there a focus on equity. ","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-12-20T07:14:07.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-12-20T07:14:07.000-06:00"},{"id":3474,"first_name":"Amanda","last_name":"Bozack","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Radford University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book covers the general areas explored in an introductory educational psychology course. The chapters are short but address the main concepts widely taught in this course and the reference list at the end of each chapter is comprehensive.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"On many main points, the text is accurate. However, the student diversity chapter plays into outdated thinking about learning styles and multiple intelligences. Because the chapters are short, the complexity of this discussion and the importance of combatting misconceptions are missed. Instructors who use this textbook should consider supplementing this section or omitting it. \r\nAdditionally, the chapter on students with disabilities does not use the language of or discuss tiered levels of support--the basic building blocks for preservice teachers--and the chapter on classroom management is very traditional without any information about trauma-informed practices or restorative practices.  The chapters on motivation, communication, and complex thinking are strong.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Updates to the sections on learning styles and multiple intelligences, and the addition of tiered levels of support, trauma informed practices and restorative practices would increase the relevance of this textbook. Additionally, a section devoted to learning science and neuroscience would be useful given the many advances in recent years that help us understand learning from a neurological perspective.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This book is clearly and succinctly written. Terminology is bolded when appropriate and a list of key terms is provided after the chapter summary.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This book is consistent in format, terminology, and framework from one chapter to the next.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This text can easily be assigned in its entirety or for only specific chapters or topics. The information in one chapter is not dependent on information in another chapter. As such, instructors who use the whole text may find it useful to note where information from one chapter is aligned to information in another chapter.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book and the chapters are organized logically, clearly, and follow the general arc of many educational psychology textbooks.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface for this text was appropriate. It is \"low tech\" and has a clickable table of contents. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There were no grammatical errors evident in my review.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"This book did not address culture, race, or ethnicity specifically as part of the content. Educators looking to use a culturally responsive lens to teach educational psychology would probably want to supplement this text or use another text. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2020-01-06T13:33:28.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-01-06T13:33:28.000-06:00"},{"id":3569,"first_name":"Elbert","last_name":"Davis","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Marshall University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook aligns with another for-profit textbook that cost $220.  The major concepts of educational psychology are present, including the major theories and theorists of education, along with assessments, student diversity, learners with special needs, and motivation.  I was pleasantly surprised to see appendices concerning action research, licensure preparation, and critical evaluation of research articles.  \r\nReferences were provided at the end of each chapter, as well as websites for additional information.\r\nAt the end of each chapter are key terms, but no index or glossary was found.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I saw nothing that was inaccurate or biased.  Errors were not evident.  ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The major theories and theorists are covered.  As most of these people have passed on, it is unlikely major changes will need to be made.  It would be easy to add new theories or theorists if the issue arose.  \r\nThe only section that will need updating or overhauling would be the chapter on standardized testing.   This seems to change every so often due to national, state, and local politics.  It is possible that major overhauls may be needed when laws change, as with any textbook that discusses these laws.  I do think these updates would be straightforward to implement.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook is as accessible as similar books on educational psychology.  Jargon is typically defined for the student in-text, along with examples where needed.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The framework is very consistent.  Once a student reads the first chapter, he/she should be able to know what to expect in future chapters.  In each chapter, headings are broken into subheadings, followed by a chapter summary, key terms, online resources, and references.  \r\nTerminology is consistent throughout the textbook, and is on the level of college students in the education field should comprehend.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The textbook is organized into chapters with the major concepts.  The chapters are organized into headings and subheadings.  Each page is numbered.  It should be easy to assign different chapters or even sections of a chapter, if necessary.\r\nLong blocks of text are interrupted by images, charts, and tables, along with subheadings.  \r\nThere are very few self-referential moments in the text, other than providing an example at the beginning of each chapter.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of the textbook mirrors that of costly for-profit textbooks on the same subject.  Major areas are divided into 12 chapters with relevant headings and subheadings in each chapter.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The textbook is free of navigational issues.  Headings and subheadings are used throughout the book.  In the table of contents, the headings and subheadings are clickable and linked to the appropriate section or subsection of the book, eliminating the need to endlessly scroll to find a certain page.  The images and charts used are not distorted.  If I had a minor complaint, it would have been to use page breaks to ensure tables were on the same page, rather than be split across two pages.  Again, this is a very minor issue.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors were found.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There is a section of the textbook that discusses cultural diversity and provides classroom examples based on different customs.  Most of the examples outside of this section relate to the authors' personal experiences. \r\nThe textbook is not insensitive or offensive in any way.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"It is obvious that a love for educational psychology is the major motivation of authors Kelvin Seifert and Rosemary Sutton, as well as reviewer Sandra Deemer, and the editorial team (Marisa Drexel, Jackie Sharman, and Rachel Pugliese).  Professor Seifert, in the preface, also explains his other motives for co-authoring the textbook (individualization of the content, the expense of the textbook, and eliminating the added features commercial textbook publishers use to increase the price).  ","created_at":"2020-02-05T13:19:04.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-02-05T13:19:04.000-06:00"},{"id":4163,"first_name":"D","last_name":"F","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Worcester State University","comprehensiveness_rating":2,"comprehensiveness_review":"Surface treatment of some topics. Out dated Bloom Model \u0026 references to learning styles; missing discussion of memory; passing reference to race (as part of culture), nothing about poverty, etc. Missing Social Cognitivism. Really missing links to effective teaching","accuracy_rating":2,"accuracy_review":"Inaccuracies due to out of date information/theories\r\nBias in the sense that White, western is normal diversity is other\r\nRight at beginning does not use person first language, instead referring to \"disabled children\"","relevance_rating":2,"relevance_review":"Book needs major updating in terms of student diversity \u0026 students with disabilities. Needs to include the nature of memory, learning theories and give direct links to effective teaching","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"Tends to pack a great deal into brief sections. More examples and photos would certainly help.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"seems to be","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"yes","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"I prefer Ormrod's approach to Educational Psychology starting with research basics and looking at learning theories in depth and then diversity","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Not seem to be an iussue","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"None that I found","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"Narrow, white, western treatment--not reflect US adult and student diversitIES","overall_rating":6,"overall_review":"Good start. Needs updating","created_at":"2020-06-30T09:43:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-30T09:43:00.000-05:00"},{"id":4599,"first_name":"Audrey","last_name":"Roberts","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Bowling Green State University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text provides a relatively comprehensive overview of most foundational educational psychology theories. However, there are some important elements missing, as well as an over-emphasis on classroom management and assessment that veer away from the curriculum normally taught in an introductory educational psychology class for undergraduate students. I would argue that Chapters 1-6 and Chapter 9 would be the selections covered in an ed. psych class, with Chapters 7, 8, and 10-12 better suited for a more pedagogically focused or more assessment focused course. The two biggest concepts not covered in the text are information processing theory and memory, and any sort of mention of the LGBTQ+ community in regard to addressing diversity. I would've liked to see more attention paid to socioemotional learning theories as well.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content is accurate, error-free, and not significantly biased in any one section or area overall. Where appropriate, the foundational researchers are given credit, so that someone with knowledge in the field would concur.","relevance_rating":2,"relevance_review":"Content for many of the foundational educational psychology theories has not changed since the bulk of this material was released in 2009. So, in this way, the first 6 or so chapters could continue to be used, with some more recent articles to support it. However, almost all of the citations are now, in 2021, 15+ years old. This presents problems with some of the education policies they mention, and it also neglects the impact that technology has in the day to day classroom. Tech is mentioned, but almost 20 years have passed, so things are rightfully different, and classroom management is a bit different too. Many of the hyperlinks to appropriate websites do not work or lead you to a now incorrect page.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I do appreciate the writing style of these two authors. It is conversational, yet appropriate for an academic audience of young adult students. I appreciate the real-life classroom examples, and think a real effort has been made to make connections and the material more engaging for the reader. It's not bogged down with over-difficult vocabulary, but not too simple either.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text is generally consistent in the way that material is presented. One issue I had was that there were often concepts brought up in the middle of one chapter that weren't really explained well until later chapters. For instance, discussing motivation at the same time operant conditioning is mentioned is confusing and motivation isn't broken down until chapter 6.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I think this text would be very easy to pull out certain sections, i.e., divisible. The glossary links in the PDF are useful as well.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Overall, the organization isn't bad, however the text has a tendency to jump a bit over the place. Bold text is somewhat liberally used, which could be distracting for readers. I thought Chapter 9: Complex thinking should've been placed before it was in the text-it would've been a natural section after information processing theory/memory (which was not addressed).","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Easy enough to navigate. Most of the hyperlinks do not work at the chapters' end. Very few images, but many tables, and they have all formatted well","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There are no glaring grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive, but it does not address any information on the LGBTQ+ community, which is mentioned earlier.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"This text has many strengths. It is free to use under a Creative Commons License, which is incredible for students who struggle with text costs. It is well laid out and would be easy to navigate. It covers most foundation educational psychology theories/material well. Last, it is an engaging read, and not filled with dry or overly academic language. \r\n\r\nThis text also has weaknesses. Nearly all citations are 15+ years old. It does not properly address current technology use in the classroom, social development in adolescence and the importance of friends, information processing theory, memory, or the LGBTQ+ community. There is an overemphasis on classroom management, assessment, and even some research methodology that seems unnecessary. There is no test bank (understandable) or self-review questions to help students. Last, most of the hyperlinks in the pdf no longer work or go to the appropriate place described.  \r\n\r\nOverall, as an instructor of an educational psychology course that has taught for years, I would feel comfortable using the first half of this text, supplemented with other articles. I think the fact that this textbook is free outweighs most of the negatives.","created_at":"2021-01-28T15:16:18.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-01-28T15:16:18.000-06:00"},{"id":5173,"first_name":"Eliza","last_name":"Bobek","position":"Associate Clinical Professor","institution_name":"Massachusetts Department of Higher Education","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Addresses the main topics covered in a typical Educational Psychology course. Does not include information processing, memory, cognitive load. Could include more on the science of learning, LGBTQIA, trauma informed pedagogy. Some chapters more appropriate for students enrolled in teacher preparation e.g. \"Planning Instruction\" compared to students taking this course as an elective.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"High accuracy- no errors noted.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Some outdated terminology e.g. students with \"special educational needs.\" Could be more inclusive in this chapter by addressing \"students with disabilities\" and avoiding a deficit perspective. Very little discussion of anti-racist and anti-bias pedagogy, stereotype threat etc.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Clear and well-organized. Text is written in the familiar-tone and terminology is clearly explained. Text is divided into manageable sections.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Appears to be consistent throughout, in terms of structure and flow.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This is very well done, sections are accessible, reducing cognitive load for the reader.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Flow is clear, but perhaps consideration to the audience- teacher preparation course for pedagogy, or psychology students as an elective?","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Navigation is clear; additional images and visuals would make it stronger.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Accurate grammar.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"No mention of culturally responsive teaching. Predominantly white western view. \"Student diversity\" is presented separately as \"other.\" Section on \"student diversity\" could be re-titled to be more inclusive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2021-06-29T20:18:36.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-06-29T20:18:36.000-05:00"},{"id":33389,"first_name":"Jodie","last_name":"Riek","position":"Assistant Professor of Teacher Education","institution_name":"University of Wisconsin - Superior","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text comprehensively covered most key traditional aspects of educational psychology such as human development theories; learning theories; and diversity. However as an introduction to education text, it was distinctly lacking content discussing political and social issues which impact education systems, the work of teachers, student learning and curriculum.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"What is covered is accurate and is unbiased.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content that is covered in this text is relevant and up to date. Any updates that will be needed in the future (for example hyperlinks which are dispersed throughout the text, may need updating in the future); will be relatively easy to update.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This text is very straight forward using every day language with limited jargon and technical terminology. When there is jargon or technical terminology there is a thoughtful easy to read explanation/definition for the reader to be able to understand in context.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Terms are used consistently throughout the text.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Chapters are just the right size, with key topic headings and sub-headings within to help the reader consume the content. It was dispersed with images and hyperlinks which breaks up the reading work. This approach makes it very consumable for the reader.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics are somewhat in a logical and clear sequence, although as mentioned earlier as an introduction to education text, it was distinctly lacking content discussing political and social issues which impact education systems, the work of teachers, student learning and curriculum.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Easy to navigate. Presents as a pdf file so it can be read online and offline. It can also be printed for those readers that prefer a hard copy.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contains no grammatical errors that I saw.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Very EDI aware text.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2021-09-20T17:56:50.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-09-20T17:56:50.000-05:00"},{"id":33920,"first_name":"Melanie","last_name":"Park","position":"Assistant Professor of Education","institution_name":"Huntington University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"Major educational psychology theories are covered, but instructors using this text may want to supplement the material with current neuroscience findings to ensure teacher candidates are prepared to implement brain based instructional strategies. The impact of trauma on learning, the implications of Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory in the classroom, and Dweck’s Growth Mindset Theory are additional concepts not covered in the text.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Overall, the content is accurate for the publication date, but instructors will need to point out that Bloom’s Taxonomy has been updated. References to Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) should also be included in a discussion of special education.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The text provides relevant classroom examples of educational theories. Commentary on technology and diversity have become outdated due to the rapidly changing nature of these areas in education.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The concepts are clearly communicated, and the classroom examples show students how educational theory is applied in the real world of teaching. The writing is easy to understand, and university students will easily comprehend the text.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text consistently addresses educational theories.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is designed for ease of division during an educational psychology course. The chapters on classroom management, planning instruction, and assessment could easily be revisited in upper level education courses to reinforce the concepts learned during the introductory educational psychology course.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization is logical and will allow instructors to easily design their course in a clear fashion.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Many of the supplemental links need to be updated or replaced. The links to the text in the Table of Contents are very helpful.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text was free of grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text did not address the needs of students in the LGBTQIA+ community. References to gender roles and assumptions regarding cultural stereotypes need to better reflect the current social climate.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"The text provides a starting point for presenting educational theories. Instructors will need to supplement the text to ensure teacher candidates are exposed to current educational research. New theories and instructional approaches have emerged since the text was published, but overall, the text is easy to understand and certainly helps teacher candidates understand how educational theory can be applied to classroom situations.","created_at":"2022-06-21T05:28:43.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-06-21T05:28:43.000-05:00"},{"id":34265,"first_name":"Seokmin","last_name":"Kang","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"University of Texas Rio Grande Valley","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"There is a lack of neuroscience and cognitive aspects such as information process and knowledge representation.\r\nAlso, it touches a little bit of everything but is shallow in its depth.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate overall.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"More adding needs in neuroscience, cognitive perspective in learning, and technology use in teaching and learning.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"It is clear overall.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"There is no framework, but a description or summary of the theories.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"It is readily divisible into smaller reading sections.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"One topic is described or explained throughout the chapters. This is a double-edged sword. While readers can connect one concept with various different concepts, novice readers, before fully understanding the topic's core idea, can be easily off track, thinking of how a certain topic is related to different topics.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The text covers mainly its content. There are few images or diagrams to better support student learning. Learning objectives or key terms should be introduced at the beginning of each chapter.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book's grammar is fine.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"n/a","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"It leans much on education and application rather than foundational theories.","created_at":"2022-12-11T16:20:51.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-12-11T16:20:51.000-06:00"},{"id":35648,"first_name":"Abigail","last_name":"Dutcher","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"University of Saint Francis","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"Missing is explicit integration of trauma-informed practice, social-emotional learning, and current neuroscience, which are increasingly emphasized in teacher prep.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"The book explains Bloom’s framework in its traditional form (knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation). That version is now considered somewhat dated.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content in Educational Psychology is generally up-to-date for foundational teacher preparation. While some examples (e.g., references to NCLB-era accountability or early computer access in classrooms) are dated, the core theories, models, and practices (learning theories, motivation frameworks, developmental psychology, assessment basics, classroom management strategies) remain relevant to pre-service teachers.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The prose is clear, examples are relatable, and necessary context is consistently provided for technical terminology.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Terminology and framework remain consistent throughout, which enhances clarity and supports cumulative learning for pre-service teachers.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is highly divisible, logically segmented, and easy to realign with subunits of a course.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Topics are presented logically, with clear progression and internal chapter organization that supports comprehension.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The text is free of significant interface issues. It is easy to navigate as a PDF, with a functional table of contents and clearly labeled subsections. Images, charts, and tables display without distortion, and the overall layout avoids distractions that might confuse readers.\r\n\r\nThat said, the text is currently limited to a PDF format. While this works well for basic accessibility, I would love to see it available on a more interactive online platform. A web-based version could allow for embedded media, hyperlinks to updated resources, and smoother integration into LMS platforms. This would further enhance usability for pre-service teachers who are accustomed to digital learning environments.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contains no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Inclusive and not offensive, with room to update examples to reflect contemporary culturally responsive practices.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2025-10-03T20:04:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2025-10-03T20:04:00.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/educational-psychology","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:08:50.000-06:00"},{"id":170,"title":"Mind, Body, World: Foundations of Cognitive Science","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2013,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"Cognitive science arose in the 1950s when it became apparent that a number of disciplines, including psychology, computer science, linguistics, and philosophy, were fragmenting. Perhaps owing to the field's immediate origins in cybernetics, as well as to the foundational assumption that cognition is information processing, cognitive science initially seemed more unified than psychology. However, as a result of differing interpretations of the foundational assumption and dramatically divergent views of the meaning of the term information processing, three separate schools emerged: classical cognitive science, connectionist cognitive science, and embodied cognitive science. Examples, cases, and research findings taken from the wide range of phenomena studied by cognitive scientists effectively explain and explore the relationship among the three perspectives. Intended to introduce both graduate and senior undergraduate students to the foundations of cognitive science, Mind, Body, World addresses a number of questions currently being asked by those practicing in the field: What are the core assumptions of the three different schools? What are the relationships between these different sets of core assumptions? Is there only one cognitive science, or are there many different cognitive sciences? Giving the schools equal treatment and displaying a broad and deep understanding of the field, Dawson highlights the fundamental tensions and lines of fragmentation that exist among the schools and provides a refreshing and unifying framework for students of cognitive science.","contributors":[{"id":2193,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Michael","middle_name":"R. W.","last_name":"Dawson","location":"University of Alberta","background_text":"Michael R. W. Dawson is a professor of psychology at the University of Alberta. He is the author of numerous scientific papers as well as the books Understanding Cognitive Science (1998), Minds and Machines (2004), Connectionism: A Hands-on Approach (2005), and From Bricks to Brains: The Embodied Cognitive Science of LEGO Robots (2010)."}],"subjects":[{"id":8,"name":"Natural Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"QH301","visible_textbooks_count":252,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/natural-sciences"},{"id":42,"name":"Psychology","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"BF121","visible_textbooks_count":51,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/psychology"},{"id":9,"name":"Social Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"H1","visible_textbooks_count":285,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/social-sciences"}],"publishers":[{"id":315,"url":"http://www.aupress.ca/index.php/books/120227","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","name":"Athabasca University Press"}],"formats":[{"id":721,"type":"PDF","url":"http://www.aupress.ca/index.php/books/120227","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":722,"type":"eBook","url":"http://www.aupress.ca/index.php/books/120227#","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4","textbook_reviews_count":7,"reviews":[{"id":121,"first_name":"Kellie","last_name":"Hall","position":"Professor","institution_name":"California Polytechnic State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book is extremely comprehensive. The history and evolution of the specific field of cognitive science, especially as it relates to information processing is examined here. The field fragmented into three differing views of this notion of cognition and the author delves deeply into how the separation developed and the meaning of each of the different frameworks for cognitive science. Cognitive science is related to many different areas of science and research which is well explained by the author. This author further examines the relationship between the theoretical bases for each view and the current state of each area, concluding that the three views may someday come together but it hasn't happened yet. The final conclusion being that the classical framework for cognitive science is \"the thesis\" while the connectionist and embodied cognitive science frameworks are \"viable antitheses\". The author has firmly developed the groundwork for this reasonable conclusion.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate and the background offered for each cognitive processing area discussed is detailed and appropriate. Each area is well cited and referenced.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The content is relevant to a small population of people and the content is up to date as of now. The nature of this textbook, which is to present a historical overview of how cognitive science has gotten to where it is today, will help push the literature in this area on. Thus, this evolving subject matter may quickly morph past the conclusions made by the author. As the literature expands the detailed explanation of the historical account should continue to be relevant while the conclusions and suppositions will likely become out of date. Only time will tell.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The text is very well organized 10/10 and fairly readable 6/10. In my opinion the amount of detail and frequent use of long quotes tends to bog down the reader and diminish the flow of the text. Also I found the authors frequent use of parenthetical phrases more disruptive than helpful. Dawson's writing style is wordy and it seems like the concepts discussed could be described more succinctly. Some of the chapters become difficult to get through. Psychology is replete with jargon, and this area is no different. Dawson does provide solid contextual background for the terminology used here and explains the history of the terms used in detail.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is well thought out and consistent. The terminology is carefully considered, well referenced and explained thoroughly. Three differing frameworks are detailed and used consistently throughout the textbook.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The organization of the textbook is well thought out and easy to follow. Also there is strong logic behind the outline followed in this textbook. It starts out as simply a chronological account of the concept of cognitive science, and then draws comparisons between the frameworks. The different chapters on the different viewpoints could be broken into modules and studies independently. The relevance of each makes more sense when taken in the full context however.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Organization: excellent. Structure of the overall argument: excellent. Flow: slow moving, less than optimal.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The display features used in this textbook are done well, they are easy to see and understand. Most of them add detail and support the notions that the author is using to describe certain notions. A few of them seem a bit frivolous and perhaps unnecessary, but as mentioned before simply a lot of detail included here.","grammatical_rating":2,"grammatical_review":"Technically I found no grammatical errors in this textbook. My problem with the grammar in this textbook is the use of weak connectors. If the authors searched on \"It is\" hundreds of these phases would pop up. Most of these phrases begin sentences. Likewise excessive use of the phrases \"this is\" \"that is\" \"there are\" weaken the discussion and lengthen the text. Here is an example from Chapter 9, page 419. \"However, it is again fair to say that the contributions of world, body, and mind receive different degrees of emphasis within the three approaches to cognitive science.\" This sentence could simply be reworded to state \"Again, the contributions of world, body, and mind receive different degrees of emphasis within the three approaches to cognitive science\" if indeed that needed to be restated at all. The excessive wordiness of the additional prepositions occurs throughout the book. The content could be written more succinctly.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There are no culturally offensive references anywhere in this textbook. The references used are not hypothetical they represent actual researchers who have created the frameworks discussed, thus race and ethnicity are not an issue.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"This textbook has a place in the clarification of the cognitive science field and of course the subsequent education of all involved. The place is quite specific to upper division psychology students and instructors interested in this specific area. However, this area does contribute and relate to many different areas of research including Neuroscience, Education, Sociology, Linguistics and others.","created_at":"2014-07-15T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2014-07-15T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":236,"first_name":"Amy ","last_name":"Fountain","position":"Associate Professor, NTE","institution_name":"University of Arizona","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers a broad swath of intellectual history in the development of the Cognitive Sciences - beginning with the Greeks and discussing developments as recent as 2010.  The discussion interweaves perspectives from linguistics, philosophy and psychology, showing the driving influence in recent years of computer science in their development -  in a way that allows the reader to better understand the interrelationships between these various approaches to the study of cognition.   ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"As a linguist, I feel myself only competent to judge the accuracy of the author's discussion of linguistic theory.  The discussion of Chomskyan linguistics appears to me to be accurate, if not hugely detailed or complete.  As a discussion of linguistics by a non-linguist, the text is very good.  The presentation of linguistic theory includes X-bar theory and the Principles and Parameters approach, all of which is somewhat dated - but, in my opinion, good background for non-linguists and beginning students of linguistics.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"As noted above, the linguistic theory presented in the book is not terribly current, but I don't see that as a problem for students who are using the text as background/history on the cognitive sciences,","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing is crisp and clear, and very readable.  Jargon and technical terminology is defined adequately, and used effectively thereafter.  ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I found no problems with the book's consistency.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The chapter breakdown of the text makes sense, and seems like it would lend itself well to modular presentation.  The chapters are substantial, and the sections within them are also pretty meaty - this would not lend itself to very short reading assignments, but would serve students well as a background text that could be used to situate their current research.  ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of the text is clear and effective.  ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is a plain pdf, and the images within it all look fine.  No problems with the interface at all.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical, spelling or typographical errors at all.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text focuses on a strand of intellectual history that is not particularly inclusive - it is very much a story of Western academic tradition, told in a way that does not reach out to other intellectual traditions.   This is a fact about the Cognitive Sciences, and so it's not surprising (or necessarily bad) that the text is situated in that particular tradition.  Within that universe, the author does a very good job of integrating many academic disciplines, including those that are deeply at odds with each other, in a way that is respectful and (to the best of my knowledge) quite well-informed about each.  In that way, the text is inclusive and respectful.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"If I were assigned to teach an advanced undergraduate course introductory to Cognitive Science, or a beginning graduate level course on that topic, I would not hesitate to adopt this as a primary text.  The text assumes a level of interest and scholarly experience from the reader that I think would not be appropriate for a lower-division undergraduate course (at least not at my institution).  I would consider adopting this as a supplementary (recommended) text for classes at other levels, and I will be keeping it on my virtual bookshelf as a reference about the intellectual history of the Cognitive Sciences.  I learned a lot from reading it!","created_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2181,"first_name":"Jason","last_name":"Finley","position":"Assistant Professor of Psychology","institution_name":"Fontbonne University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text is comprehensive, authoritative, and well-cited.    It provides a deep and fascinating tour through the momentous ideas and technological breakthroughs that gave rise to the interdisciplinary field of cognitive science (a confluence of psychology, computer science, philosophy, linguistics, and more).  The text's emphasis is on the ideas, the big picture, rather than the nitty-gritty details.  It explains the concepts, themes, and approaches of three competing and complementary schools of thought in cognitive science: classical, connectionist, and embodied.\n\nThe text introduces readers to many important ideas, such as: levels of analysis, Turing machines, cybernetics, well- versus ill-defined problems, dualism, syntax versus semantics, basics of logic and computation, cognitive architecture, homunculi, algorithms, umwelt, bats, ants, mirror neurons, parallel versus distributed processing, optical illusions, visual pop-out, the Chinese room, the extended mind hypothesis, and so on.  It covers the important ideas of major contributors to cognitive science (e.g., Anderson, Boole, Brooks, Chomsky, Clark, Dennett, Fodor, Gibson, Jackendoff, Kosslyn, Marr, McClelland, Miller, Minsky, Neisser, Newell, Norman, Paivio, Pinker, Pylyshyn, Rumelhart, Searle, Simon).  Almost everything I could think of that should be here is here (handful of exceptions: heuristics, big O notation, dual processes).\n\nThe index appears useful enough, but there is no glossary, which is unfortunate.  A glossary would be very helpful for terms that student readers may not be familiar with (e.g., agent, paradigm, proposition, stigmergy).","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The text is carefully written and well-cited.  I found no obvious errors.\nThe only potential bias I saw was the amount of space and emphasis given to the work of Zenon Pylyshyn, who was the author's Ph.D. advisor.  I don't really see this as a problem, but it's good to keep in mind.  Some writing by Stephen Kosslyn on the visual imagery debate could be assigned as a counterpoint.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text provides an excellent history of the ideas, problems, and approaches of cognitive science.  It weaves together various strands in a useful way.  It is unlikely to become obsolete any time soon.  Reading a synthesis like this may actually mitigate further fragmentation of the discipline.\n\nThere is newer work that is not included in the text, but that doesn't diminish its value.\nBarsalou's work on grounded cognition and perceptual symbol systems could be a good addition to the embodied school of thought or hybrid theories.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is clear and direct from the start, though it does not contain much exposition.  This is not a text that uses a lot of examples to help the reader understand concepts.  The text can be dense in places (though I think this is unavoidable), and it uses some vocabulary that a student reader may not be familiar with.  The writing style is clean and straightforward, but the vocabulary is advanced.  In some cases, new vocabulary is explained, or can be inferred from context.  In other cases, it's not.  A glossary would be very useful.  It's hard for me, as someone with expertise in cognitive science, to predict which vocabulary and ideas would be most difficult for a student encountering them for the first time.  Any instructor using this text should actively solicit ongoing student feedback to find out which new terms and ideas they need help understanding.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text returns consistently to themes throughout.  The three schools of thought (classical, connectionist, and embodied) appear and reappear consistently.  The schools-of-thought framework, as well as a levels-of-analysis framework, guide the text coherently.  The text appropriately refers to topics in past chapters and future chapters.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Each of the 9 chapters has well-labeled subsections.  An instructor could conceivably omit subsections from required reading.  \n\nChapters 1 and 2 are necessary reading.  Chapters 3-5 could each stand on their own, as each of them details one of the three major schools of thought (classical, connectionist, and embodied).\n\nChapter 6 is an interesting topic not typically covered in texts on cognitive science: music.  I think it's a good value-added contribution, as it helps show how the three schools of thought approach a subject.  Do note that the chapter works on multiple levels (with music as both as metaphor and a subject of inquiry).  It would really benefit from audio clips for students unfamiliar with classical music.  If time is limited, this chapter could be skipped over.\n\nChapters 7 and 9 could go together.  Chapter 7 covers some very important ideas that differentiate between the three schools of thought (or do they?), and sets up the possibility of hybrid theories.  Chapter 9 ties everything together.\n\nChapter 8 could be a stand-alone about vision.\n\nEach chapter has a helpful introduction and conclusion section that helps situate it with respect to the rest of the book.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organization makes sense.  The text lays out its structure in the beginning, and sticks to it.\n\nChapter overviews (introductions and conclusions) provide good guidance to readers.  Rhetorical framing questions are asked at transitions between sections, to help guide the reader's thought process.\n\nLet's be clear though, this is a reading that requires effort on behalf of the reader.  It is an intellectual journey that will reward dedication.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The PDF is neat and clean.  It looks like a book.  The text and figures are all easily readable on my computer screen.  The PDF does have sections, so it's possible to jump to chapters.  But there are no hyperlinks in the textual table of contents (pages v through viii) or in the index, and those would have been useful.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I saw no grammatical errors.  The writing style is clear, but vocabulary is advanced.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I did not notice anything culturally insensitive or offensive.  The text does not rely on examples from everyday life, so there is little room for bias in terms of direct relevance to students.\nThe chapter on music focuses on European and American music.  The research and theories described by the text come from European and North American scholars.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This is an excellent book on cognitive science.  The book has a lot of ground to cover and it covers it well.  It adeptly weaves the historical threads that combine to form the interdisciplinary field of cognitive science.  It helps the reader see the big picture.  Almost all of the big ideas of cognitive science are in here, explained and explored patiently, and with appropriate nuance.  Though the reader's effort is required.\n\nThis text would be good for use with advanced undergraduates or graduate students.  Readers will get more out of it if they have any existing background in psychology.  Most of the contents of this book will fall within the student reader's \"zone of proximal development\" (Vygotsky), and thus the reader will benefit from scaffolding provided by an instructor (note the book itself dos not provide any pedagogical tools).  This book is best paired with a good teacher.\n\nThat this quality of text is available for free is amazing.  This is a very valuable resource.","created_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2203,"first_name":"Valerie","last_name":"Langlois","position":"Ph.D. Student (Cognitive Psychology)","institution_name":"University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Though the textbook does cover the areas and ideas of the subject appropriately, I believe that it focuses more heavily on the computational side of the cognitive science field. Furthermore, the author states in the Preface that not only is this book geared towards senior level undergraduates, it should also only be used as supplementary material, which I completely agree with. The textbook also focuses more on the foundations of cognitive science, rather than the methodologies or recent empirical data on the topic.\n\nLastly, the textbook includes an index but not a glossary. In my opinion, a glossary would have been helpful as the concepts are more complex than most.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"As a graduate student, I do not have complete mastery over cognitive science. However, many of the topics covered were familiar to me as I’ve learned about them in my classes. Therefore, all I can say to that regard is that to my knowledge, the content is accurate, error-free, and unbiased.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"This textbook focused mainly on the foundations of cognitive science, therefore many of the texts cited were from before the early 2000s. Though this does not necessarily make the text obsolete, it makes it hard to incorporate later, more recent research. I would have liked to see more integration between earlier works and more recent research. For example, how does work in the field of cognitive science now tie in with the three approaches mentioned in the book? Is there one approach that is more popular than the others? What sorts of works done more recently have been used as evidence for or against some of these approaches?","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"Though the text is written well, I have strong opinions about the number of quotations used throughout. Rather than paraphrase, the author includes many, long direct quotations. In my opinion, this hinders understanding, especially when there is little explanation as to why this quotation is included. As an example:\n\n“This doctrine has the goal of discovering the trigger features for all neurons (Barlow, 1972, 1995). This is\nbecause,\n\n‘ a description of that activity of a single nerve cell which is transmitted to and influences other nerve cells, and of a nerve cell’s response to such influences from other cells, is a complete enough description for functional understanding of the nervous system.’ (Barlow, 1972, p. 380)”\n\nIn this example, the author continues their sentence with a direct quotation. Therefore, the quotation provides the supporting explanation the author needed for their previous statement. However, rarely is it expanded upon further in the text. There is no more information for the confused student who does not understand this quotation. In consequence, the text moves along far too quickly, without taking the time to actually address the topic.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is very consistent in its terminology and framework. It referred to things using the same terms throughout, making it easy to follow along.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"The book is mainly divided between the three approaches: classical cognitive science, connectionist approach, and embodied cognition. The last section (Chapters 6 \u0026amp; 7) focuses on Classical Music, which ties together the different approaches in terms of one sub-field. However, in order to understand the later chapters, one must first read through the previous ones. In other words, this book builds upon itself heavily; a student would not be able to understand what is happening if reading the last chapters first.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The book follows a logical order; it goes through the three different approaches, starting with classical cognitive science. This makes sense as it came first, hence its name. \n\nOn another note, I found it very interesting that the topic of vision is presented last. Many books focus on vision first as we know more about it compared to the other sub-fields.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is free of issues, and there was no distortion of any charts, images, or figures. However, I would like to point out the lack of figures in the book. In my opinion, any text could benefit from having more figures, especially in this case where there were so few compared to the total number of pages.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There were little to no grammatical errors throughout the text.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I cannot comment on the book’s cultural relevance as this is an issue that applies to the whole field of cognitive science itself. Because cognitive science focuses on the processes of the mind, there is little emphasis on race and ethnicity (except perhaps in regards to social cognition, which I am not familiar with). As a result, the text has little to no examples that are inclusive of these backgrounds. \n\nHowever, I can say that in no way was the text culturally insensitive or offensive.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Overall, the book was well-written. However, even as a current graduate student I was a bit lost sometimes. There is a huge emphasis on very specific details, which in turn makes it hard to form a larger picture. In my opinion, more summarization and integration are needed in order to fully convey the message this book is trying to achieve.","created_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2405,"first_name":"Sri Siddhi","last_name":"Upadhyay","position":"Assistant Professor of Psychology","institution_name":"JMU","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The author states upfront that this text is not an introductory text to Cognitive Psychology. Instead, it focuses on the interdisciplinary aspects of Cognitive Science and is best for students who already have a foundation in principles of cognition. Because this text focuses on the more computational approaches in Cognitive Science, I plan to use this as supplemental content to introduce students to the newer, more interdisciplinary field of Cognitive Science, and I will introduce this later in the semester so students already have a foundation in Cognitive Psychology for content that overlaps and is extended in this textbook. I think the text does do a good job with introducing students to the newer ideas in the field, for which it may not be as easy to rely on robust methodologies or experimental data.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"My expertise as a Cognitive Psychologist does not overlap with all of the topics in this textbook, however for the topics that I do have expertise in I can say that to the best of my knowledge the content is accurate. The book is impressive in its breadth of coverage and discussing themes of Cognitive Science as they relate to many areas, including perception, language and more learning-focused areas of Cognitive Psychology.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"As the author states upfront, the textbook is focused on the ideas and foundations of cognitive science, so a lot of landmark studies, theories, and models are discussed. Because the text is not meant to focus on methodologies and empirical data, it doesn’t have the most current information, but I don’t think that diminishes the value of the text as that wasn’t its intended purpose. On the other hand, I’m not sure how easy and straightforward it would be to make necessary updates, or for instructors to update content in their course if they chose to go beyond what is provided in the textbook. As I plan to use the text to introduce students to the foundations of cognitive science, the textbook fulfills the role I need it to in my courses.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is written accessibly and is very conversational, the author does a good job of guiding you through the chapters as if they were telling a story. I think students will enjoy the summary/overview sections of each chapter, I especially thought they were clear, as well as the elements of connectionist and cognitive science chapter. I’ve always had a difficult time understanding these concepts but they’re discussed in very plain language here, which is great for comprehension.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework, as well as its discourse and vocabulary, which makes it easier for students to follow along and create a solid base of understanding as they scaffold in content from one chapter to the next.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"I don’t think the text is easily and readily divisible into smaller reading sections that can be assigned at different points within the course. Because the text builds on itself, later chapters won’t be easily understood without having first read the earlier chapters. As an instructor, this makes it more difficult for me to choose selected chapters unless I was just going to have students sample the earlier chapters of the textbook for their comprehension, or use examples from other chapters to interweave with my lectures on different chapters from Cognitive Psychology to provide a different perspective. For example, talking about the semantic network model in another text I have and then introducing other connectionist frameworks from a selected chapter in this text.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics in the text are presented in a logical, clear fashion. The textbook follows the approach and order of topics laid out by the author at the start in a way that makes sense and fits the themes of the text content.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The text is free of significant interface issues, including navigation problems, distortion of images/charts, and any other display features that may distract or confuse the reader. I do think more figures could help break apart the large sections of writing and quotes, and offer students the chance to test themselves or synthesize content, digest and apply ideas. It would be nice to have some examples to work into a lecture in this way or an exercise that students could work on.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contains no grammatical errors. It is very well written in that respect.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way, but it does not specifically make use of examples that are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. This is not a Social Cognition book and that might be why such environmental/societal context factors like race, gender, etc. are not discussed. Possibly, either the textbook or individual instructors can work to relate the content in the textbook to themes in perception, learning, categorization, decision-making, reasoning, and judgments within cognitive psychology to discuss things like thinking fast and slow, heuristics, algorithms, and more specific differences in cultural thinking (e.g., east and west differences).","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"This book is not meant to be a standalone textbook for a course, and I would not use it as such; however, as a supplementary text, I think it is rich with information that is presented in a fresh way. I found myself drawing themes from the content that I think would greatly help students understand individual chapters that are so often not grouped together this way on the basis of thematic content and relations.","created_at":"2018-11-25T18:22:44.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-11-25T18:22:44.000-06:00"},{"id":3057,"first_name":"David","last_name":"Quigley","position":"Research Associate","institution_name":"CU Boulder","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book contains a very thorough review of the origins and key approaches found in Cognitive Science - as the title claims. The table of contents, list of tables / figures, bibliography, etc. are complete and supportive. \n\nThat said, the book is more of a presentation of an argument for a transition in the field - it outlines the field thoroughly, but appears to come from the perspective of demonstrating the importance of the concluding chapter.\n\nThere is no index / glossary.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Content is presented thoroughly and accurately, but some of the levels of detail represent the author’s background in the Connectionist approach. The ideas of this approach are more thoroughly explained from the ground-up, while other areas are explained in more of a “survey” approach, and given examples in those sections have fewer details. The approach of music as an area of study and a metaphor for the field are also perhaps over-represented.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book is clearly targeted towards a current audience at the time of publication. The argument perhaps creates artificial divisions in explaining the field for the purposes of demonstrating the various ideas and approaches, which I would argue are less divided today than they originally were. However, the book is presented as an overview of the foundations of the field, so it should stand in perpetuity, with newer content appended to the ends of chapters and subsections.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Generally speaking, the book is well written and does provide background and definitions for the terms and ideas. However, this level of background / explanation can vary from topic to topic. Sometimes the topics explored are dense, and only given a cursory unpacking or explanation, while others are explained in detail.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text maintained several threads throughout the book (schools of thought, backgrounds, experimental approaches, etc.) and each one was represented consistently.","modularity_rating":2,"modularity_review":"The book generally built one argument from beginning to end. There were a large amount of references to other sections, both allusions to future discussion and reference to previous discussion. However, ideas did tend to be reiterated, at least in a cursory manner, when they reoccurred.\n\nThe book is clearly structured to flow well within the author’s classroom structure - the argument is cohesive from beginning to end, and reflects an interesting approach for a course in the field.\n\nThe chapters themselves were quite long and dense - and while they were divided into subsections, there were clearly at least 3 layers of complexity (e.g. chapters usually had 2 or 3 major sections with their own subsections) that were not differentiated effectively in the book structure.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book was clearly structured, and provided a strong thread of its argument throughout the work. The chapter beginnings, endings, and certain subsections within the chapters kept tying back to the larger thread of the thesis of the book.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Content was presented in a typical document flow, with a thorough table of contents, etc. and significant breaks for chapters. That said, the chapters were very long and materials (e.g. figures) might be re-referenced 20 pages or more after their initial introduction. Advanced PDF functionality (e.g. document linking) could have been useful.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book was very well written and edited.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book was clear about its origins and influences in mostly European sciences and philosophy (mirroring the field of Cognitive Science itself). Examples were mostly drawn from extant work, and contained innocuous materials (e.g. considering the geographical layout of Alberta, Canada).","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-10-06T13:01:52.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-07-01T12:58:58.000-05:00"},{"id":34756,"first_name":"Maria","last_name":"Falikman","position":"Teaching Professor of Psychology","institution_name":"University of the South","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook is very comprehensive. It introduces the history, major approaches, main interdisciplinary research areas, and controversies in cognitive science in great detail. The author successfully combines this attention to detail with a panoramic view of cognitive science. Neuroscience and especially cognitive anthropology seem a bit underrepresented as compared to other cognitive disciplines.\n\nThe Index contains key concepts and names in cognitive science. Some important names which are well represented in the text are surprisingly missing in the Index (e.g., this is true about all ‘founding fathers’ of the connectionist approach: Warren McCulloch and Walter Pitts, Frank Rosenblatt, David Rumelhart and James McClelland). The Index could be improved and extended, but my overall impression is that it is comprehensive enough for a volume like this.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The text represents approaches in cognitive science and facts accurately. The author not only provides references to the sources, but also includes a summary and an explanation for every phenomenon and model they touch upon. Sometimes, the textbook is too detailed, but all details are accurate.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The textbook covers more of a history of cognitive science than emerging areas of research. It is pretty up to date with some topics (such as embodied or extended cognition), but does not touch upon recent developments in the science of consciousness (including the problem of the artificial consciousness), social neuroscience, cultural neuroscience, etc. I am not sure whether it should be required for a basic textbook. Recent trends can usually be discussed, using journal articles and reviews. The textbook does provide a fair basic framework for necessary updates.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written in lucid language, the author clearly explains all concepts they use and provides coherent explanations of basic frameworks in cognitive science. Illustrations support understanding of key mechanisms introduced within the approaches presented in the textbook. For instance, it is not common to visualize Shannon’s mapping between Boolean logic and the states of electrical switches, but the author provides a perfect illustration making this transition clear and straightforward. In general, all explanations are clear and detailed, with a lot of quotes and examples.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text looks consistent to me. It uses the same terminology throughout. The author identifies three major approaches in cognitive science: classical, connectionist, and embodied, in which I would disagree with them (to me, the three ‘classical’ approaches are symbolic, referred to as “classical” by the author of this textbook, connectionist, and modular, and embodiment is one of the recent approaches, belonging to the so-called 3E/4E trend in cognitive science: embodied, embedded, enacted, and extended). However, the author is consistent in the discussion of the three approaches in different chapters.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text is well structured. I would not say that it consists of easily rearrangeable modules, because the author first introduces the general conceptual framework in the introductory chapters and then follows this framework. At the same time, it is possible to use some chapters (e.g. about the connectionist approach in cognitive science) and skip others (e.g. about the cognitive science of music). The table of contents is a convenient navigation tool, allowing to quickly find necessary modules.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of the text is good and easy to follow. Each chapter begins with the chapter overview, linking it to the previous chapter(s), introducing the goals of the current chapter, and providing information about the contents of each section. This helps tremendously to follow the overall logic of the text.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The navigation is quite convenient, with a detailed contents page (it might have been easier, though, if it included hyperlinks to relevant chapters or sections). Also, I would probably add more figures to visualize key concepts and the structure of cognitive science (for example, I would expect to find an image of the Cognitive Hexagon somewhere in the introductory chapters). Completely empty pages (e.g., p. 124) are a bit surprising, even keeping in mind the printed version option.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I am not a native English speaker, but I did not spot any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The book is not culturally insensitive or offensive. At the same time, it might have included an outline of cultural neuroscience as an emerging interdisciplinary research area of cognitive science, bridging neuroscience and cultural anthropology. This would allow for a more inclusive narration, going beyond the long-standing WEIRD (Western Educated Industrialized Rich Democratic) tradition in cognitive science.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"In general, this textbook might be quite useful for a Cognitive Science course, but it implies a specific approach to the subject, which should be incorporated into the syllabus. The author guides their readers through the field in a comprehensive and supportive way, but the route is determined by the author’s views and preferences. For example, a chapter on music looks more like an extravagance than an integral part of a cognitive science textbook, but the author uses it to demonstrate how the interdisciplinary cognitive approach works. To use this textbook for my course, I would have to be selective, but there are chapters that would unequivocally fit, and the overall quality of the text is a strong argument for this choice.","created_at":"2023-11-26T14:16:56.000-06:00","updated_at":"2023-11-26T14:16:56.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/mind-body-world-foundations-of-cognitive-science","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:09:26.000-06:00"},{"id":201,"title":"Instruction in Functional Assessment","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2014,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"Instruction in Functional Assessment introduces learners to functional assessment (FA), which includes a variety of assessment approaches (indirect, observational, and experimental) for identifying the cause of an individual's challenging behavior for the purpose of designing effective treatments. FA is mandated by federal law and is a recognized empirically based approach to treatment of individuals with challenging behaviors (e.g., disruptive, self-injurious, and aggressive behaviors). Instruction in FA is essential for students who will one day enter professions as educators, psychologists, social workers, counselors, or mental health professionals. The purpose of this textbook is to provide instruction in FA skills for pre-professionals in the fields of education and psychology. This supplemental resource provides the context, background, and knowledge to facilitate students' acquisition of the methods, decision-making, and skills involved in conducting FA. Each chapter begins with focus questions designed to promote reflective thinking and ends with discussion questions. To promote application of FA in diverse situations and teach important lessons, case studies of individuals with challenging behaviors, interactive activities, and opportunities for practice are embedded in the chapters. Moreover, the text includes the ingredients to facilitate students' role play and rehearsal of appropriate FA skills while working in cooperative groups and using performance-based training.","contributors":[{"id":2907,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Marcie","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Desrochers","location":"State University of New York","background_text":"Marcie Desrochers earned her Ph.D. in experimental psychology from the University of Manitoba with specialization in developmental disabilities, applied behavior analysis, and computer applications in psychology. She is a board certified behavior analysis at the doctoral level (BCBA-D). Dr. Desrochers is an Associate Professor of Psychology at The College at Brockport, State University of New York. Marcie Desrochers has conducted research on teaching functional assessment and evaluating the effectiveness of a computer simulation program called Simulations in Developmental Disabilities. Marcie has extensive experience teaching undergraduate and graduate students, and supervising students and practitioners in the field."},{"id":2908,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Moira","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Fallon","location":"State University of New York","background_text":"Dr. Moira Fallon earned her Ph.D. in Educational Foundations from the University of New Mexico with specialties in cognitive development and special education. She has over thirty years of experience in the field of special education in public schools. She holds certifications from several states in learning disabilities, behavior disabilities, early intervention, and assistive technology. Dr. Fallon has published widely in issues of inclusion and advocacy for individuals with disabilities. Dr. Moira Fallon has been a leader in developing learning communities, promoting school leaders for continuous improvement, and identifying research based, supportive resources for improving professional skills. She is a Professor in the Department of Education and Human Development at The College at Brockport, State University of New York."}],"subjects":[{"id":5,"name":"Education","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"L7","visible_textbooks_count":144,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/education"},{"id":26,"name":"Elementary Education","parent_subject_id":5,"call_number":"LB1555","visible_textbooks_count":14,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/elementary-education"},{"id":28,"name":"Secondary Education","parent_subject_id":5,"call_number":"LC980","visible_textbooks_count":10,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/secondary-education"},{"id":42,"name":"Psychology","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"BF121","visible_textbooks_count":51,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/psychology"},{"id":9,"name":"Social Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"H1","visible_textbooks_count":285,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/social-sciences"},{"id":43,"name":"Sociology","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"HM586","visible_textbooks_count":35,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/sociology"}],"publishers":[{"id":126,"url":"https://milneopentextbooks.org/","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2024-04-15T13:36:47.000-05:00","name":"Open SUNY"}],"formats":[{"id":181,"type":"PDF","url":"https://milneopentextbooks.org/download/instruction-in-functional-assessment-pdf-pdf/?tmstv=1672320892","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":182,"type":"eBook","url":"https://milneopentextbooks.org/download/instruction_in_functional_assessment-epub-epub/?tmstv=1672320892","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":3275,"type":"Online","url":"https://milnepublishing.geneseo.edu/instruction-in-functional-assessment/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":12,"reviews":[{"id":1522,"first_name":"Ben","last_name":"Bryan","position":"Adjunct Faculty","institution_name":"Rogue Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book is terrific. It covers not only the specific details of conducting a functional assessment with a variety of populations and contexts but also an explanation of the various theories that are important to understandint the functional analysis itself. This means the reader doesn't have to have extensive prior knowledge.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"As a psychology instructor, the psychological concepts are very accurate. There are no concerns about the accuracy and I would feel comfortable using this text. For example, noncontingent reinforcement is explained without any bias (which can be challening).","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Since many of the theories are classical psychological concepts, those will never 'get old' or outdated. This may be the point and I missed it, but... the ideal user of this text seems to be someone entering the field of using FA's in their line of work. It seems there could be an 'application' section to using it in non-work enviroments. i.e. benefits and challenges when using this at home.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This book is very clear. Despite covering a relatively technical topic and 'soft science' it is clear and I don't think any college student would have trouble understanding the material and learning objectives.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"No concerns about the consistency of this book. There are many technical components to FA's, and this book seems to cover them without bias.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The book could be used in modules, however there wouldn't be much application beyond a full class on FA. I suppose if you were talkinga about some of the background theories and wanted an application to FA that would be effectie (behaviorism for example). The introduction would also be relevant in any hands on human servies program. I also don't know if modularity should be a goal for this text.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"No concerns, seems great.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"I got lost a little bit here. This feature may exist and I don't know how to use it, but I didn't understand the role of the fillable discussion forums or quizzes. Is there an easy way to share this with other students or for instructors to get the responses? I suppose someone could print pages or screen shot them, but this wasn't clear to me. \nThe embedded hyper links to both the assignments and then the content area's were slick though. So the lower score may be my fault for not understand the instructor interface that well.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No errors noticed.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Cultural was addressed as something to be aware of, however there were minimal applications to how cultural differences may actually affect the FA results themselves. A concrete example of \"In hispanic culture, this behavior would imply a deficit in a certain area, whereas in African-American culture it would not\".","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall seemed great! I would use it in my class for sure. I may actually request to teach a FA class just so I can  use it","created_at":"2017-08-15T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-08-15T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1847,"first_name":"Jeannie","last_name":"Golden","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"East Carolina University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Very comprehensive review of functional assessment. Includes information about developmental and intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviors which is very helpful as well. I love the case examples, exercises, practice activities, templates, focus and discussion questions, graphs and tables.The literature review is also very thorough. I recommend including the concept of replacement behavior in the glossary.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The book is very accurate in describing the most important concepts related to applied behavior analysis and functional behavioral assessment. One thing I might make more clear is the concept of a replacement behavior serving the same function as the problem behavior. The authors use an example of on task behavior as a replacement behavior for off-task behavior that serves the dual functions of peer attention and escaping demands. Technically, on-task behavior is not a replacement behavior that serves the same function. Requesting peer-attention or a break by asking for it would be more accurately considered a replacement behavior. This does not mean that the intervention that is suggested in the book is not appropriate. I am just concerned about the accuracy of the description of replacement behavior.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I believe that many of the examples, case studies, activities, and cited literature make this book extremely relevant and that it will remain up-to-date or could be updated fairly easily.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is very well written and easy to understand. It presents many difficult concepts in very clear, tangible ways so that the reader can grasp the concepts. Also, all the case studies, focus and discussion questions, and activities will help the reader to apply these concepts in real-life settings.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is highly internally consistent in terminology and framework. I believe the authors provide equal attention to all the aspects of functional assessment that are important for the learner to understand and apply.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modularity of the book is excellent. Each of the chapters can stand alone and have sections that are clearly delineated. Also, each chapter has its own activities, questions, sample forms that can supplement the learning of the content.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book is well organized and flows in a logical sequence. The authors began with the types of disabilities and challenging behaviors that would warrant the use of functional assessment, provide an overview of applied behavior analysis and functional assessment, and then more in-depth instruction of the types of functional assessment as well as the methods of implementation leading to interventions.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The book is free of interface issues. The highlighted terms and activities are very helpful and overall the book is very easy to navigate.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The focus question at the beginning of chapter 3 \"What treatment approaches challenging behaviors and increase appropriate\nbehaviors?\" does not seem to be grammatically correct. Other than that, I did not notice any grammatical errors in the book.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Under ethical considerations, the authors reference the importance of being non-discriminatory in terms of race, culture and language. However, they did not elaborate on this point or give any examples. They also mentioned the difficulties for teachers when English is a secondary language or behavior is influence by trauma experiences, but they did not explicitly provide ideas for assisting teachers in these areas.\n","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I am excited that I have found this open textbook. I thought that the authors wrote an excellent, useful and thorough text on the subject of functional assessment. I teach a graduate class titled \"Behavior Assessment and Intervention\" and I plan to use this open textbook in that class.","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":2025,"first_name":"Crystal","last_name":"De Kam","position":"Human Service Faculty / Counselor","institution_name":"Century College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text cover more in depth than I had anticipated with regards to Functional Assessment.  The breakdown of Functional assessment is easy for individuals to understand and the later chapters are helpful for individuals who will teach the topic in the future.  I appreciated case examples, exercises, practice activities, templates, focus and discussion questions. The Glossary has a nice “return” feature which will bring the reader back to the point in the text where the word was.  I liked the additional materials in “Resources for Team Members of Interdisciplinary Professionals” which included syllabi ideas, and DVDs related to the topic. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I would feel comfortable using this text and have used several chapters.  The material appears accurate from a counseling and psychological perspective with no noticeable bias. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The research and content is up-to-date and the material covered is relevant to students entering the workforce.  The material appears to have longevity but as research continues could benefit from a renewal in 4-5 years.  These updates should be easy and straight forward to implement.  The examples given were accurate and meaningful and should have longevity to them. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"No concerns for clarity were noted. It appears easy to read for individuals new to the topic by describing new words and terms as the text progresses.  Students in an entry level course expressed no difficulties with the clarity. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"No concerns for consistency were noted.  It appears easy to read for individuals new to the topic by describing new words and terms as the text progresses.  ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I have used smaller reading sections with no issues in the past for human service courses.  The first few chapters can make great standalone readings especially with the study material and questions at the end of the reading. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The books organization is logical, and it flows well.  No concerns were noted. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The book’s interface appears professional with no noticeable concerns and no distracting problems. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors noted.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Cultural concerns are addressed but mildly.  Examples from instructors outside of the text would most likely be beneficial. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I particularly appreciate the first several chapters \" Challenging Behaviors of Individuals with Developmental Disabilities\" \"The Methodology of Functional Assessment: Process and Products\" and \"Treatment Implications Based on the Functional Assessment\" as modules in the human service courses to develop foundational knowledge about Functional Assessment. ","created_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2231,"first_name":"Jennifer","last_name":"McKenzie","position":"Assistant Professor of Special Education","institution_name":"Southern Utah University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The clickable glossary is very useful, especially the function of the reader being able to return directly from the glossary entry to the place it is used in the text. The literature base is solid and the reference list give good resources for further inquiry.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The authors’ choice of extant literature used in the text is very thorough and accurate. One inaccuracy noted is the authors’ assertion that functional assessment (FA) is a requirement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) of 2004. IDEIA includes provisions for the use of functional behavior assessment (FBA) for students with disabilities whose behaviors impede their learning or the learning of others. Assessment is used more in educational settings, as it is not as intrusive as the more experimental “analysis”, in which conditions are manipulated to produce changes in behavior in order to determine the behavior’s function. The authors describe functional analysis, but readers may confuse the different topics when reading research outside of the text.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Functional analysis and assessment have been used and researched for several decades without significant modifications to the methods. This text will be applicable for several years without the need for significant updates, except to add new literature with additional populations of students.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The clarity of the text is excellent for educational practitioners. Chapter one has a significant amount of content that would need supplementary instruction for students who are new to Behaviorism and behavior change principles. The exercises at the end of each chapter help with this, though, by focusing the reader’s attention to important concepts and giving an opportunity to practice new knowledge and skills. The case study activities and blank forms at the end of the book are excellent and could be used as a resource for teacher trainers. \n\nAs a reader, I am a bit confused by the intended audience of chapters 5 and 6. The book’s initial chapters are written, it seems, for an audience of students who are new to the field of Behaviorism and functional assessment. Chapters 5 and 6, however, are clearly written for teacher educators in an attempt to help them teach college students about functional assessment. While this might be of great benefit to teacher educators, these chapters seem out of place.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text holds firm to the principles of Behaviorism and to the consistent use of correct functional assessment methods. As a scholar of the field, I found that some inconsistencies with the terms used may lead to confusion. For example, functional analysis is the long accepted term associated with the abbreviation “FA”, but the authors use functional assessment and use the abbreviation “FAn\" for functional analysis. These two terms are not the same and should not be used interchangeably, as analysis is an experimental approach and assessment is not. \n\nAlso see the comments above regarding chapters 5 and 6.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This text is actually broken into much smaller segments of text than most textbooks, making it easier to digest the information in smaller units. Most of the chapters and activities could be arranged to fit a course in functional behavior assessment without undue disruption to the reader.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The topics in the text are presented logically, beginning with an overview of the behavioral principles and building toward the complete understanding of using those principles to determine the function of behavior. \n\nAlso see the comments above regarding chapters 5 and 6.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is one of the strengths of this text. There are many good examples of behavioral principles and the tables add to the reader’s understanding of the concepts and are well placed in the text. It is visually appealing and easy to follow.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text is professionally written and there were no noticeable grammatical errors in the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The authors incorporate relevant citations for literature that has included racial diversity in the studied samples. It has been well documented in the literature that principles of behaviorism apply across race, ethnic origin, and gender.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This text as a whole would be an appropriate text for students studying low-incidence disabilities, such as the specific developmental disabilities mentioned in the text. Part of the book, such as chapters 1 - 4 would be applicable to a more general population studying behavior change principles.","created_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2361,"first_name":"Shannon","last_name":"Hall-Mills","position":"Assistant In","institution_name":"Florida State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text covers the basic tenets of functional behavior assessment with children, including a review of challenging behaviors that children with developmental disabilities may exhibit, methods for assessment and assessment driven treatment, pedagogical approaches to teach knowledge of functional assessment and clinical-decision making, training based on real cases, and resources for interdisciplinary teams. The text is written broadly enough for direct application in a variety of professional training programs, including programs in Communication Science and Disorders (CSD) preparing future speech-language pathologists (SLPs). For students pursuing a career in speech-language pathology, functional behavior assessment is an important component of a comprehensive evaluation model to address communication difficulties of children with a range of disabilities. Instructors can take the format of the case studies presented in this text to develop and embed additional case examples based on CSD clinical cases. The text provides an adequate base text to which instructors may provide supplemental material specific to the communication underpinnings of behavior to augment the main text. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The functional assessment strategies presented in the text are empirically-based and rooted in theories of applied behavior analysis.  ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This text addresses a gap in the literature for school-based CSD students. Behavior challenges of children is the #1 challenge reported by graduate students and their supervisors. The content is relevant to current and future practices. When additional or emerging evidence arises for specific functional behavior strategies or techniques, the structure of the text lends well to incorporating updates as needed.  ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is written in a clear, concise, and well-organized manner. The level of the language is appropriate for advanced undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and professional level students or trainees. Given the specialization of the topic, there are many technical terms and concepts throughout the text. However, the authors provide a comprehensive glossary of terms to aid the reader. My only suggestion for further enhancing the clarity of the text would be to incorporate a list of the necessary prerequisite knowledge and skills recommended for readers to have prior to reading this text. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The framework and terminology are consistent throughout the text. The types of behaviors and the need for functional  behavior assessment extends beyond the developmental disability categories listed in chapter 1. For example, in addition to children with intellectual disability, autism, cerebral palsy, and medical conditions such as epilepsy, children may present with different diagnostic labels but with similar challenging behaviors, such as children with speech and/or language impairment. Speech-Language impairment can be a primary disability, but it may also manifest as a disability secondary to other disabilities, and is the most common disability among young children and school-age children. It would suffice to add more developmental disability categories to Table 1, and then refer  broadly to \"developmental disabilities\" except for case-based examples. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"It is feasible to incorporate individual sections of the text as separate modules, either within a single course or across courses. The chapters can stand alone in this way, and be organized for different courses based on the student/trainee level and scope of the course. The text can be flexibly packaged for different courses. I also foresee the text lending well to professional development courses for experienced educators and clinicians. The interdisciplinary focus of the text supports interdisciplinary or interprofessional education. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Each chapter begins with reflection questions that can be used as a pre-reading strategy but also setting the climate in the classroom for discussion. Each chapter ends with a series of discussion questions. These can be used as a post-reading comprehension strategy for students in their independent reading, but also for highlighting key ideas during class meetings. Some of the discussion items can be prompts for written projects. Some of the reflection questions can be used for reflection journal stems. \r\n•\tCase studies provide many opportunities for contextual illustration and in-class practice of FA strategies\r\n","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is easy to navigate, images are clear, and visual features are used to aid the reader. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contains no grammatical errors. ","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The cultural context of functional assessment is addressed briefly in chapter 2. Instructors and students of multiple disciplines, including CSD, which focus on culturally relevant and culturally responsive practices, will need to augment this text with additional content for this purpose. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2018-11-05T16:51:38.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-11-05T16:51:38.000-06:00"},{"id":2895,"first_name":"Rodger","last_name":"Bufford","position":"Professor, Graduate School of Clinical Psychology","institution_name":"George Fox University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Focused on individuals with developmental disabilities and disruptive behaviors, Instruction in Functional Assessment provides an overview of applied functional analysis. It begins with a clear review of behavior theory and a description of common forms of developmental and behavioral difficulties that may be encountered.  Functional analysis/assessment is then introduced as the tool for identifying the characteristics of the problem behaviors and their controlling conditions. Treatment planning and implementation come next, along with assessing outcomes. Next, practical materials and case studies for training in functional analysis skills are provided. The book ends with a list of resources for and several blank templates that can be used to support practical implementation of functional analytics skills. Training materials, references, and an extensive glossary complete the volume. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Concepts and processes related to functional analysis are accurately and concisely presented. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The review of literature related to functional assessment is current and extensive. Functional assessment is an established field that began with work in the 1960s, so it is anticipated that looking forward the pace of change will be slow and revisions can be incorporated as needed. Public school classrooms are a focus of the material, but suggestions for adaptation to other settings are provided. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"In general concepts and processes were carefully and clearly explained; a glossary was also provided. However, a couple exceptions to such clarity were encountered. Also, coding symbols used in Table 20 were not explained and may pose a challenge for readers; this occurred in a couple of other places as well. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Contents were generally consistent. An exception is that on page 51 a question is posed about “five ways to determine if treatment is effective.” It appears to refer to a list of five aspects of treatment effectiveness listed on page 45. The lack of conceptual/linguistic consistency seemed confusing.  ","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"Because the goal of this volume is to facilitate development of the knowledge and skills of functional analysis, most readers will likely wish to use all of this short text. However, those who possess either pertinent knowledge or skills may find the counterpart materials helpful by themselves. The resources may also be of use on their own. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Progression of the material from knowledge to skills and application is clear, as noted above.\r\n\r\n","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No difficulties were encountered. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Grammar and English usage were excellent. ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The primary domains of diversity addressed here is those of developmental disability and disruptive behavior. Disruptive behavior involves patterns of behavior or psychological distress commonly found among the mentally ill, persons diagnosed as mental disorders. Because children who manifest developmental disability and disruptive behavior are often placed in public school classrooms, school applications of functional analysis are emphasized. Cultural differences are addressed briefly on p. 28 as well. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Focus questions precede and discussion questions and practice exercises follow most chapters. Numerous charts, diagrams, figures, and recording sheets are provided. \r\nEthical considerations are also addressed. \r\n","created_at":"2019-05-09T11:59:22.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-05-09T11:59:22.000-05:00"},{"id":2992,"first_name":"angela","last_name":"whalen","position":"Clinical Associate Professor, School Psychology","institution_name":"University of Oregon","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text provides an overview or introduction to (1) functional assessment and (2) teaching functional assessment to others. It provides a good amount of detail to provide working knowledge for teachers and other school staff who may participate on school teams that are conducting FBAs and/or using FBA results to develop behavior intervention plans. It probably does not have the depth needed as a text for training individuals (e.g., school psychologists, behavior specialists) to conduct FBAs or lead school teams in this process. This text could provide a foundation for knowledge-building, which could easily be supplemented with additional resources for further skill development.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"There is good coverage of the technical aspects of functional assessment. I found Chapter 3: Treatment Implications Based on the Functional Assessment to be one of the greatest strengths of this text - full of great information and resources for intervention planning.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content of this text is highly relevant to anyone working with children who demonstrate challenging behaviors. Chapters 1-3 are appropriate for individuals involved with assessment and intervention for challenging behaviors in schools or other settings. Chapters 4-6 are relevant for individuals who teach functional assessment to others, or supervise novice practitioners.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The authors use language that is accessible to the lay person or education professional, while also presenting the technical terms commonly used in ABA and other fields of psychology. Some sections, especially related to single-case design, may be a bit technical for readers who do not have a background in that area. There are links to a glossary of terms throughout, so readers can quickly obtain more detailed definitions of terms used in the text. The inclusion of many examples and case studies to illustrate concepts, along with opportunities for the reader to practice, make this useful for teaching graduate students.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Overall, there was good consistency with the writing and terminology used. A few times, I would have liked the authors to be more precise with their use of ‘functional assessment’ and ‘functional analysis,’ but this was a minor issue.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This almost seems like two texts in one. Chapters 1-3 could stand alone as an introduction to functional assessment. Each chapter could provide a nice \"unit\" of learning. Chapters 4-6 could stand alone as a resource for teaching functional assessment or supervising novice practitioners. Chapter 7 includes a variety of useful resources such as forms that can be used for observations/data collection or for teaching basic functional assessment skills. These resources would be helpful as stand alone materials, as well.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Well organized.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The online text is easy to use and navigate. Chapters can be viewed individually, which helps reduce the amount of scrolling. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors noticed in the text.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Although not a primary focus of the text, cultural considerations for using functional assessment with individuals with disabilities are present throughout.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-06-15T14:28:38.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-06-15T14:28:38.000-05:00"},{"id":4910,"first_name":"Jody","last_name":"Siker","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Northeastern Illinois University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book focuses on defining functional assessment and functional analysis and covers this topic well. There are resources and case studies throughout. I also appreciate the guiding questions at the beginning of chapters and the questions at the end of chapters. The organization of the text could be improved as could the targeting of information to the intended audience. Although the authors target practitioners in their introduction, the text seems to be targeted to university instructors who prepare those practitioners. The quality of case studies and resources is high as is the glossary, which is easily navigated by clicking on a red word and being able to return to the same spot in the text after reading the definition. The intended aim at practitioners is also missing a real explanation of working with families, especially those from non-dominant communities. In addition, the description of disabilities in chapter one is cursory and not comprehensive.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The text is clearly research-based and has a deep coverage of functional assessment and functional analysis. There is also a very clear description of behavior analysis and definitions therein. The flow chart in chapter 2 is very helpful in understanding the functional assessment process and there are many opportunities to practice skills using detailed cases. This approach of behavior analysis is aligned with practices of BCBAs and so it has the biases of focusing on those practices as the only way to approach behavior analysis. The dominant culture is strongly represented in the description of these practices and the language used in the book. There is one paragraph about collaborating with diverse families, but the rest of the book is about using these specific practices or teaching others how to use them. These family considerations pop up in chapter 2 (which is otherwise about different approaches to assessing behavior) for one small paragraph and the idea of “culture” is there, but it’s a very dominant approach to the idea of families and focuses on a disconnect, a deficit view of families who have different beliefs. The authors mention that practitioners must understand families, but the section is short and doesn’t have practical strategies or mention systemic inequities that leave families out by design.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book is relevant to current times and practices because these concepts of behavior analysis are currently the gold standard in place across settings. Collecting and using data to understand behaviors and then being proactive and/or teaching replacement behaviors is the current process (and best process) in place. If the audience is university faculty or professionals who train practitioners, the later chapters (3-6) are relevant. Chapter 3 covers treatment for behaviors, which is helpful because after you have assessed behavior, it’s time to teach replacement behaviors and/or be proactive in preventing target behaviors to occur at all. Chapter 4 talks about how to teach FA (e.g., BCBA programs, online programs, simulation) which isn’t contextualized and basically switches the intended audience of the book from students learning to work with students with challenging behaviors to their university instructors. I do like the examples and cases at the end. Chapter 5 is about teaching Functional Analysis in different ways. The role-play method draws on Gardener, which is a pretty dated reference. In chapter 6, the author’s present a new way of teaching FA, the FACT approach. This uses case studies to teach about FA. All of this is good information, but it is unclear who the audience is.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"There are a lot of clear and detailed case studies and materials in the book. The examples and activities are wonderful, but the text is mostly written for advanced audiences, perhaps professionals who are already BCBA certified. For the intended audience, the writing is too advanced and full of jargon. There is a lot of technical language required when trying to understand behaviors, but this text is not approachable overall. The cases and examples are highly approachable, though. It's the chapter content that skews too technical.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This book is consistent in the language and approach to FA and FAn. The structure of the book is clear and predictable. I appreciated the glossary where you can click on words, read the definition and jump back to that point in the book. I like the additional links included and peer review is evident.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"This text is organized in a logical way to be able to assign one chapter at a time. The materials to assess if students did the reading and understand the concepts are all present in the book. There are fillable forms for answering questions about content and also engaging more fully with the case studies. I can envision activities in class that would use the materials provided within the chapters and at the end of the book in the \"resources\" section. The first chapter is less effective in terms of modularity and needs more visuals. Each chapter improves on availability of visuals and examples. If I were using this text in a class, I would probably skip chapter 1 because I don't like how it covered disability. I would start with chapter 2 and supplement that chapter with articles about working with diverse families. The rest of the chapters are fine on their own.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The organization within chapters and between chapters needs work. I can see the intent to start big-picture and move to a more detailed approach of the FACT model, using case studies to teach functional assessment. The organization of the first chapter starts with disability definitions and then moves directly into defining and measurability of behavior and methods. Then it jumps back out to prevalence and risk factors. Chapter 4 talks about how to teach FA (e.g., BCBA programs, online programs, simulation) which isn’t contextualized and basically switches the intended audience of the book from students learning to work with students with challenging behaviors to their university instructors. The overall organization needs work because it is unclear.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is a strength of this text. I like the fillable forms used for questions and assessment protocols. I also like the glossary and how you can jump back to where you were reading because every word as a \"return\" button. Images and charts are clear and not distorted or distracting. I prefer chapters (e.g., 3-6) with more visuals and examples. It might have helped to use appendices more so that case studies and examples don't interrupt the text, but I like taking breaks from large blocks of text to consider and application of what I just learned.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book is clear and technical, but grammar is intact.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Family considerations pop up in chapter 2 (which is otherwise about different approaches to assessing behavior) for one small paragraph and the idea of “culture” is there, but it’s a very dominant approach to the idea of families and focuses on a disconnect, a deficit view of families who have different beliefs or who are from non-dominant communities. The authors mention that practitioners must understand families, but the section is short and doesn’t have practical strategies or mention systemic inequities that leave families out by design. The book is not inherently offensive, but it whitewashes diverse voices and opts out of a real consideration of cultural diversity.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Although I'm not sure who the intended audience is and I didn't like chapters 1-2, I did appreciate the rest of the book. The case studies and examples are wonderful and there is a real overview of the terms and concepts needed to assess and understand behavior.","created_at":"2021-05-11T16:49:08.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-05-11T16:49:08.000-05:00"},{"id":33348,"first_name":"Jennifer","last_name":"Walker","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"University of Mary Washington","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The table of contents is presented with a helpful, clickable option to find information in the text. In addition, the table of contents has a drop down option where an overview of the contents is provided. The book covers a great deal of information about functional analysis and includes several other resources. Each chapter starts with focus questions, contains additional resources, and ends with discussion questions and exercises for the reader. While templates are provided as a resource, these are downloadable, creating some challenges with internet security. The references are extensive and up to date and the glossary provides a lengthy list of terminology. These terms are easily accessed by clicking on red words that take the reader directly to the definition. Overall, it is difficult to discern if the targeted audience are practitioners or those who prepare these practitioners.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The authors used up to date and relevant literature to support this text. In chapter two, the authors note that one reason to use a functional analysis (FA) is because it is required by federal law. This is not an accurate statement and may confuse readers since the law specifies the use of functional behavior assessments (FBAs), not FAs, which are different processes. While the content appears correct from a behavior analyst perspective, it is not completely accurate from an educational standpoint. It may be helpful for the authors to shift the references from the Council for Exceptional Children to High Leverage Practices.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content of this text would be relevant and helpful to anyone working with students or children with behavioral needs. There is a foundational component to the text that describes terminology and basic principles as well as more in depth \"how to\" chapters. While the intended audience is somewhat unclear, this text can benefit both practitioners and those who teach these practitioners. While the text may require small updates as it relates to research based practices and law, little will likely change in the next several years.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The information presented in this text is straightforward and clear for readers. Terms are defined in an easy to understand format that doesn't require extensive background knowledge in behaviorism. The discussion questions and case studies require the readers to home in on the key components from each chapter, which is helpful. In some sections, it would be beneficial to have more concrete examples to ensure understanding. Much like the case studies are written, having a scenario to ground the terms and processes would be a welcome addition.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The framework of this book is extremely consistent, using the same format throughout. There are some inconsistencies with terminology, specifically FAs, FBAs, and FAn, leading to confusion. Overwhelmingly though, the book flows logically and builds upon knowledge from previous chapters.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is easy to read and contains a sufficient amount of charts, tables, graphs, and subheadings. The sections are clearly delineated with headings, creating bite-sized readings. Chapter 1 has less of these visual breaks, but it is still divided into sections. If this text were used in a course, it could be easily parsed out by chapter or section as a stand alone instructional unit. In particular, chapters 4-6 would be an excellent way to teach functional assessment. In addition, the resources provided in chapter 7 could also be used independently of the book, or in conjunction with case studies and discussion questions.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text is well organized and is written in a progressive format (overview of principles to determining functions of behavior). The chapter order is logical and clear. No concerns noted.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The text is presented in a professional manner and uses consistent text font, size, and headings. Each chapter can be viewed in its entirety individually. There are several graphs embedded in the text and each of these are easy to read and understand. Terms are highlighted and these are easy to click on and review. The only challenge with this text is the resources, which are downloads. It would be my preference to be able to view these documents first, and then download them if I was interested.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors were noted in this text.  The text is professionally written.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text includes a section on the family's contribution to the assessment of the individual's challenging behavior, which includes a section on understanding culture. The example provided is helpful for the reader and inclusive of cultural differences. It would be nice to see this woven throughout all of the chapters, with reminders or examples about how culture may impact or influence behavior. The authors do include literature as references, but these instances are concentrated and minimal. Given that cultural differences may influence the results of the FA, additional examples would be beneficial.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, this text is a great resource when teaching about functional analysis. The format is straightforward and easy to read by novice practitioners, which is so important! I will definitely return to utilize portions of the book as well as the discussion questions and case studies.","created_at":"2021-07-13T19:06:19.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-07-13T19:06:19.000-05:00"},{"id":33719,"first_name":"Ben","last_name":"Bryan","position":"Adjunct Faculty, Social Science Department","institution_name":"Rogue Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book seems totally comprehensive. It does a good job of bouncing between clinical definitions, assessment tools and explanations which creates academic credibility from page one. For example, it highlights the differences, strengths and weaknesses of the indirect, observational, and experimental format of assessment. May academic tests focus only on observational and experimental structures as they are the most academic.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"My familiarity with Functional Assessment comes from a master’s level social work perspective primarily with chronic and persistent mental illness. From this perspective, the content in this textbook is completely accurate, unbiased and error free.  The theory, rationale and effectiveness is explained an thorough manner and addresses any counter-intuitive points well.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is up to date and as its assessment based, the content is timeless and could easily be adapted to remain contemporary. It would be fascinating to keep older examples in as behavioral norms change. It uses examples from current situations to illustrate the points and learning objectives.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This text is appropriately clear, it is helpful that there are embedded definitions, assessment tools and links to the glossary. This makes it easy to find more information about a topic without being distracted or easily losing your place. In addition, it is clearly written such that both students new to the idea of functional assessment can follow the material while more experienced readers can incorporate what they already know to deepen their understanding.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework.\tThis book is 100% consistent. As it is academic and addresses the same tools throughout each chapter there is a risk it could contradict itself as some other books do. However, the theory beyond the interventions remain consistent throughout the application to each special-needs application.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This text does rely on itself as the cases build in complexity towards the end of the book. However, it does not seem possible given the content to drastically change that. With that being said, it is organized into coherent, reasonably paced chunks. In addition, as it is organized by population, some content could be left out if this text was being used in a specific program (teachers vs therapists for example).","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in a clear and concise manner. Theories are introduced alongside their intended applications which makes their use grounded and easy to understand. Each chapter is divided into intuitive sub-chapters or modules that progress in a logical manner.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"This text is in a relatively standard e-book online format. The interface isn’t complex, but it is effective and there are no errors or barriers to use present in what I reviewed. \r\nI didn't give full points because it would have been nice to have the Chapters divided into smaller modules with clickable links through the table of contents","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No errors. Sentence structure, grammar punctuation and cadence are all professional and college level.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"This book is not culturally incompetent, however, examples of how cultural diversity could affect functional assessment were noticeably absent. The word ‘culture’ was only used three times in the entire book. The passage below discussed differences exist in culture, but does not provide insight into what those may be or how the assessor should approach people different than themselves. \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\nUnderstanding the family and their culture is necessary when assessing an individual’s challenging behavior. Cultural differences may involve any combination of age, race/ethnicity, social class, sex, language, religion, sexual orientation, ableness (special needs), regionality, and nationality. For instance, a family may come from cultural contexts with very different viewpoints about education and appropriate child behaviors and this may be involved with the occurrence of the individual’s challenging behaviors. The more different the cultural background of the family, the more likely that the individuals involved will face cultural conflicts resulting from those differences (Brown, 2010). This is especially true when sensitive topics or cultural incidents occur. Understanding the family and the cultural context of the family is critical to a comprehensive assessment and treatment. Professionals must ensure that families are part of the process and strive to build a positive, strong partnership with the family.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2022-03-07T13:50:18.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-03-07T13:50:18.000-06:00"},{"id":34373,"first_name":"Kristen","last_name":"Humphrey","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Pittsburg State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text starts with foundational information about challenging behavior.  It then explains what a functional behavioral assessment is and various methods of collecting information for the assessment. Then, development of a behavioral plan is addressed.  These were the topics I was most interested in utilizing, but the text also addresses how to teach this content to others.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found the content to be accurate and consistent with what I know about functional behavioral assessments.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is up to date and it is appropriate for those wanting to conduct FBA and develop behavior intervention plans for children served in special education. Further, it has relevance to other settings where individuals may present with challenging behavior.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The content is presented in an easy-to-understand manner. I plan to use it with undergraduate students and feel confident that the content will be accessible to them.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text was consistent in regard to terminology and style of presentation throughout the chapters.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The content will be easy to assign to students in manageable sections.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in a logical order with foundational information first and higher concepts as one moves through the text.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text displayed appropriately in the online link, in the downloaded pdf, and in the Kindle app for iPad.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I appreciated the respectful language regarding people with disabilities and the ethical considerations that were addressed.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I appreciated the discussion questions, worksheets, and assignment ideas included.","created_at":"2023-01-16T23:20:02.000-06:00","updated_at":"2023-01-16T23:20:02.000-06:00"},{"id":34972,"first_name":"John","last_name":"Romig","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"University of Texas at Arlington","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book provides a thorough explanation of Functional Assessment and its applications in a wide variety of settings addressing diverse behaviors.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found no errors in the book.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The citations are current to when the book was published (2014). Supplementing with more current citations may be useful, but the content of the book does not feel dated.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The glossary is very helpful for explaining technical language used in the book. The book is written at an introductory level for beginners in functional analysis and the writing reflects this intent.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book used technical language consistently throughout and consistently applied the functional analysis framework.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This book is quite short overall. It could easily be included as a module within a larger behavior modification course or assessment course. Within the book, it is also easily divided into smaller modules. It is not overly self-referential (although the material logically builds on previous sections). \r\nThere is a chapter on teaching functional analysis, which might be especially useful to break out into a separate module for behavior analysis supervisors, doctoral candidates, or other advanced users of functional analysis.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The content of the book logically builds on each previous section.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"I found no navigation problems. All links worked. \r\n\r\nA couple things could be improved related to interface: 1. when clicking on links to the glossary, it would be nice if the hyperlink opened a textbox with the definition on screen where I am reading the text, not going to a separate glossary page. 2. some of the tables were difficult to read. It wasn't always clear what information went with which row.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not find any material in the book that was culturally insensitive or offensive. However, given that the focus of the book is functional analysis and reducing some behaviors, I know some people find this concept offensive. I think this is an idea that needs to be roundly rejected in our field, but nevertheless, it persists. The book does not deal with these ethical objections some have to the idea of reducing or eliminating some behaviors.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2024-04-01T09:26:49.000-05:00","updated_at":"2024-04-01T09:26:49.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/instruction-in-functional-assessment","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:36:02.000-06:00"},{"id":207,"title":"Psychology","edition_statement":"2e","volume":null,"copyright_year":2014,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":"","accessibility_features":[],"description":"Psychology 2e is designed to meet scope and sequence requirements for the single-semester introduction to psychology course. The book offers a comprehensive treatment of core concepts, grounded in both classic studies and current and emerging research. The text also includes coverage of the DSM-5 in examinations of psychological disorders. Psychology incorporates discussions that reflect the diversity within the discipline, as well as the diversity of cultures and communities across the globe. The second edition contains detailed updates to address comments and suggestions from users. Significant improvements and additions were made in the areas of research currency, diversity and representation, and the relevance and recency of the examples. Many concepts were expanded or clarified, particularly through the judicious addition of detail and further explanation where necessary. Finally, the authors addressed the replication issues in the psychology discipline, both in the research chapter and where appropriate throughout the book.","contributors":[{"id":3559,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":"Dr.","first_name":"Rose","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Spielman","location":"OpenStax College","background_text":"Senior Contributor Dr. Rose Spielman has been teaching psychology and working as a licensed clinical psychologist for 20 years. Her academic career has included positions at Quinnipiac University, Housatonic Community College, and Goodwin College. As a licensed clinical psychologist, educator, and volunteer director, Rose is able to connect with people from diverse backgrounds and facilitate treatment, advocacy, and education. In her years of work as a teacher, therapist, and administrator, she has helped thousands of students and clients and taught them to advocate for themselves and move their lives forward to become more productive citizens and family members."},{"id":5056,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Kathryn","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Dumper","location":"Bainbridge, Georgia","background_text":"Kathryn Dumper, Bainbridge State College"},{"id":5057,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"William","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Jenkins","location":"Macon, Georgia","background_text":"William Jenkins, Mercer University"},{"id":5428,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Marilyn","middle_name":"D.","last_name":"Lovett","location":"Spelman College","background_text":"Marilyn D. Lovett, Spelman College"}],"subjects":[{"id":42,"name":"Psychology","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"BF121","visible_textbooks_count":51,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/psychology"},{"id":9,"name":"Social Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"H1","visible_textbooks_count":285,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/social-sciences"}],"publishers":[{"id":113,"url":"https://openstax.org/","year":2021,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-06-10T09:34:21.000-05:00","name":"OpenStax"}],"formats":[{"id":155,"type":"Online","url":"https://openstax.org/details/books/psychology-2e","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":156,"type":"PDF","url":"https://openstax.org/details/books/psychology-2e","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":157,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"https://www.amazon.com/dp/1739015568/","price":{"cents":3499,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":4849,"type":"Audiobook","url":"https://audileo.com/openstax-psychology-2e-audiobook/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":50,"reviews":[{"id":187,"first_name":"Karen","last_name":"Pikula","position":"Psychology Instructor PhD","institution_name":"Central Lakes College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook covers all of the areas covered in most general psychology courses. It contains a comprehensive table of contents, as well as a index and the glossary is arranged as end of chapter key terms located at the end of each chapter. I particularly like this arrangement as students have the option printing these and then referencing them by chapter, rather than as a alphabetical list covering the entire book. These can then be used as a resource for studying for chapter post reading quizzes and for unit exams. In terms of covering the subject matter appropriately this text has several valuable features; Everyday connections: connects content to everyday real life situations or examples....I find this to be extremely valuable as this is one of my criterion on my weekly discussion rubric; A What do you think section gives research based information on selected topics of controversy and has students think critically about the topics; Dig Deeper; teaches students to move beyond a typical cursory exploration of specific topics. I like how this aligns with current positive psychology ideals; and Connect the Concepts which connects to like concepts from other chapters and encourages reflection and thought expansion beyond typical topic exploration; Links to Learning connect to additional online sources. There are also end of Chapter Review Summaries and Review Questions which could serve as post reading quizzes, Critical Thinking Questions and Personal Application Questions.  The text often references Positive Psychology concepts and themes, it use current terminology, and includes a chapter on Industrial Organizational Psychology.\r\n","accuracy_rating":2,"accuracy_review":"The text is accurate and is research driven. It is up to date referencing the DSM V. It is error free in as much as I observed. It is one of the texts that I have reviewed that appears to be unbiased. this text may have been written by a team of authors which may have contributed to this. ","relevance_rating":2,"relevance_review":"The content is up to date and arranged in such a way that updates should be relatively easy to implement.","clarity_rating":1,"clarity_review":"The text is written in in a manner that is professionally conversational and enjoyable to read. It is accurate and research based. The authors connect the concepts to real life examples that bring the concepts to life for the reader. The book is beautifully illustrated with colorful and accurate tables, figures, graphs, drawings, and photos relevant to the topics being discussed. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework. The features mentioned in the first paragraph of this review enhance the consistency of the text as well as create networks of connectedness that encourages reader reflection. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is structured in such a way as to allow the instructor to reorganize the order in which to present the chapters. I is structured very much in accordance with typical general psychology texts. It is easy to follow for the reader with sections of text broken into sections of text with each section addressing a main concept of the chapter, with illustrations included within those sections that reinforce the concepts being addressed. All chapters follow the same structure. The structure of the chapters, as discussed in the first entry of this review, follow accepted guidelines of good instructional design. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"the topics in the text are presented in a logical and clear fashion.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"This text is aesthetically a well designed text and chapters and concepts flow well from one to another, building on the concepts introduced in the introductory chapters.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contains no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"This text does address cultural issues, and is not culturally insensitive. It does not address cultural issues as well as the text I am currently using in terms of making it a designed component of each chapter and major concept.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I am adopting this book for three of my classes; General Psychology, Positive Psychology and Honors Psychology. ","created_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":206,"first_name":"Lynn","last_name":"Coffey","position":"Faculty","institution_name":"Minneapolis Community and Technical College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text consists of highly agreed upon content that is typically included in a general psychology textbook and presented in a common order.  One chapter stands out that is not commonly included is Chapter 13, Industrial/Organizational Psychology. I can appreciate the inclusion of this topic especially when tying the APA’s suggested Psychology Major Guidelines and Goal Area 5: Professional Development to the textbook’s content. Where there is a need to increase awareness of this field, there are many subfields that are valuable and should also be exposed to the undergraduate student. I would recommend a chapter on careers in psychology that provides information on subfields such as: forensic psychology, industrial/organization, school psychology, sport psychology, and more.  \r\n\r\nThe index and chapter glossaries are well organized with an alphabetical format and active links that lead you back to the chapter where the term and its definition is located. One suggestion would be to include the chapter number alongside the page number to increase the reader’s recall of prior information. The glossary/index would be more effective if an audio option was available for terms. Furthermore, such a feature would be frequently used if located in the margin of the text, near the term. The reader would likely be looking for such a feature because the textbook has the option to be available online.\r\n","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The textbook has clearly been reviewed by a team and appears to be error free. Areas where accuracy could be improved were in Chapter 9 on Lifespan Development. Kohlberg’s Moral Reasoning theory is compared to Gilligan’s theory. It would be useful to the student to include a chart or link to a table outlining Gilligan’s theory. In this comparison, a point to highlight is that research has shown there is little substantiated evidence that suggests females morally reason differently compared to males. In most experts’ view, males and females are more similar in their moral reasoning than not.\r\n\r\nIncluding the classic chart of Sensitive Stages in Prenatal Development is important as such a chart is the framework for understanding severity of birth defect. For chart example see this link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/11304375@N07/7178272407/\r\nI did not find any glaring examples of biased information.\r\n","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Throughout the textbook content addresses timely topics. For example, in the Social Psychology chapter topics such as ageism, bullying and cyberbullying are presented. Content is also up-to-date by relying on current information throughout the pedagogical features such as Everyday Connections, What do you think?, Dig Deeper, and Connect the Concepts. The Linked to Learning features are highly relevant because these interactive exercises and animations are current and tie back to the content of the chapter and provide an opportunity for the student to engage. Using many external websites will require diligence to check for broken links. I personally believe the use of these external websites outweigh the routine of checking for broken links.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The authors’ writing style is highly commendable. I enjoyed reading through the text because I continued to look forward to the next information. The authors convey psychological concepts and theories with strong examples to help illustrate the technical terms and psychological concepts. Terms are easily found as they are in bold font. Terms are explained concisely and within the context of an example. This helps the learner understand how psychology connects to our everyday lives. \r\n\r\nAdditionally, I have found the text to convey excellent discussion on certain topics. For example, in the Chapter on Learning the opener focused on defining and comparing the concepts of instinct and reflex. I was impressed with the clarity at which the authors explained the differences between instinct and reflex. This was truly refreshing. \r\n\r\nAnother example of clarity is in the Psychological Disorder chapter. Students are provided with Figure 15.4 which gives prevalence of the most frequented psychological illnesses in the US. Students will also appreciate the purpose and function of the DSM V in comparison to the diagnostic quality of ICD.   \r\n","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"There is much consistency in the use of terms and overall framework. Chapter openers provide an engaging teaser about the chapter topic. Each chapter begins with a picture, some description of the picture, how it relates to the topic, and an overview of what the reader will learn in the chapter. I didn’t see any examples where the use of terms were inconsistent.\r\nConsistency is obvious in the layout of each chapter as described in item number seven below.\r\n","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"If an instructor was interested in rearranging the order of chapters or developing a more customized version of the textbook, he/she could with little challenge. The text is designed to have flexibility to reorganize and select sections of the text, yet retain its flow from section to section. This may be one of the reasons that the chapters are not too lengthy and are concise in explanation.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"This text is well organized and transitions from section to section and chapter to chapter by keeping the reader engaged. The strong organization of this text no doubt helps the reader to stay engaged with the content. The information is presented concisely and poignantly. The authors’ approach in using examples provides the reader with a deeper understanding of the material while not sacrificing detail. There is just the right amount of detail provided throughout each chapter. The amount of detail allows the reader’s understanding to flow smoothly from one concept to the next.\r\n\r\nAs noted in item number five above, the start of each chapter has a uniform format. There is also a uniform structure regarding the layout of each chapter. Most chapters have 4-6 subsections on average. Chapters covering Thinking and Intelligence, Personality, and Psychological Disorders are lengthier and have more than 6 subsections.\r\n\r\nEach chapter ends with a glossary, a summary, review questions, critical thinking questions, and personal application questions. Sprinkled throughout each chapters are the varying pedagogical features of Everyday Connect, What do you think?, Dig Deeper, Connect the Concepts, Link to Learning, and Personal Applications.\r\n\r\n\r\n","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"A few additions to improve the book’s interface would be beneficial. Use of the Adobe Reader features provides the reader with tools to navigate the textbook easily. Since students vary in their software knowledge and computer skills, it would be helpful to include a section in the textbook that is dedicated to describing “How To” use tools such as bookmarks, sticky notes, and highlight text. A textbook and Adobe Reader orientation guide or tutorial video would increase the students’ knowledge about the textbook features and how to use Adobe Reader tools to navigate information in the text. Such a guide or tutorial would also increase the students’ desire to read the textbook and navigate it masterly.\r\n\r\nI did find an error message when I clicked on the Personal Application questions #49 in the Social Psychology chapter. The error message stated, “This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Candid Camera.”\r\n\r\nHere are a list of minor issues which impact the reader’s experience with the textbook.\r\n•\tWhat do you think? -  title should be moved from 233 to 234.\r\n•\tDig Deeper title should bere located from top of page 132 to 133 \r\n•\tThe Dig Deeper title should be relocated from 479 to page 480\r\n•\tMove Dig Deeper title from 538 to 539. \r\n","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"While reading through the text, I did not find any obvious grammatical errors. ","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Throughout the text, a good balance of citing research that demonstrates cultural relevance is used. Including a description of the indigenous approach in the personality chapter is a great example of how the authors are paying attention to the influence that culture has in our lives. Depicting the importance of culture in relation to motor development is another good example of how the authors are addressing culture. Other examples of the authors' effort is when details regarding the Ache´ society in Paraguay and their delay in walking is compared to western toddlers. Chapter seven cites research from German and Barrett. This research demonstrates the impact culture has on functional fixedness. \r\n\r\nThere are some chapters that mention culture but do not explain well the cultural influence. For example, in chapter four a more detailed discussion about dreams and culture would be useful. An expanded discussion on attachment and how it varies from culture to culture in chapter nine is needed. \r\n","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Readability Score- Adopting a textbook that is well written and readable to the majority of the students is a critical task as an educator. Knowing that there is a wide range of students’ reading levels in a class, conducting a brief readability assessment is helpful. The assessment used five different passages, each from a different chapter, to identify the textbook’s readability score. The assessment can be found at  www.readabilityformulas.com. The average score based on five different passages was\r\n\r\nBased on the five passages and the use of 8 readability formulas, the text was scored at high school 11th grade to college graduate. The reading level is evaluated as difficult to read.\r\n\r\n\r\n","created_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":290,"first_name":"Virginia","last_name":"Clinton","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"University of North Dakota","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book does a good job of covering the main areas of psychology. Obviously, no book, especially an introductory textbook can cover everything, but I don't see that critical areas of interest to an introductory audience are missing.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I did not note any bias, but unfortunately I noted two major errors, for which I submitted errata. These were on conflating the previous diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome with the current term Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and stating that \"excessive maternal drinking\" causes it. My concern is that a student would read this and think only large amounts of alcohol are harmful when moderate drinking can cause FASD.\r\nThe other major error had to do with an incorrect example of negative punishment. Given how difficult this topic is for students, I cannot adopt this textbook until this error is corrected.\r\n\r\nFinally, there were occasionally areas where the terminology seemed a little off, but not necessarily incorrect. For example, the term “resistant attachment” isn’t used in any of Ainsworth’s work that I’m aware of. There are two types of avoidant (insecure and ambivalent).\r\nIn the unit on Memory, the Stroop effect is related to interference, not necessarily sensory memory (although sensory memory is involved). Sperling's sensory memory studies would be better examples.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book is current, but I imagine the connections to recent events will become dated soon and require updating (the Trayvon Martin case, Marissa Mayer's ban on telecommuting at Yahoo, etc.). \r\n","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is well written and clear. Technical terms are explained well. Learning objectives are clearly stated before each section.\r\n\r\nThere are usually real-world examples either from famous events or day-to-day life for concepts, which is very helpful for students.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The textbook appears to be consistent from chapter to chapter in the writing and the layout.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"There are smaller units within each chapter that can be assigned or covered as part of a day's lesson. Obviously some ideas in psychology build on each other so the units are not completely independent, but the textbook could be reorganized without major issues.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Psychology is such a broad field that introductory textbook topics can feel disjointed no matter what. However, this books seems to do a good job presenting the topics in a logical structure.\r\n\r\nThere are a couple areas for improvement. For example, I'm not sure why eating disorders and gender dysphoria are with Emotion and Motivation rather than Psychological Disorders. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The book is visually appealing with crisp resolution. I like that you can click on the chapter name and be immediately brought to it. Students can also click on the video links to view.\r\n\r\n","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any spelling or grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Cultural variations in development and the incidences of eating disorders are discussed. The influence of culture on defining intelligence is mentioned. More specifics on culture with citations rather than broad generalities would be better.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"The visuals in this textbook could be improved-- it definitely needs more relevant visuals. There are some stock photos that are relevant, but more pictures of studies (e.g., participants doing the study or the study stimuli) would be better. For example, Harlow’s studies on monkeys and attachment are nicely described, but a photo of the two “mother” monkeys would really help students understand what happened. The video that is linked to this section is very nice, but I”m not sure how many students will take the time to view it. More visuals like the one outlining theories of emotional response on page 360 would also be great.","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":421,"first_name":"John","last_name":"Holden","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Winona State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers all of the areas that I typically cover (and areas covered in other introductory textbooks), with the inclusion of a chapter on health psychology/stress/motivation and a added plus of a chapter on industrial/organizational psychology, which is rare for an introductory textbook (and highly welcome). References cited are a mixture of classics and new. The book includes both an index and a comprehensive list of references. Overall, I am throughly satisfied with the range of psychology subfields surveyed in this text and the depth with which each subfield is explored. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Only one notable error was discovered; in the second chapter, when discussing the statistical basis of tests, there seems to be a casual discussion of what seems to be Type II error which should actually be a discussion of Type I error. Other than that, I was unable to find much in the way of errors. Having several sets of eyes on the text during its development was probably beneficial in this respect. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"My only concern was that the chapter on personality seemed to spend a great deal of time discussing psychoanalytic/psychodynamic approaches that are less relevant now than they were in their heyday, which I supposed can be chalked up to tradition (as every introductory psychology book does this). There's little use in spending significant time discussing Freud's long out-of-favor theories on the development of personality in this day and age at the expense of more modern and valid approaches. Other than that, the book does an good job of mixing in classic, long-lived research and newer cutting edge research. References to the most recent version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association help ensure that the book will remain relevant for several more years (at least with regards to its discussion of psychopathology.) ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is clearly and engagingly written and seems wholly appropriate for all levels of college students, and could even be the basis of a AP course for high school students. Technical terms are highlighted and explained in depth. Paragraphs are kept short and concise, which is important in engaging underclassmen (especially those who are not psychology majors). The chapters on research methods and biopsychology, which are typically the hardest to understand, are well-written and easy to digest relative to other books I have seen. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Consistency is not a problem despite multiple authors. Chapters are structured in similar ways, beginning with a relatable story or anecdote and leading logically from point to point, spending about a page on major points and half a page on subsections. In this way the book manages to be consistent without being predictable. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This books could be easily rearranged as each chapter (other than the first two) can stand largely on their own. Each chapter is divided up into logical subunits so that when assigning readings, it would be easy to identify areas of a chapter to focus on and areas to be skimmed or skipped entirely. It would not be necessary to cover this book in the order in which chapters are presented, which is good for those of us who use an atypical presentation order. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This is one of the easiest-to-read textbooks I've ever read owing in large part to the organization and flow of the text. Each point leads logically to another. The authors make sure to deviate regularly from abstract and technical details to personal and relatable stories or cases of interesting research to maintain engagement (the Dig Deeper and Everyday Connection sections are very helpful in this regard.) The most difficult section for many students in introductory psychology is explaining research, but this book does a very good job of covering the material in a way that can be understood by a typical freshman. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Charts are present in a simple fashion (mostly simple bar graphs and the like). Images are clear and colorful and add to rather than detract from the presentation. The books provides links to interesting videos on YouTube that are helpful in illustrating concepts (although as other reviewers have noted, the viability of some of the links may be questionable). The layout is not confusing or rambling but straightforward and concise. I saw no problems with display features. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any grammatical errors. This book is better edited than most textbooks I have read.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The impact of culture and ethnicity on behavior is noted several times throughout the textbook. or example, the chapter on industrial-organizational psychology discusses the concept of immutable characteristics and discrimination in hiring. Sections on stereotyping and prejudice are included in the chapter on social psychology. Effects of culture on motor development and functional fixedness are also included. Adding more material on cross-cultural psychology would be a plus. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This book includes test banks and PowerPoint presentations, available through the OpenStax website, both of which would be highly useful for instructors who were adopting their first textbook for Introductory Psychology. Each chapter contains at its end a series of review questions, both multiple choice and short answer, as well as thought questions. \n\nI will be adopting this book for use in my introductory psychology class. This book equals or exceeds the quality of introductory psychology books that can cost hundreds of dollars more. ","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":426,"first_name":"Mike","last_name":"Harman","position":"Associate Lecturer","institution_name":"University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Similar to the vast majority of introductory texts, this textbook covers all major areas within the science of psychology. The main concepts are nicely illustrated and discussed within the respective chapters. Beyond covering the \"basics,\" this text also introduces more novel areas of study in psychology (e.g., Industrial/Organizational Psychology, 13.4 Human Factors). Though these areas are relatively new and lack the abundance of research that more established areas contain, I believe that students would appreciate learning about the variety of areas that Psychology degrees can be applied. \n\nThe \"Dig Deeper\" components in each chapter nicely prompt readers to critically evaluate the discussed concepts. For students that are serious about Psychology, these components not only prompt further research and investigation into concepts, but occasion a nice opportunity to practice ever-necessary critical thinking skills. For those that are teaching an introductory course in which group discussion is possible, the \"What Do You Think\" components can be used to prompt student-student conversation: discussion may ensue that helps to expand understanding of concepts and thus, increases the comprehensiveness of this text.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Throughout the text, I found no glaring errors. The authors used a great deal of diligence by including many citations and references. Where there were contrasting understandings of behavior (e.g., behavioral vs. cognitive views on learning/language), the authors nicely introduced the competing viewpoints and further discussed the various interpretations without displaying any noticeable bias. Readers of this text are continually provided with the necessary information to evaluate contrasting viewpoints. Students that wish to further their understanding on particular concepts/viewpoints can use the many references for further reading.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"All chapters contain discussions of seminal research in a particular area as well as more recent citations (within 5 years) explaining how a field or understanding has progressed from its genesis to present. When updates or changes are necessary, authors may just fold them in as further developments in the \"research timeline\" of sorts. Where that is not possible (or advisable), changes could be easily implemented with newer information. As a general suggestion, novel research findings might be folded in by briefly discussing the finding and then have students compare/contrast with older findings via a \"Dig Deeper\" or \"What Do You Think\" question.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The authors of this text do a fine job at introducing concepts in a clear, concise, and parsimonious manner. Where further elaboration or deconstruction is necessary, the authors use already established concepts/vocabulary to further understanding. When jargon cannot be avoided, the authors include many (i.e.,) parentheses. Though these parentheses may disrupt flow at times, readers will generally appreciate the added information. Similar to newer introductory texts, this textbook is written in such a format that it reads like a story of sorts (i.e., it is written more as a review of research than a reference text).","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text remains consistent with regard to terminology and general construction. At times, particular author's writing style will be evident, but these instances do not seriously disrupt flow or understandability. Personally, I would like to see slightly less consistency between chapters as it relates to terminology and construction. I think that this would help students to adjust the collective approach of science. However, for an introductory text, I can certainly understand why consistency is necessary.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"One of the strongest components to this textbook is that it is highly modular. With, perhaps, the exception of the first two chapters (Introduction and Research Methods), these chapters could be read independent of the context provided by preceding/following chapters. I think that this is especially nice as it increases the flexibility of teaching an introductory course. Further, it increases the further use of this text as a reference to \"freshen up\" on the various sub-disciplines. \n\nGiven my praise for the modularity of this text, I would like to see a bit more inter-connectedness between chapters. Occasionally, references are made to direct readers to other chapters in the text, but direct reference to previously covered material may help to communicate to students that the disciplines in Psychology are not mutually exclusive to one another.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The textbook chapters and sections within each chapter are organized in such a way that the information logically builds from simple (or seminal) concepts to more complex (or recent) concepts. Within each chapter and sub-section, clear objectives are stated that guide the flow of information and help readers to organize concepts in a logical manner. Though not in all chapters, most chapters open with a general question of interest and then proceed to answer the question via a variety of different angles. This structure is beneficial to students as it provides a nice exemplar to the scientific method and overall research process. \n\nMost introductory textbooks display this same general construction by first introducing all the various fields and understandings of behavior (i.e., Biopsychology, Social Psychology, etc.) and then conclude with a brief discussion of Clinical Psychology. This general construction is reflected in this text and readers will benefit from gaining a solid foundation in the science of Psychology before contacting the more applied components of Clinical Psychology.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I had no issues at any point in the text with navigation, image distortion, or the general interface. Some of the images contained an abundance of credit references, which may distract readers from properly interpreting images/charts. I realize that this may be an issue that cannot be avoided, but I might suggest using a different font size/font color for credit references to help discriminate image/chart notes from this information.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The grammar was stellar; reflective of a very solid editing process.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Readers are routinely exposed to a variety of examples that take from many different cultures and perspectives. I think a real strong point of this text is its cultural competence. Many areas in the text explicitly recognize the influence of culture on the science of Psychology (e.g., 11.8 Cultural Understandings of Personality). That being said, most introductory texts have begun to include entire chapters specifically dedicated to discussing the role of culture in the study of behavior -- a chapter of this sort is unfortunately missing in this textbook. Though it may not be necessary per se, a \"Cultural\" chapter will help students to directly contact this ever-important information.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This text provides an analytical and logical approach to the scientific study of psychology. I would recommend that instructors seriously consider incorporating this text into their course. Beyond the benefits to the students of open access textbooks, this text contains a number of ancillary resources to instructors (i.e., slides, test banks). As a new instructor, I value these resources and often make my textbook decisions based on them.","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1095,"first_name":"Nora","last_name":"Gibbons","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Saint Paul College: A Community and Technical College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers all of the standard introductory psychology chapters and content. Infrequently, minor, anticipated content is not included (e.g., the serial position effect is not present in the memory chapter), though this can usually be easily remedied by incorporating information from other open source texts.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The text is clearly written by experts with substantial academic experience. The only error I’ve encountered in the text is in the learning chapter, under the ”Punishment” subheading. The word “aversive” is not accurate in the following quotation:\n      “In negative punishment, you remove an aversive stimulus to decrease behavior. For example, when a child      misbehaves, a parent can take away a favorite toy. In this case, a stimulus (the toy) is removed in order to decrease the behavior.”","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The textbook includes the standard range of relevant research in psychology, from  foundational, classic studies to current research and topics of interest. As contemporary photos and highlighted text boxes become dated, they can readily be identified and exchanged in subsequent updates.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Key terms are highlighted and defined both within, and at the end of, each section. Concepts are typically demonstrated with real-life examples which most students will find relevant. The illustrations and links are impressive and thoughtful additions.\n\nThe reading level may be challenging for many community college students. Although major terms are clearly defined and demonstrated with examples, I’ve occasionally edited the text with simpler language and supplemented it with brief definitions and explanations.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The lay-out is very consistent throughout the text. Each chapter is divided into fairly brief sections, each of which includes summaries at the beginning and end, subheadings, highlighted boxes with the label “openstax” which direct students to links, and highlighted text boxes which contain interesting, collateral material.\n\nMajor terms are highlighted in the text and repeated, with definitions, in the “glossary” at the end of each section. Each section also ends with multiple-choice review questions, as well as “critical thinking questions” and “personal application questions” which are substantive and encourage depth of processing. These questions would be useful for in-class discussions, assignments, and/ or exams.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"With the exception of the 1st three chapters, there is great flexibility in the order of chapter presentation and in the selection of particular chapter sections. The text does a good job of reintroducing concepts across chapters. For longer or more complex chapters, brief definitions or reminders/cues of difficult concepts across sections (within chapters) might be beneficial, and can easily be added.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Topics are presented in a clear manner, and there is a logical progression of information within chapters. Textbooks, and psychology teachers, vary in the importance they assign to different topics. Not surprisingly, some topics that are peripheral in other general psychology texts are presented with greater length, and this may detract a bit from those that are considered more central. I have deleted or edited information when my judgments about relevance differ from those of the authors.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is liberally sprinkled with links to engaging activities, self-inventories, and interesting videos which complement the text and add a personal dimension. The illustrations are carefully chosen and real assets to the written material.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text is well-written, with no grammatical deficiencies noted.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Cultural relevance is a strength of the text. It seems that every chapter Includes references to cultural diversity that are more wide-ranging than is typically seen in introductory textbooks. The test bank incorporates diverse names. One area of concern, though, is links to videos that do not include closed captions.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This is an excellent introductory psychology textbook.","created_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1355,"first_name":"Beth","last_name":"Cooper","position":"Senior Lecturer","institution_name":"University of Tennessee","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book follows the standard format and content of all other intro psych books.","accuracy_rating":2,"accuracy_review":"This is a mediocre text at best and reads like it was written by people whose understanding of the material rests on their reading of other introductory texts or having only taught the introductory class. My comments are limited mainly to the chapters on which I most regularly teach entire courses, research methods, biopsychology and learning.  In chapter 2, Psychological Research, there is a fair amount of space devoted to the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning including a confusing and poorly explained example of faulty logic (Quackers the duck). This could be dropped for a more relevant discussion on the distinction between science and other ways of knowing (authority, experience, logic). Also, like many books, they use the term “observational research” when referring to case studies which may give students the erroneous impression that observations are not part of experiments. This text, however, then has several more paragraphs on naturalistic and structured observations which helps,  As expected there is quite a bit of space devoted to correlation versus experimental research and that they are different. However there is no good explanation that how data are collected is the key between association and causal claims. The section on experiments does cover manipulation of the IV, but the section on correlation pretty much just repeats the correlation-does-not-equal-causation mantra without explaining how this arises from having only measured (and not manipulated) variables. This is an area where most Intro books fail their readers and it is left to a required research methods course to teach this to their majors unless instructors specifically fill in this weak part of the material. \n\nThe biopsychology chapter (3) is always a challenge. I like that this book doesn’t go into too much detail (e.g. there isn’t a specific number given for the resting potential of neurons except in a figure) though it leaves some terms undefined (polarization) which can be confusing. There is just a brief introduction to drugs and their effects in the brain with a chart that lists major neurotransmitters but not examples of drugs that mimic or impair them in the table. The terms agonist, antagonist, and re-uptake inhibitor are introduced but only two examples provided. It would be worth telling the reader this material will be covered in more detail in chapter 4. Unfortunately though, chapter four then provides a superficial introduction to the topic of psychopharmacology. For example alcohol is discussed only as a GABA agonist and not also as a glutamate antagonist thus missing an easy opportunity to illustrate these terms and with a drug that is often abused by the people taking this course.\n\nThe learning chapter (6), as usual, is the most problematic of those I read closely. First, the authors use the academically outdated term “instinct” possibly in place of modal action pattern. Perhaps this is meant to capitalize on the lay idea students will have about in-born behavior, however the term instinct is never defined but rather described as something different and more complex than a reflex. The common approach of discussing “three basic learning processes” (classical, operant, and social learning) is used, even though the idea that these categories have distinct underlying processes has long been discarded by learning theorists. I don’t mind organizing the topics in this manner but it would be worth pointing out to the reader this is done only for simplicity and does not reflect our current understanding of how learning works. According to earlier reviews outright errors in the Learning chapter have already been corrected (incorrect examples of negative reinforcement) yet the authors still manage to confuse the use of the term negative. While they explain that positive and negative refer to the addition or subtraction of a stimulus (which is not completely accurate, these words actually describe the contingency between a behavior and its consequence) they still use the term incorrectly in the following sentence, “The pressure is the negative stimulus that the horse wants removed”. Here they’ve used negative to assign a hedonic value to a stimulus, when it needs to denote that fact that pressure was removed as a result of the horse’s behavior. They also occasionally substitute the term “undesirable” for the proper term “aversive” again introducing the idea of emotion where it doesn’t belong. I am perplexed that OpenStax has yet to find an editor with enough background in learning theory to clean up this chapter as it still contains these errors that unfortunately are common in Introductory Psych texts.\n\nA spot check of another content area revealed a common shortcoming as well. The discussion of the Stanford Prison Experiment in chapter 12 made no mention of the work demonstrating sampling bias in those who volunteered for Zimbardo's study thus calling into question the external validity of that famous experiment (see Carnahan \u0026amp; McFarland, 2007.) Again, this is not uncommon in other Intro Psych textbooks but that is hardly a compliment. The real question is why don't we have more higher quality texts to choose from and why do we put up with books that recycle misconceptions year after year? The answer to that question regarding the current text of course is \"its free\".","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This text is no better or worse than any other intro text in this regard. The authors show their age however (and reliance on past textbook examples) by talking about putting quarters in a slot machine. Slot machines that accept actual coins are antiques this day in age.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"There is no voice or personality in this text which makes it a dry read, presumably because this was a group effort. There is clearly an effort to temper the vocabulary so students will not be put off by too much disciplinary jargon which is much appreciated, but there is also no attempt at humor or establishing rapport with the reader so it will put them to sleep about as fast as their calculus text.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"It is consistently a pretty dry read, but I do appreciate that it hangs together like a real book and not like a piece meal of articles that swing wildly in style or approach. Students don't expect to be entertained by their textbooks so this is not as harsh a criticism as it appears.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Like any intro text you can easily change the order of the chapters to suit your personal preference.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Satisfactory; not unlike any other intro text.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"This was easily downloaded, the links work - this is why I'm adopting the book despite its many shortfalls - students can easily get it and navigate the chapters.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Good; I did not come across grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"There was an obvious attempt to make the book culturally relevant by inserting a variety of names in the examples. Unfortunately many of these appear quite stereotyped - Manuel the fast food restaurant manager, Joaquin the soccer player.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Again, this is a mediocre text at best and reads like it was written by people whose understanding of the material rests on their reading of other introductory texts or having only taught the introductory class. However, I believe a mediocre text that is accessible and more likely to be used by every student is preferable to a superior text that only some students will access and use. Notably, I've only twice found texts that are exactly what I would want for my courses. The fact that textbooks are not perfect is an important reason why instructors still play a critical role in the classroom. The fact that this is openly sourced and easily edited I hope that this and future reviews will be used to continuously increase the quality of this text. Finally, a textbook with flaws offers an opportunity to show students they need to be skeptical of any source which is a crucial lesson I'm happy they'll learn. I may even create an assignment where students evaluate sections of the text so it offers an educational opportunity, though probably not one the authors intended when writing.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1404,"first_name":"Christy","last_name":"Porter","position":"Senior Lecturer, PSYC, and neuroscience faculty affiliate","institution_name":"College of William and Mary","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"My college divides Introduction to Psychology into two semester-long courses: Intro to PSYC as a Natural Science and Intro to PSYC as a Social Science.  These courses serve as requirements for PSYC majors \u0026amp; minors, NSCI majors, and as requirements in the liberal arts curriculum.  I teach both intro PSYC courses, but have only used this textbook in the Natural one.  I have used the text twice in a class of 270 and a class of 10. The textbook is sufficiently comprehensive for use in a traditional 4-yr college where most intro PSYC students are in their first or second year.   \n\nIn reviewing the chapters, I found only two places I would prefer more information.  One was in Ch. 4, where I could use more information on why we sleep as explained by a restorative theory.  The second is that the details on HM are very thin in the chapter on memory.  I know there are more details in Ch. 3 Biopsychology, but the information is better placed in Memory. Otherwise, the information is present and broad enough for the courses I teach.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"For the amount of information presented, the text is more-or-less accurate.  I was really glad to see use of the DSM5, for instance, which means that some sections have been updated since 2013.  \n\nHowever, the textbook is inaccurate in some places, and out of date in others.  For instance, Ch. 4 US life expectancy is presented as 73-79 as cited in Singh and Sianpush, 2006.  The CDC and other sources put this number at 78.8 years (2014). Breaking down by race/ ethnicity and sex doesn't explain the numbers currently found in Ch. 4. \n\nCh. 5 has, in at least two places, confusing diagrams of the eyeball.  Both diagrams show a pale blue band across the eye from the pupil to the optic nerve.  It's not labeled or explained (that I could see).  There is no structure that forms a bridge spanning the posterior chamber in the human eye.  If the band represents the path of light, this is also a problem because the band reaches the optic disc, not the fovea.  \n\nCh. 6 has the examples of classical conditioning are both incorrect and confusing.  Students sometimes have difficulty with classical conditioning, so the examples should be simple and precise.  The example of a dog avoiding the edge of the yard is problematic. The text describes the shock as a US, and discomfort as the UR, the edge of yard as a CS and avoiding that area as a CR.  The CR is the problem.  CRs are always reflexes.   If the CR were listed as fear, anxiety, increased heart rate, that would be OK.  But the text says the CR is the dog's avoidance of walking to that area.  Walking is a voluntary behavior reinforced by preventing the shock.  Or, walking is a voluntary behavior and the dog has been punished for getting too close.  The Everyday Connection Box on Stingray City makes the same error. The text identifies the US as conch, the UR as eat, the CS as boat noise, and he CR as eat.  Eating is an unclear example of a physiological reflex.  Swallowing is a physiological reflex, but not one the vacationers are going to be able to identify.  Then, the textbox says the stingrays disappear, which is, again, clearly operant, but not labeled that way.  Third example of the baby \"probably salivating\" but also \"reaching for the bottle\" conflates these types of associative learning again.  The ice cream truck example IS a good example of classical conditioning.  \n\nIn the same chapter on learning, some updating is in order regarding the Box on Gambling. Although NE is involved in gambling, the role of dopamine is far more important in addictions, whether it's to drugs or behaviors.  See Bergh,et al, 1997, De Castro et al, 1997, Comings, et al, 1996, Linnet, et al, 2012, and Anselme and Robinson, et al,","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"In general, I am moderately distracted by the citation dates, which look like they have not had a thorough updating in 4-5 years.  The addition of the DSM5 is terrific but bipolar disorder is no longer commonly referred to as manic depression.  If possible, updating the citations is important in order to get current information, but also to tell the readers you care about being current and have thought of these things.    \nI also had some thoughts about cultural references (below) which make the text look dated.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The clarity, expect in the Ch. 5 and Ch. 6 examples above is good.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Consistency seems to be very good.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modularity is very good.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Organization is pretty good.  I couldn't quite tell why something made it into the \"Introduction\" of chapters instead of in some more specific section, but I suppose those are editorial choices.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"There were no navigation issues, but I found the images were, at times, of poorer quality than I would like.  Words in the images were sometimes blurry, and I wondered why text couldn't be wrapped around the photos to smooth and standardize page layout.   More information could also be added to images (example, the image of brain hemispheres only shows one hemisphere, and nothing else.  Perhaps images could be combined in some instances to convey more information? Perhaps combine Fig. 3.20 and 3.21?  The image of the somatosensory cortex does show the homunculus, but there's no image of where SS cortex is in the brain.  \n\nCharts were welcome and well-constructed.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Very good.  Found only one error. (\"The Bell curve\" in the section on intelligence made me think the text was referring to Richard Herrnstein's book, The Bell Curve, but it wasn't.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Pictures and examples clearly made an effort to be inclusive, so the efforts were appreciated!  Some of the language may need freshening.  I want my students to be aware of Deaf culture/identity (What do you think box), but the word \"deaf\" with a lowercase \"d\" means an audiological condition, while the word, \"Deaf\" with an uppercase \"D\" expresses Deaf culture.  And a reference to ASL as being its own language might be useful.  The word \"normal\" might best be replaced by \"typical.\"  The section on autism could be clearer on the ENORMOUS RANGE of abilities for people on the spectrum, instead of concentrating on the most disabling aspects, as if this is what a diagnosis of autism looks like in everyone.  The inclusion of gender identity is great, but I didn't know why gender identity as defined and then went straight into dysmorphic disorder.  (There isn't anything to mention between ID and pathology?)","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I will continue to use OpenStax, in both of my courses, because it covers enough topics well as an introductory textbook, and I appreciate the effort made to keep it a relevant and useful text","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1557,"first_name":"Carrie","last_name":"Fried","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Winona State University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"Many areas covered well, but there are some topics that are typically of interest to students that are really too brief \u0026amp; skimpy.  These include things like functions of cerebral cortex, dreaming, opioid addiction.  There is no mention of neural networks, jumps right from single neurons to cerebral cortex...","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found no factual errors","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"In this course (intro level comprehensive course) I don't worry too much about the latest evidence. Often students never take another course in Psych.  I think the places where relevance / longevity might be an issue in this text are places where content is too brief (e.g., missing newer thinking on addiction).  Updates on abnormal/clinical seems fine.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The prose seems very clear and accessible.  I thought the case-studies were well-integrated.  Enough info to make the point clearly, and integrated into the text instead of as a separate box, which I like.  ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Seemed good.  It felt like one text written by on author rather than a bunch of modules written by separate distinct authors.  I really appreciated that. ","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"Didn't really seem modular, but I don't like the modular approach so that is fine with me.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Good","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I just viewed it as a PDF which worked fine.  Charts and images were somewhat lacking at times, but the interface was fine.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Didn't see any, but I really didn't read with a copy-editor's eye.  ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Fine","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I teach a one-semester comprehensive into psych course.  I can't quite decide if this text is comprehensive enough or if it is too brief for my liking.  I guess it boils down to do I use a more comprehensive book that students may digest 50% of or this book, which students may actually digest 70-80%....","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1714,"first_name":"Christina","last_name":"Fitzpatrick","position":"Graduate Student Instructor of Record","institution_name":"Miami University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"To be honest I was surprised by the comprehensiveness of this textbook. At first I had a negative perception of open resources as texts that were thrown together without much care or organization. I was completely wrong. The comprehensiveness of this book rivals many other introductory psychology textbooks I've seen.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"During my review of this text I did not spot any inaccuracies or typos.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Like any other introductory psychology text, this textbook focuses on outdated or irrelevant research. However, I think that is necessary for students to understand the development of the field. On a small note, the pictures were updated so they should last for a couple of years without seeming completely outdated like some other texts.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The accessibility of this book is one of it's greatest strengths. This book is technical but is written for introductory students (even high school students). I took a couple of segments of the book and ran them through the reading statistics in Microsoft Word and they continually received a Flesch-Kincaid Grade level score of 9.5-11.0.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I did not notice any glaring issues with consistency.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The modules seemed pretty standard for an introductory psychology text. I always prefer to see more information about psychology texts but this book is unique in having a short research methods/process module. I did appreciate that the authors included a section on industrial organizational research. You don't see that module in many introductory texts.\n","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Similar to the modules, I think this book has a similar organization structure as other text books.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Compared to other open textbooks I've seen, this book was put together in a very clean, concise, and colorful way. Many OER textbooks understandably cut out pictures, case studies, etc. to save time or money when printing. This book looked very similar if not distinguishable to a paid textbook in terms of interface.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Similar to other psych text books.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall I thought this was a great textbook and the fact that is free makes it even better. The only concern I had was that there were no supplementary or instructor resources (e.g., powerpoints, test bank). I understand this is a tall order for an open resource but if you are an instructor who uses these materials, this textbook may not be the way to go. Alternatively, if you do want to use this textbook, you could possibly supplement it with another introductory research textbook.","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1715,"first_name":"Andrew","last_name":"Wrobel","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Rhode Island College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text covers all of the significant aspects of psychology that psychology and other students should have as they move forward in their education. The depth of coverage for each content area is appropriate for students who have never delved into psychology before. The text is written in an engaging style that is not filled with jargon that frequently is off-putting to students. The chapters are divided into logical sections that are quite manageable. The additional information and media presentations (through links) enhance the topics in a way that certainly add interesting side trips for the student. Each chapter ends with a listing of Key Words, summaries of the sections, multiple choice review questions, critical thinking questions, and personal application questions. The majority of the questions are interesting and thought provoking.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book is spot  on for accuracy of the information. The text is well referenced. I particularly like the fact that even the pictures that are compilations from several sources has all of the sources cited.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text is relevant and applicable to today's students. There is a good mix of women's issues and cross cultural information.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"this text is very nearly a joy to read in regards to clarity. The sentence structure is simple and direct. When specific technical terms are used they are placed in an appropriate context and the meanings are clearly defined.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I have been carefully reading the text as I develop PowerPoint slides for each chapter I cover and have not come across any inconsistencies of terminology or presentational style.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"I believe the text can be easily restructured to create a more personalized course. There is some referral back to previous chapters but not to a degree that the earlier material is necessary. The text might say something like \"you may recall...\" and then reiterate the relevant information needed at that point. The material itself is divided into rather small units.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The organization of the text is similar to the great majority of the introduction to psychology texts. It does contain a chapter on I/O psychology, which is becoming more popular. The internal chapter structure is clear and logical.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The links to other information typically work well. There is little distortion to the charts and diagrams. Occasionally some of the diagrams are too small but typically can be zoomed. One potential improvement would be to be able to access a specific page by entering the page number. The thumbnails work, but are a bit cumbersome.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text is written in an infinitely readable fashion. The grammar is clear and accurate.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text's use of culture is not insensitive or offensive in any way. There are times when there appears to be a bit of a stretch to make the material culturally relevant. I typically have classes with a good mix of diversity including foreign students and no one has mentioned any problems with the text.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"My students truly seem to enjoy the text. They typically do not feel overburdened by the readings.","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1850,"first_name":"Christyn","last_name":"Dolbier","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"East Carolina University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book is as or more comprehensive than other publisher-provided Introductory Psychology textbooks I have used, and more comprehensive than another open access Introductory Psychology textbook I have used. The topics commonly covered in Introductory Psychology are covered across each of the chapters. In addition, this textbook has a chapter many others do no - Industrial Organizational Psychology. I like that the Introduction to Psychology and Psychological Research topics are separate chapters, as it is usually too much information for one chapter. Each of the chapters has a glossary.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"As far as I can tell, the content is accurate, error-free and unbiased. I did not detect any particular theoretical leanings or unwarranted emphasis regarding particular ideas in the book - the authors appear to be objective in presenting the material. None of the material is inconsistent with my understanding of this content and the way it is presented in other Introductory Psychology textbooks.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This book was published in 2014 and is relevant for 2014. I am curious how often future updates of this textbook will occur. A lot of the content will stand the test of time as it consists of historical studies and schools of thought, theories, principles and anatomy that will remain consistent. The organization of the chapters into sections should make it relatively easy to update as newer theories gain empirical support, new research is conducted, and our understanding of individual differences (cultural, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, age) in psychological phenomena grows. The only reason I am rating this category a \"4\" is because the book is several years old now and it is unclear when it may be updated next.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"All psychological terms are either in italics or bold and defined in the text where they are introduced and in the glossary at the end of the chapter. The writing is clear and at an appropriate reading comprehension level for an undergraduate Introductory Psychology textbook. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Terms are used consistently in the text within and across chapters, and within frameworks.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The organization of the chapters into sections makes it easy for instructors to assign smaller reading sections if desired. Sections of chapters could be assigned out-of-order/reorganized if instructors want to teach the content in a different order. The use of headings/subheadings, smaller shaded textboxes, and images is effective in preventing enormous blocks of text.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The chapters are organized in a logical fashion. Different Introductory Psychology textbooks organize chapters slightly differently after the first three (intro, research, biology). For example, I am used to then having development come next, whereas in this book development comes much later. In addition, memory builds upon information presented in learning so it would make more sense to me for it to come directly after learning. The topics within the chapters are presented in a logical and clear manner. There are only a few instances where the order of topics within chapters was illogical to me (e.g., \"Gestalt Principles of Perception\" not included under \"Vision\" in the Sensation and Perception chapter; experimental design presented under \"Analyzing Findings\" instead of \"Approaches to Research\" in the Psychological Research chapter). ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I saved the book as a PDF and also interacted with it online. It was easy to navigate both ways and I did not encounter any problems with navigating, distortion of images/charts, or other display features. It would be nice to be able to save individual chapters as PDFs that I could then make available to students.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not detect any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text provided examples of how psychological phenomena vary by culture, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic background. It is culturally sensitive and not offensive in any way.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1957,"first_name":"Noah","last_name":"MacKenzie","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"University of Cincinnati","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book does virtually everything one would want an intro psych book to do, hitting all the major content areas within Psychology, including I/O psych (something of a rarity). It even has a section on auditory localization, which is one of my areas of specialization and something I am grateful has been included.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not detect any errors in the text, and I appreciate that they have integrated the material from the newest version of the DSM. ","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Like many “survey” texts for introductory classes like these, they are at least slightly out-of-date by the time they are published, owing to the breadth and diversity of a field like Psychology. The above notwithstanding, the book should remain relevant for a few years at least. All of the major “classic” findings from Psychology (Gestalt principles, Classical conditioning, Operant conditioning, Conformity, Obedience to authority, etc.) are represented.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text really is extraordinarily clear; in fact I can say this is one of its greatest strengths. Key terms from each chapter are presented in a glossary at the end of that chapter, and technical or jargon-y sounding words are explained at a level that students unfamiliar with Psychology will be able to understand. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Consistency was overall good, with no glaring shifts in tone or voice, even if it was somewhat bland.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Modularity was also very good. As with many texts that accompany introductory (“survey”) courses of this nature, you can present topics in whatever order you choose, though obviously an introduction to Psychology (Chapter 1, here) would arguably need to be presented first.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"One change I would make to the overall organization of the text: I would switch the positions of chapters 7 \u0026amp; 8 so that the topic of learning flows right into memory. I feel this makes for a more logical presentation. Owing to the great deal of modularity this text affords (see above) this is an easy enough change to make.\n","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Navigation through the text was very easy, whether it was the online, ePub, or pdf version of the text. Occasionally links to interesting YouTube videos were present in the text. All the links I clicked on worked; I didn’t seem to have the problems that some other reviewers had.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not see any spelling or grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This seems to be an area where the text shines, with many references to differing cultural perspectives (for example, the chapters on Psychological Disorders and Personality).","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This book does a perfectly utilitarian, workman-like job of describing the major content areas in Psychology. It is not as flashy as some other Intro Psych textbooks, but for the price it really can’t be beat. Indeed, the more experience I have teaching the more I am convinced that “flashiness”, “bells-and-whistles”, whatever you want to call them, are not really much of an influence on whether students are going to read the text, i.e., they’re either going to read it or they’re not — a slightly “free-range teaching” attitude, if you will, but there you go. And if they’re not going to read it anyway, why make them shell out hundreds of dollars for it? I will more than likely adopt this text in the future.","created_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1971,"first_name":"M","last_name":"McCarty","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Texas Tech University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"In general, this Psychology textbook is comprehensive.  It covers the topics one would expect in an Introduction to Psychology course.  The index is accessible, and key terms are defined at the end of each chapter.\n\nUpon closer inspection there are some concerns.  I will use section 9.2 on Lifespan theories as an example.  Four theories are presented.  One of which is Freud’s Psycho-sexual theory, which is neither a lifespan theory nor a core theory of psychology.  Two other theories presented are Piaget’s Constructivist theory and Kohlberg’s stages of moral development.  Neither of these theories are considered lifespan theories.  With Piaget’s theory, there is a mention of how this theory has been applied beyond adolescence though.  There is no such discussion for Kohlberg, though there is an interesting and important discussion of potential male vs female differences.  Erikson’s Psycho-social theory is the best example of a lifespan development theory and is presented.  There are no other well-known global theories of lifespan development, which is likely the reason the author chose the other theories mentioned.  However, there are core principles of what lifespan development is, and this section would be more contemporary, relevant, and comprehensive if these principles were presented.\n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"In general, no inaccuracies were detected.  Certain perspectives are focused on more than others but simply in the way that reflects an individual author's perspective.  For example, several of the initial examples of what psychology is were brain-based whereas psychology is much broader than that.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Many aspects of an induction to psychology course (like history, theories, core concepts, classic experiments) do not change frequently, therefore the text won’t become obsolete anytime soon.  The examples are contemporary and relevant.  ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written clearly and each section is a quick and interesting read.  There is not too much jargon.  New concepts are often introduced with a new header making it easy to find a definition and example of the concept.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"No issues were noted concerning the uniformity of the textbook within or across chapters.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is easily and readily divisible into smaller reading sections that can be assigned at different points within the course ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"No issues were noted.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I was going to recommend that there be an easier way to get to a particular chapter or section of a chapter.  A document of 754 pages, and one in which the PDF page number does not match the book page number, was difficult to navigate.  It was only later that I discovered the Table of Contents (PDF pages 7-9) contain links that take the reader to the desired section.  ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"None detected.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"One concern I have with the textbook is that it primarily views psychology as a universal rather than addressing adequately culture and context.  Some argue that the discipline of psychology is in a state of crisis given the difficulties replicating many experiments, even ones at the core of the field.  Psychology has relied upon undergraduate students and middle-class samples for many of its basic findings.  These \"well-established\" findings are not being replicated consistently: using a different lab, using slightly different instructions, and using different samples of participants often yield disparate results.  In other words, the universality of principles in psychology are being questioned.  The brief mentions of multicultural psychology do not convey adequately the state of the field.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This textbook is a very appealing choice for instructors.  It is an interesting and quick read and, because it is available at no cost, all students will get a copy.  Students will especially appreciate the end of chapter terms, summary, and review questions to help them prepare for assessments.  ","created_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2026,"first_name":"Kate","last_name":"Votaw","position":"Assistant Teaching Professor","institution_name":"University of Missouri-St. Louis","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"While a few specific subtopics were a little light on details, the book covered all of the major areas typically taught in a general psychology class evenly. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book was written in an unbiased and accurate way and I did not come across any errors.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book represented both classic theories in psychology but also supplemented them with updated ideas and research. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book was easy to read and I believe would be clear to people just starting to study psychology as well. Any special terms used were defined and indexed.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The book demonstrated consistency in the tone, style, and level of detail used throughout. ","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"I found the book to be typical for an introductory psychology course textbook. The ideas were definitely divided up into many subsections, but I think the overall chapters were a bit long and could be more modular. ","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"For a book that covers many topics at an introductory level, this book is on-par with many other introductory psychology books. In general, I think that the book would be improved by more connections between chapters and if the chapters were a bit more even in terms of how the material was presented, but about the same as most books on the market in terms of how well it flowed.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface was clear and easy to navigate!","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not come across any grammatical errors as I read this book.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I would consider this book to be culturally inoffensive. There were a number of subsections that were written to highlight the experiences of non-majority members. However, this book did continue a long tradition from introductory psychology books of including the historical data (so, usually data by and from members of American cultural majorities) as the norm and the other data as optional side-topics instead of carefully integrating it together. ","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Generally, I think this book was quite on par with comparable introductory psychology textbooks! It feels a bit more condensed than most textbooks and of course is readily available to our students which are pluses. If you are happy with how most intro psych books are organized and written and are looking for an affordable option for your students, this book should do just fine!","created_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2105,"first_name":"Alishia ","last_name":"Huntoon","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Oregon Institute of Technology","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook covers all relevant chapters for the introductory psychology classes at my institution, which allowed us to successfully and easily adopt it.  If you are looking for less traditional chapters, such as gender and human sexuality, you will not find those in this book, but should consider using supplemental material or incorporating these other topics throughout the chapters currently available in this book.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"In terms of accuracy, this textbook presents the material in an unbiased manner. I have not run across any errors in content and it presents the psychological research and concepts in an accurate manner.  If instructors run across anything needing correction, it is easy to submit a form for errata so that the material can be updated for all.  With a large community of instructors reading and being able to submit changes, the text has been well maintained. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The basic foundation is laid with this textbook.  As with instructors reporting errata, this textbook also has the basics that allow it to be easily maintained. The content provides examples that current students can relate to in order to better understand the material, but is not too “trendy”.  It will maintain its relevance in the years to come. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I found the writing to be accessible to my undergraduate students.  The feedback from students, including high school students who use this book in their high school psychology class, has consistently been positive.  They are able to grasp these new concepts as presented in the textbook. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The flow from chapter to chapter is consistent. Each chapter sounds as if it is presented in the same “voice” and has similar structure, making it easy to move among the chapters.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"This textbook is set up with typical chapter lengths and structure.  It is not presented in a modular format with many smaller sections.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The material in this textbook is organized in a manner that is easy to follow.  It is a solid, general textbook with similar topics grouped together in a logical order.  A clear structure is maintained throughout.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"This textbook does not contain distorted images or figures.  It doesn’t have confusing visuals.  It is easy to navigate through the material and I have not had interface issues with this book.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The writing does not contain distracting grammatical errors.  The ability for instructors to report errata has allowed this textbook to be well maintained.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This textbook is free of culturally offensive writing, images, or examples. A wide variety of students have used this textbook and did not report any concepts as being presented in an insensitive manner.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2193,"first_name":"Jennifer","last_name":"Parta Arno","position":"Psychology Instructor","institution_name":"Minnesota State Community and Technical College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"For an introductory course meant to be comprehensive over a wide range of topics this text seems to do a good job in engaging the student and providing enough depth for interest/learning but not too much to overwhelm.  All major topic areas appear to be covered except I did notice it is missing a Sex, Gender and Sexuality section that is important to integrate, however, an instructor could still provide additional resources to cover those topics. I particularly liked the Link to Learning videos that are available to students and the review questions.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The text appears to be accurate and I didn't notice any errors or it is nice to see the usage of the most recent DSM which is important. Also I appreciate all of the references/sources listed for easy view.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"With the integration of up to date cultural issues and the ability to update frequently this text actually may have a much longer relevancy than most of the texts students buy which are soon outdated. (I am assuming the goal of the e-text is the ability to frequently update?)","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text provides adequate context and uses pictures to try and help relay concepts, however it can be dry at times and may not appeal to all students. The writing level appears appropriate for undergraduate students and their reading level and the use of bold and italics helps in differentiating/emphasizing concepts of importance.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"There appears to be a consistent formatting and terminology used.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I appreciate that the text is organized into sections within the chapters making it easier to present topics in whatever order I would choose as an instructor to assign.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The flow appears good.  I may have chosen to cover Lifespan Development a little earlier in the text, however with the modularity I can switch that up if I so choose.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Interface appeared easy to follow/navigate and I didn't experience any issues.I like that there are different formats to view the text in which is nice.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There are many examples of inclusivity of other cultures and pictures that provide an understanding of other cultures as well. It appears very similar to the book I am currently using for my intro course. Text is culturally sensitive and I didn't find anything that I viewed as offensive.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Overall I was pleasantly surprised with the review of this OER text and I would be excited to implement it in one of my classes.","created_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2521,"first_name":"Ashley","last_name":"Elliott","position":"Instructor of Psychology","institution_name":"Oakland City University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is comprehensive and provides information that is comparable to a typical Introductory Psychology textbook. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Most of the text appears to be highly accurate. I did not favor the section on fundamental attribution error in the Social Psychology chapter. The definition and examples seemed to carry more bias. Perhaps pointing to more research would help.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Some of the videos and resources were quite useful, but others seem outdated and/or in poor quality(for example, p. 424).","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is well-written and contains relevant and interesting material. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The terms used appear comparable to other textbooks on the market.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text includes many sections and provides many references to well-known figures in the field. Something about the text and the layout seems less engaging than a usual textbook. I am less visually engaged with this textbook than the current text that I use.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The layout is organized in a similar manner to other Psychology textbooks.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The links appeared to work, and the images were not distorted.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"One of the videos on page 29 says the link is for a video; however, the link takes the reader to an APA website. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"(I recommend rewording this question to \"The text is written in a way that is sensitive to cultural differences.\") \r\nMany of the sections utilized information regarding various cultures. The images and videos used included individuals with diverse backgrounds. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I appreciate the work that has been invested into this open source text and will seriously consider using the text in the future. The opportunity to save students money would be the sole motivator to move away from my current text.","created_at":"2019-01-14T11:53:09.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-01-14T11:53:09.000-06:00"},{"id":2538,"first_name":"Anika","last_name":"Gearhart","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"Leeward Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers most of the things an introductory textbook normally covers, but is a bit light in some areas. The chapter on Sensation and Perception, for example, is missing quite a bit of information in the areas on taste and smell. Well it's true that these areas are not nearly as researched as vision and audition, there has been significantly more research in the last few years, and so it's no longer acceptable (especially for a textbook that can be easily updated to include new research) for a textbook to be this skimpy on these two senses. There is also no information on multisensory work, which is a recent (but extremely important) area of research. I also thought the subsection on Motivation was a bit light on details.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book seems accurate and unbiased, I didn't find any errors in its description of research or other information.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"As mentioned in my comment on comprehensiveness, I do think this book could cover some more recent research, especially in the areas of cognitive psychology and developmental psychology. I do think that this book will likely lose much of its relevance in a few years (but this is pretty common in a science textbook).","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is easy to read. There is little scientific jargon used, but also very few real-world examples. Inclusion of the latter could better help students understand the concepts they read about.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book was consistent across chapters and ideas and did a good job of presenting terminology in different chapters in a similiar manner.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modularity of this book is good- I could pick and choose and expand on subtopics that are presented, or could choose to reorganize the subtopics if I wanted to without needing to refer back to the book to do so.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"I agree with another reviewer who mentioned that it would be nice to have chapter 8 and 7 switched. Learning and memory are almost inextricable, so having the chapters one after the other tends to make sense. I also like several other psychology textbook models that combine the two last chapters (psychological disorders and psychological treatments), as this allows for students to easily learn about a disorder followed by its treatment.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I didn't find there to be any problems with navigating the chapters or accessing the links. Images were also fine (although there could have been a few more of them).","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I didn't find there to be any grammar errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The cultural inclusion in this textbook is fairly rare in a psychology textbook. Care also seems to have been taken to include images of people from various cultures and backgrounds. There are also a fair amount of examples provided of the ways in which the material applies to various cultures.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"It is clear that there was a significant amount of work invested in this book, and it shows. I do think that a few more examples of recent research could be included, and that the tone could be a bit more exciting, but otherwise, not a bad intro to psychology textbook.","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:10:13.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-01-18T15:10:13.000-06:00"},{"id":2714,"first_name":"Joel","last_name":"Gregor","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"George Fox University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I think this textbook covers all the major themes that I expect to see in an introductory course text. It is impossible to cover everything, but I think this matches the material I have used in other General Psychology courses. I also like that it breaks the material into 16 chapters. Since my semesters are usually 15-16 weeks long, this provides a nice rhythm of one chapter per week.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content appears to be accurate and largely error-free. I also appreciate how Openstax has an online link in place to allow people to identify errors and report them to the publisher for correction. The book is largely unbiased. There is some reference to people commit violence as needing mental health treatment (Chapter 16), which is a political touchy topic. It also seems dismissive of different spiritual beliefs. However, it is consistently good about referring to different cultural issues and how culture must be taken into consideration. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"It is a 2014 book and it is fairly up to date. I felt that there were a few recent studies that should have been included. For example, in the social conformity section the author references the Martin and Bull, 2008 study on mid-wives to show that Milgram is relevant for today. However, I think the Berger study \"Milgram light\" is a better comparison. ","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"I did not find the book to be very easy to follow. The authors often wrote in a convoluted way that made it more difficult to grasp the concepts. They often wrote about an example of a concept before defining or naming the concept. This is not how I prefer to learn. I think they should have named and defined the concept first and then followed up with an example. As an entry level textbook, I feel that the information needs to be delivered in the way that is easiest to understand. This is only a style preference, but it bugged me throughout the whole book.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I noted no problems with internal consistency. There were terms that the book used that I typically don't use. Instead, I use a synonym. For example, the author uses the term \"relaxation response technique\" but I say \"relaxation exercises.\" This is not a big deal but I'll need to go back over my lesson plans and make sure my language matches the book.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I thought it was sectioned out very well and the sections were fairly short and easy to digest. The sections could be easily rearranged to suit the needs of the professor.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topic progression is logical and fairly standard. Like most books it starts with an overview, followed by a chapter on research and next, a chapter on biology. All general psychology texts seem to follow this format.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I like the ability to navigate quickly to different sections of the book by clicking on titles in the table of contents. However, I was dismayed to find that the table of contents did not always include titles for all the sections. Most notably, the references section for the entire book is located before the subject index. However, there is no mention of it in the table of contents. Also, the answer key for the chapter questions is just after chapter 16 but it also does not have a title in the table of contents. I'd like to ask the publisher to consider adding those sections. Without being able to jump to the different sections, I find the interface to be frustrating and I feel I could find the information faster in a hard copy.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I think this book is strong in some areas of cultural issues and weak in others. I appreciate that the authors sought to bring attention to cultural factors in almost every chapter. This is a clear strength. I did feel like there was an imbalance in the types of diversity discussed. Sexual orientation was mentioned 58 times and many good studies and current events in the field were highlighted. This is very relevant for where the culture and the field is today. In contrast, African Americans were mentioned 42 times, Latinos and Hispanics were mentioned 26 times (combined) and yet spirituality was only mentioned 12 times in the whole book and most of those are in the last chapter. Based on this, I think the book is not giving enough attention to spiritual diversity and could do more to discuss ethnic diversity.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This book seems to have all the necessary components to be an adequate textbook for a General Psychology course. However, I have read other textbooks on the topic that were better written and more comprehensive.","created_at":"2019-03-31T00:50:56.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-03-31T00:50:56.000-05:00"},{"id":2723,"first_name":"Whitney","last_name":"Storey","position":"Instructor of Psychology","institution_name":"ULL","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book seems to give a more comprehensive view of certain topics than I have seen in comparison open texts; however, there are certain chapters where a little more information may be useful (e.g., the psychobiological chapter). This can be easily remedied with the addition of some supplemental materials, though, so it seemed like only a small issue practically.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not become aware of any major issues.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Very nice work here - I particularly liked the portion of the first chapter discussing career options for psychology professionals as that tends to be a portion of an intro textbook that I find myself having to supplement usually.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Very well written and very easy to comprehend. I actually enjoyed the idea of a concept being explained first in example and then technically afterward. It seemed to give me some context for the concept before learning definitions. The images and linked videos also helped a great deal with the clarity.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book was definitely consistent within itself - like many textbooks, I found that I was more familiar with a slightly different version of some terms, but this wasn't necessarily a problem.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Very logically divided into concepts that would be easy to assign as reading.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Logical organization similar to most Intro Psyc textbooks.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Did not come across any problems. Easy to navigate.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Did not come across any issues with grammar/syntax.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"While there was some mention of culture in every chapter, I felt that this could still be improved a great deal. I appreciated the focus on gender and sexual minorities, but like many texts, felt that there was a greater need in terms of research/information specifically affecting ethnic minorities.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"As far as open texts go, I really feel as if this is one of the better options available. I like that it was a mostly well-done framework from which I can teach, adding in my preference for more cultural/ethnic variety and some deeper-dives into specific interesting/difficult topics. I would feel comfortable recommending this book to my students and my colleagues.","created_at":"2019-04-02T10:13:04.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-04-02T10:13:04.000-05:00"},{"id":2758,"first_name":"Kimberly","last_name":"Brownridge","position":"Psychology Professor","institution_name":"Marian University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook offers theoretical and impactful knowledge about Psychology.  It explains the different theories and overview of general psychology in laymen's terms.  I used this textbook in Fall 2018 with high school students taking college courses.  My students had difficulty understanding the textbook provided by the school and scored low on the textbook assignments and exam. This textbook phrased everything in terms my students understood, and the assignment/exams scores improved by 33%.  This textbook offers a simplistic but fundamental lead and guidance into the introductory world of psychology. It is neither too advanced nor too basic for novice psychology students. The simplicity with which this book is developed makes it an essential and effective pedagogical tool for the field of psychology. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not find any mistakes in this text at first glance. I did not see anything I would query or dispute. The overall content is correct with the current field of psychology and timeframe. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"There are no issues with relevance for the year it was created. However, the textbook has not been updated with changes in the field after 2014, such as teaching Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) vs Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSS). It can be easily updated by plugging in new information in the midst of the current information based on the setup of the text. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I am astonished by the logic of consistency and clear writing style with multiple authors. There was traditional and casual language making it easier to understand the terms and theories of psychology, but it still sounded like a collegiate textbook. The book is simple to follow and concise. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"My students and I found no inconsistencies in terms of terminology and framework.  The book was created in a consistent way in such that the previous chapter flows into the next chapter.  Every chapter seems to have a constant level of content, summaries, review questions and vocabulary.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapters are a suitable length and practical for students needing a quick review. The sections are easy to break down with lots of space for effortlessness reading, also there are lots of images and graphs to break up the routine of the written words.  The headings of the chapters are specific which make it easier to go back and find specific pieces of information. The 16 chapters are further organized into subsections that are easy to understand. I think that the modularity of this textbook is one of the strongest attributes.  ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The textbook is organized so that as an instructor I can divide up each chapter and organize them in the order of my choosing, but it also progresses in a logical fashion.  It also permits the students to read out of sequence without losing flow. The layout of each chapter helps with the structure and flow of the information and each one can build upon the previous chapter.  This textbook is very well organized. The organization is much better than many other introductory to psychology textbooks that I have utilized in the past. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"In general, the interface is extremely navigable. The figures and images did not look to be distorted in any way. In some chapters, the text of the paragraphs continued awkwardly after a figure/image, nonetheless, it was not too distracting. I think it would be beneficial if the test would reference whether the figure was “on the next page” or “above” to minimize any confusion.  I firmly believe that figures/images increase the students’ understanding.  ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"My students and I did not notice any grammatical errors. The summaries at the end of each chapter are strong overviews of the chapter and provide great discussions for review.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"In an introductory course, students need to see an image like the one at the beginning of chapter 1, a picture of diversity from race, to gender, to age, to occupation.  It gives the perception that this textbook is referring to ALL.  My students and I found nothing culturally offensive or insensitive in the language of this textbook. I believe this textbook does a good job of using examples that are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. I felt the subsection on prejudice and discrimination was adequate and quite in-depth. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This textbook was a lifesaver with its lecture slides and test bank questions since the other textbooks don’t offer the same quality. As an instructor, this helps enormously with the groundwork for lectures and exams plus I could add my own creative touch.  The text is written in a way that my students could comprehend without too much struggle. I prefer this type of text to use in my introduction to psychology courses since there are so many topics to cover in a semester.  I would incorporate supplementary resources like videos with this textbook.  In all my years of teaching, this textbook was the first time that over half of my students completed the reading assignments in each chapter. ","created_at":"2019-04-10T11:21:27.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-04-10T11:21:27.000-05:00"},{"id":2809,"first_name":"Jessica","last_name":"Murfin","position":"Instructor of Psychology","institution_name":"Western Oregon University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text gives comprehensive attention to all of the major areas of psychology typically included in introductory texts. Topics are given a consistent amount of attention and explanation to make them both comprehensible and accessible enough for a student who is new to psychology to be able to understand. A few sections could have been fleshed out with more detail and depth, but there is a nice balance of material presented without being overwhelming. The index is thorough, easy to navigate, and well laid out. A listing of key terms is provided at the end of each chapter, along with a chapter review/summary and test review questions. There is an answer key included at the end of the book so that students may check their answers.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is well-presented, with an unbiased viewpoint and free from errors. The information is solid and well-researched, supported with examples and empirical backing, cited throughout the text. An alphabetized reference list is included at the end of the text, divided and organized by chapter.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This text utilizes relevant, timely, classic, and contemporary examples that help to underscore the content while keeping readers engaged. The text is organized and written such that updating the text to stay current with new information and cutting-edge research would be extremely easy to accomplish.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Written in a clear, accessible way, this text is suitable for introductory psychology courses and the diverse student populations they serve. The information is complemented by enough content and explanations as to make it easily understandable, without getting into more technical approaches and explanations that may confuse or overwhelm introductory students.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The key terms and frameworks presented are consistent with other introductory psychology textbooks.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text contains a pleasing amount of reading sections, consistently broken up with subtopics, images, tables, and graphs. Text boxes that “Dig Deeper” and “Link to Learning” are included which contain additional information and links to videos to further illustrate the core topics of interest. These resources would also be great for instructors to use as homework assignments and in-class activities. The use of color is also helpful in delineating and identifying different sections. Modifying the organization and assigning reading sections to students would be a very simple task for instructors. Content is organized in such a way that students should not have difficulty being assigned various sections and locating these with ease.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of the textbook is well executed. The text is very well laid out, aesthetically pleasing, and organized. The format of each chapter and the associated sections are consistent throughout the textbook, making navigation simple, accessible, and streamlined. The ordering of the topics and subtopics is relatively logical. The inclusion of Lifespan Development as a topic later in the text seems a bit out of place, as an earlier placement would have made more sense, but this does not detract in a huge way to the text’s overall organization. Chapters can easily be assigned in a different order than those presented in the book. The table of contents does not include the answer key or references sections, however.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The print and pdf versions of the book are consistently laid out and easy to navigate. There are no image, chart, table, or other graphical distortions present. These aspects appear consistent between formats. The text/image spacing, visual layout, and overall format are easy to navigate, read, and comprehend. The “Links to Learning” are a wonderful addition to the text, providing rich information to complement and enhance the material presented in the text in a fun, easily accessible manner. Obviously, the pdf version with the hyperlinks is more user-friendly, but this does not detract from the benefit of the content being available via URL in the print version.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors stood out while reviewing this text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text appears to be sensitive to and mindful of culture. A wide range of examples and images are used to be fairly representative of different cultural perspectives and spark critical thinking of how the psychology concepts presented may be present in or impact cultures differently.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I appreciated the text’s inclusion a chapter devoted to I/O psychology. ","created_at":"2019-04-19T14:37:36.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-04-19T14:37:36.000-05:00"},{"id":3033,"first_name":"Megan","last_name":"Lorenz","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Augustana College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book covers all key concepts that are typically covered in Introduction to Psychology textbooks. The glossary at the end of each chapter provides the reader with an easy way to access and review key terms, and the chapter summary that follows is cohesive and should be helpful for course planning. One big strength of this textbook is that it includes three types of review questions (multiple choice review questions and open-ended critical thinking and personal application questions) and an answer key (at the end of chapter 16) that will facilitate comprehension of the material. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"This text is written in an unbiased way and appears to be accurate across topics to the best of my knowledge. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Although the text’s claims are supported by peer-reviewed research articles, the most recent citation is from 2014, which suggests that a new edition of the text may be beneficial, especially in the sensation and perception as well as developmental chapters. This said, for an introductory text, it addresses timeless concepts well (e.g., classical and operant conditioning, memory, etc.), and Openstax provides an online platform that allows the text to be revised and updated, which makes updates easy to complete. With respect to the examples, they are strong, coherent, and largely relatable. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I found this text to be very readable and engaging. All key terms are clearly marked and are accompanied by clear definitions, both in the text and the glossaries at end of each chapter. I also appreciated the inductive approach to learning (i.e., provide an example, then define the concept) because I think it will help hook students as they read, most especially the students who need to be grounded before encountering technical details. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The internal consistency of the textbook is strong, as each chapter begins with clear learning objectives and engaging examples and concludes with a comprehensive summary and reading questions. The content of the book is also consistent with the content covered in other introduction to psychology texts. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The sections found within each chapter are well organized and can stand alone. Students do not need to read the chapters in order to understand the content, which promotes instructional freedom to assign readings in the order they think will be best for their classes. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This book is well organized, both within and across chapters. Within chapters, the information is cohesive and yet functions well with modularity in case the instructor does not want to assign a whole chapter at a time. Across chapters, the material is logically ordered and is similar to other Introduction to Psychology texts.  ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"This text has a good interface overall, especially with embedded links both in the table of contents and index to help you reach desired points in the text more quickly. However, there are not embedded links to take you to the answer key (end of chapter 16) nor to the references (after the answer key). I don’t know if the lack of direct linking to the answers is by design (to make it harder for students to find), but I think it would be a useful addition, especially as students study. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any errors. ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The book is not offensive in any way and provided examples from individuals from different backgrounds (e.g., race, socioeconomic status, etc.). ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This is a comprehensive, well-written text that should serve Introduction to Psychology instructors and their students well. ","created_at":"2019-07-01T09:04:34.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-07-01T09:04:34.000-05:00"},{"id":3140,"first_name":"Kimberli","last_name":"Bontempo","position":"Instructor of Psychology","institution_name":"Aims Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"In OER’s text Psychology, editors working through the Openstax platform, introduce the components of Psychology in clear and concise ways that would be expected in an introductory college text.  Although the link on the OER site links to an earlier version (2014), there is a button on the top that indicates there is a newer version available.  The newer version (2017) is what I will discuss within this review.  \r\nComprehensiveness rating:  5\r\nPsychology, within the parameters of OER, is one of the most affordable and in my opinion, one of the most authoritative alternatives to an introductory psychology trade book on the market.  Of course students will appreciate the price, but there is great value offered beyond that.  This 754-page volume is extremely comprehensive in its presentation of Psychology concepts.  There are 16 Chapters, which each cover one area and fit nicely within a 16-week semester.  I must admit to being surprised at the depth that each chapter covered and noticed that it actually offered more insight to such topics as Industrial-Organization Psychology than the text our college has currently adopted.  I appreciate the Outline of the chapter at the beginning of the section which will help students with reading pacing and note taking.  Pedagogy tools that I see value in were housed in interactive prompts that invited student inquiry.  These were found in sections deemed:  Everyday Connections, What Do You Think?, Dig Deeper, and Connect the Concepts.   In Everyday Connections, topics of relevant current issues that students are familiar with are presented for discussion.  Some topics included:  Validity of Scores on College Entrance Exams, Advertising, Cognitive Mapping and Studying.  In What Do You Think?, research based information is presented and allows space for students to share their thoughts on controversial topics such as Being hired at Hooters Bar and (BFOQ laws).  Dig Deeper delves below the surface of what a text may traditionally cover due to space and time available.  One topic I found myself wanting to look further into was the increasing prevalence of prejudice and hate crimes.  I recognize that my students may also go deeper on their own because of these access points.  Finally, Connecting Concepts, connects chapters and help view theories not as silos of information, but as cornerstones for further development.  This would help construct knowledge over time and also help to build a Capstone mentality for students and instructors alike.  I have used online sites in conjunction with courses in the past, but those are always an additional cost and often resourced outdated topics until a new version update of the text, which then came with a higher price.   The glossary and term index along with links in the Table of Contents helps to make a large document much more user friendly.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Accuracy Rating:  5\r\nThroughout the text, I found no obvious errors.  It appeared that the editors used a great deal of diligence in citing sources and references.  In areas where diverse understandings of behavior and theories are proposed (behavioral vs cognitive views on language acquisition and learning) the text would introduce the competing viewpoints, and detail the historical interpretations without any noticeable bias to one argument.  In fact, there are numerous access points presented to the readers enabling them to compare and contrast the different viewpoints without having to do much more than click on a link or two.  In this way, students can construct their own understanding as it makes sense to their own experiences while contrasting another experience that may not be as familiar.  Further reading resources are prevalent which makes me feel good about the accuracy of the information contained within each chapter.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Each chapter contains discussions of current day topics and also references seminal research.  I like how the information is laid out and builds on itself.  I believe that these features would be easy to filter and to update in a much timelier manner than current textbooks that might only have new editions every few years.  Because of the efficiency of current updates, students would be able to have additional access to current events that then make their textbooks seem organic and as up to date as the actual real life events of the day.  One thing I did notice while clicking on a link that talked about jobs in psychology made the rating lower than a 5.  The link was of a professor at Stanford who was referring to jobs in research labs that related to Psychology.  As I watched the video clip, I felt as if I was watching a 7 minute advertisement for Stanford instead of learing about careers in Psychology field.  I questioned this Stanford-centric approach for a general population of students. Perhaps a better use of time would be a seven 1-minute videos on seven possible careers in psychology.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"This is a predictably structured text.  It begins and ends in a similar manner for each chapter.  This works well for students as once they understand the structure, they can focus more on the content and the learning.  Although some may say this is also what makes it very much like a boring read, I disagree as the content is easily digestible and supported with interesting examples.  The bold headings are good benchmarks for notes and the sections of text are relatively short with many diagrams or activities that break them into pieces that often resemble a magazine.  One of the things that I did not like was how the photographs were all placed together and then the captions were sectioned by (a), (b), (c) markers.  I wish the captions would have been under their own picture.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"As mentioned above in Clarity, this is a predictable text in regards to its structure.  This can be a positive or a negative depending on who the reader may be.  It’s consistent organization helps with clarity, but also might increase the thought that this is too redundant and boring.  Terminology and tone of language to be a teaching text and not a personal narrative, as some psychology texts may be, is consistent.  I understand that there are many authors and editors with a hand in the construction of such a text and yet, I cannot tell that there are breaks in the presentation of the material.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"As with many introductory texts, (withholding the Introduction Chapter and the Research Methods Chapter) the components/chapters are easily stand-alone chapters and could be presented in any order.  I also note that the weeks of a dominant standard 16 week semester fit nicely with the 16 chapters.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"There is nothing notably special about the organization of the topics in the Table of Contents or the book itself.  With one exception of Organizational Psychology, most chapters appeared in the exact order that other books would have listed them.  Students may appreciate the layout with good use of white space and the look of paragraphs instead of long lines of uninterrupted text.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"A great strength of online texts is the ease with which you can navigate to new links and go deeper into topics that are being discussed.  This was true of this text.  The embedded links made travel though a large number of pages quite easy.  One negative was a link that took me to a YouTube video.  I really like the video and found myself taking notes from it until after it finished.  As the next video play was already on, the next video was already in the que and started playing.  It was a Fox News Report on Sean Hannity and Donald Trump’s relationship.  I am always a little anxious of what comes up when using videos through such sites for that reason.  Sometimes giving any “air time” to certain topics may show bias to students.  I believe it would be easy to point out that although you chose the first video, you are not always in control of the following video or advertising on some sites.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"This is a professional looking text and flows seamlessly from page to page.  I did not find any syntax or grammatical errors while reading through the chapters; I appreciate the efforts of an editorial team to produce such a resource.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Being Culturally Responsive has been a topic for many years and I would be surprised if Open Resource sites weren’t culturally responsive.  By nature of wanting to provide high quality materials at low cost, it seems the spine of Open Resource materials is about social justice and access for all.  The story examples often include diversity in many forms and the photos and graphics include the faces of diversity to tell the story of a science that started off without much diversity.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Open Access Resources have come a long way in a short time.  I find this text to be solid in its teaching and pedagogy.  It is inviting to read and considers how the reader may learn best with headings and questions at the end of each chapter as well as the activities it provides for learners who excel at hands on activities.  As an instructor, I am impressed with the resources of test bank, lecture slides and simulations for the simple act of having an instructor account.  We just switched to a new version of a Psychology text and I find this one to be as strong or stronger in its breadth and depth for a much smaller financial burden to our students.","created_at":"2019-08-01T17:37:05.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-08-01T17:37:05.000-05:00"},{"id":3156,"first_name":"Randi","last_name":"Smith","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University of Denver","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text provides the basics of introductory psychology in a pared-down, abbreviated style. If you are looking for depth of coverage--and honestly, most intro instructors are not--this book will be disappointing. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"In general, I found the text to be straightforward and accurate. However, in the module on sexual behavior (10.3) in the Emotion and Motivation chapter, I found some of the language to be outdated and some of the statements to be inaccurate. For instance, \"Gender identity refers to one’s sense of being male or female\" is a bit simplistic and reliant on the old-fashioned, binary model of gender. The statement that \"gender dysphoria is a diagnostic category in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) that describes individuals who do not identify as the gender that most people would assume they are\" seems to conflate gender nonconformity with gender dysphoria. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The text seems to be updated on a regular basis...but could use some revisions related to sex and gender.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"It is well-written, easy to read, and quite engaging.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Despite the fact that there are multiple authors, the modules and chapters seem to flow well with one another in terms of length, depth, and language.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Previous versions (through 2018) had review questions and solutions at the end of each learning module. I'm not sure why the authors chose to move the review questions to an independent area at the end of each chapter, but in my mind it is not an improvement, as it takes away from the modularity of the text. Also, the reorganization yielded questions with no solutions--at least I was not able to find an answer key. I believe my students will want/need to check the accuracy of their own answers to review questions, and the updated format doesn't allow for this.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"It's organized in quite typical Intro Psych fashion. You won't find anything revolutionary here, but it is comfortable predictable for Intro Psych instructors. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I encountered no interface issues. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book is well written, concise, and free from grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"In terms of cultural sensitivity, I think greater attention to representations of diverse cultures in the images would be helpful, as well as an update on the language related to gender.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-09-02T15:10:01.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-09-02T15:10:01.000-05:00"},{"id":3360,"first_name":"Reina","last_name":"Daugherty","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Linn-Benton Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book covers all of the main subjects that should be included in a general psychology course. It even includes a chapter on industrial-organizational psychology, which is now being added to most psychology textbooks. It has a very comprehensive index. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate. No noticeable errors. Information is presented in an informative way without any bias. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Material is relevant, though many references and examples are from decades past. Content should be able to be easily refreshed with current examples. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Book is written in familiar language. Concepts are explained in a way simple enough for most people to easily understand. Terms are explained well. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book feels very consistent. Each chapter is broken up in the same way and language is consistent throughout. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter is broken into sections. There are frequent headings as well as sub-headings. The chapters also have gray boxes with themes such as \"connect the concepts,\" \"link to learning,\" and \"dig deeper.\" ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Topics are presented in a logical order both when considering the chapters and the sub-sections. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is aesthetically pleasing. Images are easily viewable. It is easy to navigate between pages or pick a new section from the left navigation menu. Topics can also be searched in a search bar or in the index. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text is well-written without noticeable grammatical errors. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The examples are most relevant for Americans, though they are not at all offensive to people from other cultures. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I was very impressed with the quality of this text. I would feel completely comfortable using this in my class. ","created_at":"2019-12-08T23:01:51.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-12-08T23:01:51.000-06:00"},{"id":3981,"first_name":"Marijana","last_name":"Sapina-Kerkhove","position":"Psychology Instructor","institution_name":"Middlesex Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book is as comprehensive as most Introduction to Psychology textbook and addresses all areas of psychology commonly taught in this course.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"This textbook provides information that is up-to date and accurate.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The text appears to be up to date but could include more culturally relevant examples, especially in the Social Psychology section.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook uses language that is clear and easily understood, while maintaining a professional and academic tone.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This textbook is consistent in its design, language, and terminology.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text is divided into sections that are evenly broken up by graphics, text boxes, or links to other sources. A darker font might be easier to read.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Topics are presented in the same sequence as most standard Introduction to Psychology textbooks. Each chapter's sub-units are well-organized.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Some of the web links are expired and need to be replaced","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I didn't detect any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The text does appear to strive towards being culturally inclusive, but could work towards representing more cultural diversity in its writing, photographs, as well as examples.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This textbook addresses everything that is covered in a typical Introduction to Psychology course. It provides an excellent OER alternative to any standard textbook, without students having to worry about exorbitant fees, access codes, etc. The chapters are designed in a student-friendly format: the writing is clear and there are plenty real-life examples embedded with each topic. Each chapter also offers numerous links to videos and web resources to enhance the material presented; however, some of these link to web pages that have expired. The critical thinking and personal application questions at the end of each chapter easily lend themselves as a springboard for classroom discussions. One feature that might improve the reading experience would be the options for students to highlight and take notes as they are reading online. I know some OpenStax books have this option but I wasn’t able to find it with this one.","created_at":"2020-06-14T11:04:14.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-14T11:04:14.000-05:00"},{"id":4018,"first_name":"Riki","last_name":"Dela cruz","position":"Instructor of Psychology and Human Development","institution_name":"Central Oregon Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Textbook provides a comprehensive introduction to many psychological concepts for an introduction course.  All major areas, theories and concepts are examined thoroughly.  This textbook covered a \"career\" section that was in-depth.  Many intro textbooks don't cover this content and I think it is a great way for students to see the variability that psychology can offer.  Textbook offered an entire section on biopsychology that was in-depth, without being overwhelming.  Very concise and to the point.  No comprehensive summary of gender.  Gender was discussed, in multiple sections, but not in great detail.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content is accurate, error free and unbiased.  I did not find any issues while reviewing the textbook.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Content is up-to-date and seems easy to update.  This is a textbook that can be expanded on, greatly.  I do wish that gender had a contemporary discussion.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Very clear and to the point.  Definitions were clearly explained, in detail.  Theorists were also discussed in detail for sections that required the explanation.  Organization was great.  Information flowed nicely.  Textbook is easy to read.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Textbook does seem to be consistent.  I did not see terms or information that clashed with one another.  In-text citations were scarce.  They were included, but probably not as often as they should have been.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Modularity was great.  Textbook was organized, easy to follow and has consistent flow of topics.  Index made it easy to find information easily, as well as the search bar.  The search bar was a great tool.  Disruption was very minimal, if any.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Organization, as stated before, was great, consistent and easy to follow.  The table of contents was organized well and made it easy to locate information, quickly.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Interface was clear of any disruption.  Easy to use, easy to understand and easy to follow.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not see many grammatical errors.  Textbook was clear (to my knowledge) from grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Cultural relevance was not offensive or insensitive.  Psychology has a place that can be viewed as \"offensive\" at times, if the reader has a different perspective, but this textbook did a great job at keeping topics unbiased and culturally appropriate.  I do wish there was a discussion on gender (this topic can be viewed as insensitive, to \"some\"), so I understand why it was vague in this text.  It seemed like the sensitivity was kept as a high priority in this textbook, but maybe a little too much.  Discussion on nature vs. nurture was also a little vague.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, the text is an amazing resource for students that are in an introductory psychology course.  Some concepts were vague, but expanding on topics past a certain extent isn't always the textbooks responsibility.  \r\nThis text did a great job at providing clear, concise information to the reader.  I am happy to use this in my courses from now on.  What a great resource for students!","created_at":"2020-06-19T18:58:28.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-07-21T15:07:20.000-05:00"},{"id":4166,"first_name":"Marina","last_name":"Donnelly","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Greenfield Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Vast amount of information gets covered in the Intro to Psych course. This textbook does a great job to cover major theories, practices, concepts, historical figures, and even related contemporary events on all of the major themes in psychology.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I didn't come across any major accuracy violations and while teaching using this textbook did not receive any comments from students about inaccuracies.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content did not feel significantly outdated; however as of January 2020, the most recent reference was from 2014. I did end up supplementing this textbook with additional fresh-off-the-press videos and articles to ensure that students practice applying what they learn from the text to day-to-day situations (which are of course always evolving, especially as we've seen this past spring). I would only be concerned if any major breakthrough discoveries do not get reflected in the biopsychology section, as I am not an expert in that area and might not be aware of some of the more recent but highly important findings.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"I would give this category 4.8 if I could. Although this text reads very smoothly from my perspective, some of my students were somewhat overwhelmed by the text and reported having trouble getting through some paragraphs. In my review, I did not come across any specific terminology or context that was not well defined; however, my students come from very different backgrounds and some find this text to be challenging to get through. I do believe that it is my job as an instructor to differentiate learning and support students who are struggling, but felt it's important to note in this section for those who teach more diverse populations.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I did not notice any issues with inconsistencies in my review of the text. As a person who generally finds aesthetically-pleasing materials to be easier to digest, I especially appreciated consistency in the use of color, page organization, etc.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapters were written in a way that made it easy for my students to approach the text in smaller chunks, taking breaks in between as needed. Use of different visual tools to separate ideas was also helpful (but not overwhelming, as you might find in some high school texts). I assigned whole chapters, so I could not comment on how easy/hard it may be to reorganize-realign the sub-units.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Myself and my students generally appreciated the organization of the text. Students reported finding the summary sections to be especially helpful as a quick overview of the chapter. I really appreciated the comprehensive and well-organized \"key terms\" sections and relied on them for the final assignment in the course.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I downloaded this text as a PDF and did not notice any issues with interface. Some of my students purchased the low-cost printed version of the text and did not report any issues either.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any significant grammatical errors in my review of the textbook.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not notice any significant violations in the way various cultures were represented in this text. Images used throughout the text seemed culturally appropriate.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I am a new adjunct professor, and up until last year was myself paying for extremely expensive textbooks required for my graduate coursework. I often found large proportions of those texts to be irrelevant and felt that it was unfair to spend hundreds of dollars per semester on something that was going to become quickly outdated and irrelevant. When I began working at GCC, I \"inherited\" this text from my mentor. Of course, I was happy that my students did not have to pay for their textbook. But more so, I was amazed by the quality of this textbook. The amount and quality of work that went into compiling and editing this text is evident on every page. I believe this textbook is contributing to the important movement in higher education of making education affordable to ALL learners without compromising quality.","created_at":"2020-06-30T10:13:41.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-30T10:13:41.000-05:00"},{"id":4195,"first_name":"EB","last_name":"Caron","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Fitchburg State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Book is very comprehensive - a little too detailed, compared to the text I currently use!  Many chapters are around 40 pages long. I aim for 30-35 page chapters.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Book seems well-written and accurate.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Beginning of chapter \"hooks\" could be more engaging/relevant to students. Otherwise, material seems up to date.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Well-written.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Book uses an attractive consistent format to provide supports to students (e.g., chapter outlines, learning objectives, chapter summary and review questions).","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Book is nicely formatted with chapters, subheadings, and white space.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Book has nice \"Learning Objectives\" lists at the beginning of each section to draw reader's attention to highlights. Nice feature!","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Great formatting.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I didn't notice any grammatical mistakes.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Would like to see something about implicit bias, as related to prejudice and discrimination, in the Social Psychology chapter, but this is also true of other Introductory Psychology texts.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I really appreciate several student-engaging features of this text: review/quiz questions at the end of the chapter, pictures and graphics, and links to short YouTube videos related to the text.","created_at":"2020-06-30T17:17:07.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-30T17:17:07.000-05:00"},{"id":4262,"first_name":"Michael","last_name":"Petrovich","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Marymount University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book covered all of the things I normally teach in Introduction to Psychology.  Major theories, practices, and concepts were all present with relatively current events to draw upon in reference.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found no errors in the book","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"By sticking to the core concepts the book holds longevity of the concepts held within. However, as the book was last updated 6 years ago references to current events are becoming slightly dated.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Very clear and to the point. The text was easy to read yet detailed enough for an introduction to psychology","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"There was consistency across the text in both concepts and designs. This made the book relatively easy to use for students","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The components/chapters are easily stand-alone chapters and could be presented in any order. The weeks of a dominant standard 16 week semester fit nicely with the 16 chapters.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Most chapters seemed to be organized in the same order as many other books for this course. The use of space was not cluttered or hard to follow.  From the instructor's perspective, this book was organized into useful blocks that correlate to a 16 week semester. My only advice would be that I seldom have a 16 week semester that is all instruction.  15 chapters would be a slightly better organization.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface was relatively easy to navigate once I set up the canvas page students had easy access to the information within the book","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"This book strives to be inclusive and sensitive to the people in the world we inhabit. There is always room for improvement.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I found this book to meet all my needs. If anything I would like to add more instructor recourses.","created_at":"2020-07-24T11:31:49.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-07-24T11:31:49.000-05:00"},{"id":4502,"first_name":"Allie","last_name":"Alayan","position":"Teaching Fellow","institution_name":"Colorado State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"For an Introduction to Psychology course, I think that this textbook provides a very thorough and comprehensive overview of a lot of topics in the field, all of which are important for students to take away from the course. Depending on the length of the course, it may be a bit challenging to cover all of the information in this textbook in one Introduction course. As a Counseling Psychologist, I found the coverage of Psychological Disorders, Therapy and Treatment to be very comprehensive (I especially appreciated the inclusion of a Disorders in Childhood section in the Psychological Disorders chapter and a section on Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders in the Therapy and Treatment chapter). The book also includes a helpful index with a majority of key terms in psychology.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content in the textbook appears to be presented in an unbiased approach. I did not see any errors in my review of the text.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The content in the text appears to be up to date from its publishing date of 2014. However, it doesn’t appear to have been updated since that time, and I think that including relevant updated information would be needed to fully use this book without addendums of other readings for the class.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Overall, I found the text to be clearly written. For use in an Introduction class, I think that there may have been too much jargon at times (that is not clearly explained) that could cause the text to be a bit less accessible to students new to the field and the terminology.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text appears to be consistent in terminology and framework.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapters are broken up into sections that could be easily assigned for students to read. For use in an Introduction class, I would imagine that sections would need to be assigned instead of an entire chapter at a time, seeing as the chapters themselves are quite lengthy.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I found the text to be organized in a logical format, beginning with Introduction and Research, which are the first two topics that I cover in my course. The text is well organized in a way where students can navigate to different chapters based on the order that the instructor chooses to include them.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I downloaded the text as a PDF and found it to be relatively easy to navigate (with chapters and sections linked from the Table of Contents). I would’ve liked an easier way to go back to the Table of Contents to navigate to another section of the book (it appeared that the only way to do that was to scroll back to the top of the PDF). I really liked the inclusion of links to relevant external sites and videos throughout the text.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not see any grammatical errors in my review.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text intentionally included cultural considerations and information relevant to different topics. I think that there are opportunities for the text to be even more inclusive in its language and images and examples, etc.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2020-12-31T15:34:35.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-12-31T15:34:35.000-06:00"},{"id":4505,"first_name":"Ariel","last_name":"Ladum","position":"Part-time faculty","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"I piloted this book in a course where I asked students to compare the information provided in the textbook to the information provided by course notes and video lectures that had been based on a different (for-purchase) textbook. Overall, students reported that only minor omissions in Psychology 2e compared to the other textbook. There were more major differences, however, in the detail/space devoted to topics between the two resources. The students did not report this to be problematic, however.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"No errors or inaccuracies were identified.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I appreciated the more socially-relevant examples provided in this textbook compared to textbooks I have used in the past. The examples provided were based on enduring social issues that can be analyzed.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"Among the students who provided feedback on this book during the pilot course, the writing being 'dense' or difficult to understand was the primary complaint.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"No inconsistencies were observed in terms of how the text treats specific concepts and theories.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modular nature of the text allowed specific topics to be assigned rather than an entire chapter, and allowed students to quickly locate specific topics within the textbook.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of this book mirrors that of a typical introduction to psychology textbook in terms of how topics are divided, and the online navigation allows students to 'flip' directly to a desired section. The students who piloted this book in my course had no complaints regarding locating information. In fact, the 'key terms ' and 'summary' sections at the end of each chapter were reported to be quite useful in terms of locating information on specific concepts and theories.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"This book is easy to navigate.  In fact, no student piloting this textbook reported interface issues. All graphics and images rendered appropriately.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Grammatical errors and typos are few and far between.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"This textbook makes a solid effort to include the experiences and perspectives of different groups in society, although this can be augmented by designing student-centered lessons to complement the text.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2021-01-01T20:23:11.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-01-01T20:23:11.000-06:00"},{"id":4513,"first_name":"Tim","last_name":"Boffeli, Ph.D.","position":"Associate Professor of Psychology, Dept. Chair","institution_name":"Clarke University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I have been teaching Introductory Psychology for about 30 years. All the topics that I would expect to teach are covered. Interestingly, the textbook included a chapter on Industrial Organizational (IO) Psychology, In student recruiting and academic advising, I commonly promote a double major in Business Administration and Psychology. My current textbook does not include IO content. As I plan to use this textbook in future semesters, the IO content will be welcome in the career planning that I encourage. The index was excellent. There were many options for additional learning such as key terms, a summary, and review questions. I particularly liked the personal application questions which is consistent with the American Psychological Association learning outcomes that are application in nature.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not detect inaccuracies or biases. The content was consistent and similar to other textbooks that I have used.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Introductory Psychology content, for the most part, does not change much. I realize as a “baby boomer” I have to be careful with Richard Nixon stories. Those types of course stories and examples can be easily updated.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Clarity wise, the textbook is excellent. The text is actually at a more sophisticated level than the printed textbook that I am currently using. That to me is a plus.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Yes to consistency. I liked how there is a good flow of terms, explanations, and examples. The spacing of the terms should engage the reader in a way that the reader will not get bored wondering when the next important term was coming.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"As mentioned in the Consistency section, this textbook achieves “chunking” to use a memory term for students to block information into easy units to engage.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Overall, the Organization was appropriate. As a teaching preference, I do like to teach the Sensation and Perception chapter after the Neuroscience chapter. In this textbook, the States of Consciousness chapter follows the Biopsychology chapter.  Sensation and Perception then follows. I realize that jumping around chapters is acceptable for most students but some students prefer the linear approach.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Interface was excellent. I purposefully used an older wireless Windows 7 laptop to see if loading issues were present. No issues were observed.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical issues were observed.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not detect cultural insensitivity.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I historically adopted a thick, hard cover textbook that was so dense with content that students could not determine what was relevant to the test. In the past decade or so I have used McGraw-Hill’s PsychSmart which is more magazine style. Students positively endorsed this change in format. PsychSmart as a second edition has been discontinued because of low adoption rates. This textbook should be an excellent alternative as the content focus is highly similar to PsychSmart. I commonly have experiential exercise expectations in my 200-400 level courses. When I switch to this textbook I am going to try and incorporate the personal application questions into my course.","created_at":"2021-01-05T08:44:09.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-01-05T08:44:09.000-06:00"},{"id":4628,"first_name":"Dennis","last_name":"Schell","position":"Assistant Professor of Psychology","institution_name":"The George Washington University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book [we are using the first edition] covers the basics often seen in traditional psychology textbooks used in General Psychology courses.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"One major issue was not providing the answers to the even numbered practice questions.  We had to do that ourselves.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The book frequently cited recent research and included updated commentary of many \"older\" concepts (e.g., functionalism, Milgram's study, etc.).","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I had two undergraduate students read the book and evaluate it.  They both said the clarity and ease of reading were excellent; and, I agree.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"We found the terminology and general framework internally consistent so that students did not get lost, frustrated, or burdened by inconsistent use of terms, concepts, or research.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The various numbered and named subtitles, along with the objectives of the section much like an advanced organizer, make it easy for students to follow the logical order of topics.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Please see comments above.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I have been using this book for two years and have had only a few negative comments about ease of navigation.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"There were only a few minor grammatical issues; no more than I've found in traditional textbooks in the past.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book presents material in a sensitive and inoffensive manner.  To date no student (among the 800 who have used it) has commented on insensitive/offensive statements.  And, I've not seen any.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"For seven semesters I have asked students to rate their use of this textbook.  Overwhelmingly they report a good experience and highly recommend that I continue to use the book in future classes.","created_at":"2021-02-19T13:32:25.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-02-19T13:32:25.000-06:00"},{"id":5057,"first_name":"Shelby","last_name":"Messerschmitt-Coen","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Central College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook (Psychology 2e, 2nd edition) covers all the basic concepts that would be desired in an Introductory textbook, and then some (e.g., I/O Psych). The content of the textbook aligns similarly to other textbooks available that are not open access for students, which is a compelling reason to use an open resource textbook such as this one. The index is available in the textbook, with helpful clickable links to the body of the textbook. A glossary of key terms are included at the end of each chapter, which is helpful to quickly review the important aspects of the chapter.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The textbook, now in its second edition, has undergone multiple review processes to improve accuracy over time. The authors include several up-to-date external citations for content included in the textbook, suggesting empirical and theoretical support for its content. There are several concerns listed in the textbook’s errata, and hopefully these will be addressed as soon as possible so professors may confidently incorporate the textbook into their courses.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The authors incorporate up-to-date citations and examples in the textbook. One particular example is the use of Trayvon Martin’s murder in the introduction of the Social Psychology chapter. The authors clearly identified real-world examples in each chapter that are timely and relevant to current day understanding of psychology. As is with any textbook in an ever-changing field, various topics quickly become out of date, or newer examples become relevant with every passing day, however the authors strategically identified relevant examples of various psychological concepts that one would anticipate having continued relevance for years to come.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The textbook is incredibly thorough in each chapter. For each chapter, every term or concept a psychologist could ever need for their course is included. To an extent, the material in each chapter may be more than what is feasible in a 1-semester course. For instance, within the Therapy chapter, the authors go into significant detail on the history of therapy and treatment and how it has changed over time. This information is incredibly relevant, and I would include this in my Counseling course or Abnormal Psychology course, however I do not believe I would have adequate time to cover this much depth in my 1-semester General Psychology course, as well as sufficiently cover the myriad other subjects in psychology. With that said, this is an open resource, and the authors clearly indicate that material can be remixed or strategically selected, so I would prefer more information than less – it simply means that there is a bit more work on the instructor’s end to determine what is necessary for the course.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The authors use relevant terminology and framework throughout the textbook. The language used does not seem to change from chapter to chapter, as one may expect to see when reading a book with multiple contributing authors.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The textbook is divided into several chapters that could easily be divided up, as desired, by the instructor. The instructor could strategically choose chapters from this textbook to include in their course material without feeling that they must use the textbook as a whole. For instructors who are looking for specific chapters to incorporate into their course without having to adopt a completely new textbook, this resource should be a strong consideration.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The textbook is organized similarly throughout each chapter, as the authors identified the pedagogical approach for each chapter in the textbook’s introduction (Everyday Connections, What Do You Think, Dig Deeper, Connect the Concepts). From one chapter to the next, the content reads very similarly, and readers should not have too difficult of a time following the flow of the book. Similar to the comment above regarding clarity, at times the content becomes too dense or overwhelming, which challenges the flow and readability a bit. This is mitigated well with the frequent use of headings, subheadings, and pedagogical breaks in the text, which allows for readability to continue without seeming to drone on.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface of this textbook, along with the comprehensiveness and content, is one of the strengths of this textbook that make it a standout compared to other introductory psychology texts. This textbook is very easy to read in multiple formats. I have explored multiple introductory textbooks for psychology, and this textbook is by and large the most similar to a textbook students would pay for. The textbook is engaging, includes colorful images, provides several examples of different psychological terms and concepts in text and images, and more. The PDF is downloadable, so students can access the textbook offline, and there are clickable links within the PDF that make navigating the document simple. Additionally, the textbook is accessible online, where students can highlight material and add notes in the textbook with ease. Study guides are also available using the online textbook, which can help students further understand important concepts within the chapter, as well as help inform instructors of what material to include in assessment. Finally, for students who are interested in a physical copy of the textbook, students can simply print the PDF, or they can order a physical copy online from Amazon. The interface of this textbook allows for learning in several formats, which can accommodate for students’ unique learning styles and desires in accessing their textbook.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The textbook did not seem to have any glaring issues with grammar that impeded on the reader’s ability to understand the content.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The authors took previous feedback from the textbook’s first edition and incorporated more cultural relevance in the current, second edition. Throughout the textbook, cultural diversity and representation is shown through language, images, history, media examples, current events, experiences, and more. The authors seem to have dedicated significant effort to improving the cultural relevance of this textbook to readers of all backgrounds and cultural identities.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2021-06-08T13:10:34.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-06-08T13:10:34.000-05:00"},{"id":33363,"first_name":"Courtney","last_name":"Gosnell","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Pace University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book provides a chapter corresponding to the material of most major Psychology textbooks (with the added bonus of being a free resource). I do find some of the research methods material to be a bit lacking, so like to include some supplemental material with that section. Overall though, the text provides a nice overview of the field.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The book provides accurate information for the most part but there are some areas where some of the more modern critiques of prior work aren't fully discussed. For example, the Stanford Prison experiment is described but there is basically no discussion of the criticisms of this study.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book provides up to date coverage for the most part (though discussion of more modern critiques/criticisms of prior studies would be helpful). Although I haven't personally contacted OpenStax directly, I have heard they are good about accepting recommendations and making adjustments for future versions which is great!","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Overall the book is clear and accessible for undergraduate students. I found sometimes the \"Key Terms\" definitions weren't as clear or as thorough as I might like but that wasn't a major issue.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I found the book to be consistent in framework across chapters and even though most students access it online, it follows the format/structure of a \"traditional textbook\" which makes it easy for students to orient themselves. There are some chapters that have a lot more keywords than others (e.g., Biopsychology is pretty heavy on keywords) but that was my only minor observation in terms of inconsistency.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The chapter makes good use of headings and sub-headings so students can easily break up their reading into smaller section. The chapters are fairly long as a whole so it definitely has more of a \"chapter by chapter\" set-up instead of other books which have moved to smaller \"module\" type readings. However, I think the clear headings/sub-headings make it easy enough to divide up the material as needed.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics and order make sense and seem to follow the general pattern adopted by most introductory textbooks. Personally, I like to discuss stress/health after emotion/motivation so I follow a slightly different order than the textbook (and also don't use the Industrial/Organizational chapter).","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is easy to use and students can also access the readings via an app which is nice! Most of the supplemental links seem to be working and provide nice enhancements to the readings (videos, etc.).","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not noticed any major or consistent grammatical issues.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I haven't found the book to be directly offensive. However, the textbook could provide more information on female and minority contributions to the field. They have improved in this area since the first edition, but there is definitely more thought that could go into this. Also, there is some discussion of how culture impacts some findings but work on cultural differences (And similarities) could be discussed more throughout.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, I highly recommend this book as a solid Introductory OER textbook. I think because it is formatted similar to a traditional textbook, it has been easy for my students to connect with. In addition, there are many online supplemental materials that can be paired with the text which is nice because instructors are not necessarily having to build everything from scratch (there is a large community of Psychology 2e users). I also appreciate that even though this is a free text, they made the effort to include some interactive activities and video links throughout the text to help enhance student engagement.","created_at":"2021-07-28T12:29:24.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-07-28T12:29:24.000-05:00"},{"id":33541,"first_name":"Joshua","last_name":"Smith","position":"Psychology Instructor","institution_name":"Dodge City Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"I am currently using this textbook for my General/Introductory Psychology course. The text contains chapters on the majority of primary subdisciplines in the field and especially those areas of psychology that most institutions and instructors expect to be covered as part of their course learning objectives. The content is generally worded in a way that is approachable to students, but at times it feels incomplete and I have to find supplementary resources for topics. For example, in the Sensation and Perception chapter, the authors provide a good overview and differentiation of sensation and perception. However, the remainder of the chapter focuses heavily on the biology of sensory systems but provides only limited explanations of how we perceive sensory information from specific sensory systems. There are additional concepts that I think would make the text more comprehensive, including a discussion of comparative psychology in chapter 1 along with other areas of contemporary psychology, a section or chapter on ethical perspectives and ethics in psychology, and more detailed coverage of scientific psychology. Overall I find this a very functional text for introductory psychology students.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Overall, I find the text generally accurate, especially for primary concepts that are industry standards in psychology. In some instances, I feel that the addition of multiple perspectives, additional examples, more information, or critical evaluation of theories and studies may improve accuracy. The major area where I feel this is needed is in terms of critiquing psychological theories and perspectives. The text does a good job of explaining the basics of those theories and perspectives but tends to lack a comparison between them and often provides little information regarding criticisms of specific theories and perspectives. To me, this is most obvious in the sense that the text is clear on when theories or perspectives apply, but typically does not point out instances when those same theories and perspectives may not apply or may not function well to predict and explain behavior.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The current edition of the text was published in 2020 and the text does see regular updates. The authors have attempted to bring in current information (approximately 20 references have been added from 2019-2020). However, the majority of the examples are carried over from previous editions and are somewhat dated. This is not problematic for basic explanations of psychological concepts, but updating some of the practical application examples would help students to connect the concepts to their real-life experiences.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The language of the text is generally approachable to most beginning undergraduate students. However, definitions for key terms and concepts may be too informal and occasionally insufficient.  For example, when defining cognition, the authors simply provide a list of examples of cognitive processes rather than an actual definition. As another example, the authors define practical intelligence as \"street smarts.\" Definitions like these are common throughout the text. Stronger or more detailed definitions would be beneficial.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text uses consistent language throughout. Terminology, chapter structure, and the overall pedagogical design are consistent throughout and are generally consistent with the content and structure of the introductory texts produced by most major textbook publishers.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The overall structure of the chapters is convenient. Consistent and informative use of headings and subheadings provides a solid basis for students to break their reading into smaller chunks. The organization also facilitates chapter outlining and note-taking. Overall, many chapters could be shorter. Finally, while many instructors teach in chapter order, the text is designed in a way that chapters can easily be assigned out of order to fit almost any course design.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of the text follows a clear and logical progression that is similar to most other introductory textbooks. However, once the early chapters have been covered, the chapter order can easily be changed; most chapters can be taught without relying on concepts and information from previous chapters.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is easily navigable online and in PDF format using hyperlink/bookmark navigation for each chapter and every major heading. Images remain clear when zooming in and out. I have not experienced any access or navigation issues and have had no reports of problems from students.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not encountered any instances of confusing wording or problems with grammatical style.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text does not seem to include any intentional instances of culturally insensitive content. In many cases, I think the text may go too far in avoiding potentially controversial topics. However, the textbook does focus on traditional western psychology. The addition of more cross-cultural or multicultural content would make the text more inclusive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"For instructors interested in transitioning from a traditional textbook to an OER text, this book is a very good option. It is designed and organized in the same way as a traditional introductory textbook. Moreover, for students who absolutely prefer a physical text rather than a digital text, there is hardcopy option that is relatively affordable.","created_at":"2021-12-15T12:43:28.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-12-15T12:43:28.000-06:00"},{"id":33649,"first_name":"DeAnna","last_name":"Huffman","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Labette County Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook is comprehensive in each of the subtopics area of study within General Psychology.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The textbook includes accurate data to support area of study.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The textbook includes relevant information for content studied and is up to date with relevant psychological current events.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The material in the textbook is easy to understand for an introductory course in Psychology.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The material in the textbook is consistent throughout the text.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text may be broken down within chapters to focus on certain subareas of study.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Textbook is nicely organized and flows well. Chapter 15- Psychological Disorders may go best taught along with Chapter 3 Biopsychology.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I have not noticed any interface issues.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not noticed any grammatical errors within the text or supplemental textbook materials.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The textbook teaches from a culturally diverse perspective.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I really like the updated powerpoints to use in my classroom. The students enjoy the textbook and appreciate the easy online access.","created_at":"2022-01-05T10:58:46.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-01-05T10:58:46.000-06:00"},{"id":33858,"first_name":"Josh","last_name":"Pranger","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Trine University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book is used in our Principles of Psychology course and provides a comprehensive introduction to the field of Psychology.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"This text provides an accurate overview of its topics.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The textbook is highly relevant to an Intro to Psychology course","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is accessible to learners and typically provides clear overviews that are easy to follow.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The textbook consists of 16 modules with varying topics, which make it adaptable to various courses.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics in the text are presented in a logical, clear fashion.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is free of significant interface issues.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contains no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The textbook is appropriate for the subject area.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2022-05-17T09:59:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-05-17T09:59:37.000-05:00"},{"id":34217,"first_name":"Deborah","last_name":"Cronin","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Drake University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is a comprehensive text—there are topics I do not typically see covered in an introductory text (i.e., Industrial-Organizational Psychology) included along with the more typical topics (i.e., Development, Cognition, Learning). Each section also seems to be a thorough review of the topic at a level reasonable for an intro course.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content in the areas of my expertise is accurate. Content outside of my expertise is accurate to my knowledge.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content of each section is extremely relevant to that section. I also think the text is written in a way that will hold up over time. For example, the section on gender and sexuality acknowledges the evolving nature of terminology used to discuss gender and sexual identity.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"At times the text seems to read a bit like a list of terms rather than a narrative. This decreases the length of each chapter, but can become tedious to read. I also found that at some points the text assumes the reader has knowledge they may or may not have (e.g., what ‘conversion therapy’ is in the Sexuality chapter).","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is extremely internally consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is broken into chapters and subsections within chapters. This enables the assignment of smaller modules within each chapter or the chapter as a whole.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of the text is logical and the chapters flow smoothly.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is easily navigable and includes useful components inside and at the conclusion of each chapter. Review questions, discussions of interesting applications, and life application questions all seem very helpful.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Grammatical errors are minimal.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text does a good job connecting the material to cultural issues and discusses sensitive topics from a scientific standpoint and with necessary care.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"The book has options for online reading, downloaded PDF reading, and purchasing a printed copy. There is also LMS tools for most of the popular LMSs. I also appreciate the breadth of materials covered in this text--most introductory psychology texts neglect areas like Industrial Organizational Psychology. I feel the amount of material in the book is too much for a one semester introductory course, but that allows instructors to pick and choose the sections they feel are most important. Finally, I like the included personal application questions at the end of each chapter and the discussions of psychology's relevance to current topics embedded within each chapter to encourage students to connect each chapter's content to their lives.","created_at":"2022-12-01T14:16:07.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-12-01T14:16:07.000-06:00"},{"id":34292,"first_name":"Bonnie","last_name":"Ekstrom","position":"Adjunct Faculty Life Vision Coach/Counselor","institution_name":"Red Lake Nation College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Psychology 2e is a comprehensive introductory psychology resource. The text covers all of the recommended APA Introduction to Psychology chapters and includes additional chapters not covered in most Introductory Psychology texts (Industrial and Organizational Psych). The text combines Thinking, Intelligence, Language and Cognition in one chapter. The material covering Abnormal Psychology is divided into two separate chapters: Psychological Disorders and Therapy and Treatment.\r\n\r\nThe online index is complete and can be readily accessed on the left side bar. Finding topics in the online text is easy due to a \"Search this book feature.\" Every chapter has a link for Key Terms which is the easy access glossary. Students have commented on the convenience of having the search feature and online glossary which are both easily accessible.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"This comprehensive text does appear to be accurate and unbiased. In reading a section on Happiness from this text and comparing it to a well known author's Introductory Psychology text, both cover the topic in a similar manner. The OER was presented in an easier to read format and included information about Optimism and Flow which the other text does not cover.  Both used graphs and charts to illustrate.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The textbook appears to be up to date and the online version would allow for updates readily. Several References included in the text are as new as 2019.  OpenStax notes that a need for new editions is based on authors and adopters opinions that a full scale revision is warranted.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written in a manner that is easy to read and engaging so that a student new to psychology is able to follow along without getting lost in the jargon of the field. The stories are relevant and interesting and help to make the material more interesting. There are numerous photos and illustrations as well as online links to podcasts, videos and other tools to engage the learner.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The chapters are written in similar fashion and all begin with an Introduction, several reading sections with defined learning outcomes, Key Terms, Summary, Review Questions, Critical Thinking Questions and Personal Application Questions. The questions at the end of each chapter could be used for self-testing, for class discussions, or for assigned Discussions or Assignments.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The online version of the textbook allows instructors to create Modules quite readily. Chapters can be moved or eliminated from the course as chosen by the instructor.  Designated Chapter sections could be skipped by providing the reader with the information: \"You are not responsible for section 15:10 as we cover Ch 15 Psychological Disorders. Or if it made more sense for the instructor to cover a brief section of a chapter within a different Chapter Module this would also be easy to do by providing explicit direction to your students.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text sections are presented in a logical clear manner. The chapter on Psychological Disorders which is a stand alone course contains a good overview of the most interesting and common disorders laypersons would have experience with. For example, this chapter covers Anxiety Disorders, PTSD, Mood Disorders, Dissociative Disorders, Personality Disorders, and Schizophrenia. The well organized chapter provides a very readable introduction to these disorders, including a brief discussion about comorbidity, diagnosis, defining a disorder.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Chapter sections, Chapters, Charts, graphs, online glossary, search feature are all easy to access via the online text. The printed version is also printed in a clear font, easy to read and organized appropriately.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have been using the text for two semesters and have not found any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The textbook does make reference to other cultures, multicultural approaches, feminism, race, ethnicity and sociocultural considerations. An example would be in the chapter on Stress, Lifestyle and Health the topic of \"Social Status, Stress and Health Care\" is discussed.  The Introduction chapter contains sections about Women in Psychology, Multicultural and Feminist Psychology. More could probably be done to include recognition of the influence of socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I work at a small Tribal College and being able to find a high quality OER textbook for the Introductory Psychology course has very much benefited my students. The online text is easy to embed within the course and is accessible the first day of class. Some students prefer a print text and this option is also available for an affordable price ($28 - $35). The text covers all of the relevant APA recommended chapters in an approachable, well written, well illustrated text with online links to supplementary videos, podcasts, etc. There are many other great features including an Instructor Resource Site with many resources, test banks, assignment ideas, Powerpoints, etc. I will continue to use this text and may adopt it for another college I teach for.","created_at":"2022-12-15T16:38:06.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-12-15T16:38:06.000-06:00"},{"id":34297,"first_name":"Meaghan","last_name":"Rowe-Johnson","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Drake University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text appropriately covered the most important topics relevant to each section. Additionally, I appreciated that the text included key terms in each of the sections, summary sections, review questions, critical thinking questions, and personal application questions. This text also included a section on I/O Psychology, which I have not seen in other intro texts.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content appears to be accurate and is presented in an unbiased way.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is currently up-to-date, and includes research published within the last ten years. The text includes seminal research studies, current theories, and is transparent about how cultural shifts impact the field (e.g., how DSM categories have evolved throughout time). Additionally, it appears that updates/changes can quickly be made to the online text.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The chapters are written in a clear and concise way. Terminology is described throughout the chapter and reiterated in the key terms section. Additionally, the text provides multiple examples of the content discussed.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapters are broken into easily digestible sections with clear subheadings. There are appropriate transitions and clear organization that is consistent with other intro psych texts.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Each section has appropriate organization, structure, and flow. As mentioned in earlier sections, the modules make sense to the reader.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Some of the images and charts are a little blurry in the physical textbook (our department ordered a physical textbook to evaluate differences between online and text versions). The figures in the online version seem sharper, and the images aren’t distorted enough to confuse the reader. Both the online and physical text are easy to navigate.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"To my knowledge, the text contains no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is sensitive, inclusive, and culturally relevant.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2022-12-15T20:45:24.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-12-15T20:45:24.000-06:00"},{"id":34754,"first_name":"Ray","last_name":"Martin","position":"Affiliate faculty","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University of Denver","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is a good book overall. It covers all of the content most general or introduction to psychology courses go over. However, it is limited in social psychology topics.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I have found this book to be accurate and error-free. It has some over-generalizations and vague statements, but this can be useful for new students diving into the material.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This book gets updated already. It is organized in a way that is easy to find topics, thus it would be easy to find material that must be updated.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This text, in my opinion, is very accessible/ approachable for new students. I would argue that it prioritizes clarity and approachability slightly too much over content. In some topics, this approach for being approachable leaves me providing additional resources to students to supplement some overgeneralizations and vague language. However, I prefer this approach over the text being too dense for students. What I have been doing to navigate this is telling students that they must read the text before the week begins and then the additional resources are for after.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"This book is consistent in terminology. However, there is improvement for comparing concepts and fostering connection-building.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"If I could score this book higher than 5 for modularity, I would. This book has an excellent method of breaking down the text and allowing students to navigate directly to the heading or subheading they were last reading at.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The flow is great. It is set up for a 2 semester introduction to psychology course and its topics are not fully in order to align with what is typically in each semester. To mitigate problems, I just skipped a few chapters but the students still worked in order. Then, for the second semester, the students will approach the other chapters that are left, still in order during that semester.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The book interface is overall fairly simple. I am left wishing that students had a way to digitally take notes on it together (like hypothesis) and it had interactive quizzes.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Easy to read.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I would like to see a bit more inclusion of examples featuring diversity. Nothing is insensitive or offensive, that I have seen, however, it could be improved.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This is a good book. I recommend it as a primary text that is supplemented by additional reading","created_at":"2023-11-24T10:25:13.000-06:00","updated_at":"2023-11-24T10:25:13.000-06:00"},{"id":35018,"first_name":"Beth","last_name":"Mechlin","position":"Associate Professor of Psychology \u0026 Neuroscience","institution_name":"Earlham College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is text provides a good introduction to the breadth of the field of psychology. It has chapters that focus on all the general topics that I cover in my Introduction to Psychology course.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"All the content appears to be accurate. I have not noted any errors in the text.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Most of the information in this text is up to date. For example, it includes information about the opioid crisis. As a health psychologist, I like the information on health and illness. However, this is a section that could benefit from a small update to include more research about the COVID pandemic. (I did notice that some other chapters, particularly the I/O chapter talks about the COVID pandemic though).","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is well-written and easy to follow. It is an appropriate level for a college level introduction to psychology course.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in terms of terminology and organization. Each chapter is organized in a similar way.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This text is very modular. It is easy to assign only the chapters that you need for the content that you are covering. All the chapters also have subsections, which makes it even more modular.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This text is very well organized. Each chapter begins with a chapter outline and then is followed by the content for the chapter. The chapters all end with key terms, a summary, and then questions to help students think through the material.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is easy to use online. You can navigate between sections well.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors in the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is culturally relevant. It includes contents and examples regarding people from a variety of cultural backgrounds. It specifically discusses prejudice and discrimination in the social psychology chapter, which helps with its cultural relevancy.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I think this is a great resource for an introduction to psychology course.","created_at":"2024-04-24T10:18:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2024-04-24T10:18:00.000-05:00"},{"id":35102,"first_name":"Mary Elizabeth","last_name":"Maynard","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Mount Wachusett Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"All topics and subtopics are are covered extensively.  I especially like the real worl examples given.  The comprehensiveness is complete and sufficient for an introductory Psychology course.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate.  I even fact checked a few studies that I was not familiar with and all are up to date and give precise information.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The relevance of the information is modern and I could easily add new information or research articles that would fit nicely with the content.\nIt would be easy to insert updated information say in 4 to 5 years into the contents of the book with ease.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I especially like the way the book is written.  The language of the text is easy to follow even though it challenges the student to think outside the box.  I have not seen any jardon or non research based wording or vocabulary.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Overall, the text language and vocabulary fit in with the field of Psychology.  I have not seen any discrepancies.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Yes the text is very easily divided into smaller sections so that I can assign distinct parts of the the text.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The chapters and topics are organized in an easy and understandable fashion.  The flow of the topics makes sense to the student.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I have not see any such problems with this text.  The interface of the text is good and the images/charts/visuals are easy to navigate.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I did see one or two grammar errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is culturally and racially appropriate.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Overall, I would use this book if it had a free on line program for student labs and activities.","created_at":"2024-06-06T08:48:09.000-05:00","updated_at":"2024-06-06T08:48:09.000-05:00"},{"id":35137,"first_name":"Marjorie","last_name":"Schaeffer","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Saint Mary's College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook includes all of the topics and areas typically covered in an Introduction to Psychology course. (and those recommended by the APA).","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"All the content appears to be accurate. I have not identified any errors in the text.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The textbook is highly relevant and is structured in a way that will make updates and changes easy.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This textbook is well written and engaging for undergraduates. Specific definitions are presented and explained clearly.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book uses a consistent format that makes it easy for students to navigate.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This textbook is extremely modular. Each section is small and does not assume knowledge from a previous section (honestly, a little less modularity might make the textbook feel more cohesive).","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book is well organized and easy to follow.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Chapter sections, charts, graphs, online glossary, and the search feature are all easy to access online. I have used this textbook both fully online and downloaded as a PDF without difficulty.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not found any grammatical errors thus far.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The textbook is clearly working to be culturally responsive. The textbook is not insensitive or offensive in anyway. The discussion of \"Misunderstanding about Sexual Orientation\" is strong. However, I would love for there to be more diverse examples in other sections of the textbook.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Beyond the book itself, there is a very strong Instructor Resource Site with many resources, test banks, assignment ideas, Powerpoints, etc. This textbook has more additional supports than any Open Access Textbook I have used previously.","created_at":"2024-06-25T13:58:12.000-05:00","updated_at":"2024-06-25T13:58:12.000-05:00"},{"id":35487,"first_name":"Danitza","last_name":"Acevedo","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"North Shore Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook is highly comprehensive for beginners, presenting key theories and current research in a clear, easy-to-read format. It also includes videos, activities, and other interactive elements that support a variety of learning styles.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The textbook is accurate and up-to-date, reflecting current research and best practices in the field of psychology.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The textbook is highly relevant for introductory psychology courses, aligning well with current academic standards and real-world applications.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook is clear, using straightforward language and well-structured content that makes complex concepts easy for beginners to understand.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The textbook maintains strong consistency in tone, terminology, and structure across all chapters, which helps reinforce understanding and supports a smooth learning experience.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is easily and readily divisible into smaller reading sections that can be assigned at different points within the course.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The textbook is thoughtfully organized, with a logical progression of topics that builds foundational knowledge before introducing more complex concepts, making it easy for students to follow and instructors to teach.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The textbook features a user-friendly interface with clear navigation, intuitive layout, and accessible multimedia elements that enhance the overall learning experience.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The textbook uses correct and polished grammar throughout.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is free from insensitivity or offensive content, but could benefit from more diverse examples to better reflect and include a wider range of cultures and perspectives.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This textbook offers clear explanations, up-to-date research, and engaging examples that make complex psychological concepts accessible. Its structured layout and inclusive approach support diverse learning styles. A valuable, well-organized resource for introductory courses into psychology.","created_at":"2025-05-22T21:06:06.000-05:00","updated_at":"2025-05-22T21:06:06.000-05:00"},{"id":35497,"first_name":"Josephine","last_name":"Amato","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Mount Wachusett Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book covers every basic topic for Intro to Psych.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"THis book uses current information. I believe it was last updated in 2024.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This book has longevity because it uses well known studies and information that has been around for a while and is discussed in intro to psych classes. I have been using it for about 5 years.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This book has gotten good reviews from my Intro to Psych community college students. It uses everyday terminology or provides definitions and good descriptions of the topics.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This book is consistent within the framework of Intro to Psych","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This book uses headings and subtitles so it is easy to look up points discussed in class. I can create modules with the smaller reading sections and can be easily referenced.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are current to Intro to Psych, well organized and clear. The language is easy to read and topics are easy to look up. I like that you can click on the topics in table of Contents. Students enjoy and learn from the videos.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I have not noticed an interface issues.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"none that i noticed","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"It has a definition of cultural competence. It could benefit from popular examples.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I have used this book since 2020. I think students learn from it. I have gotten good feedback from them and I will continue to use it. \nI would like to see current, popular examples.","created_at":"2025-05-29T11:51:15.000-05:00","updated_at":"2025-05-29T11:51:15.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/psychology","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:42:48.000-06:00"},{"id":227,"title":"Discover Psychology 2.0: A Brief Introductory Text","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2015,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"This textbook presents core concepts common to introductory courses. The 15 units cover the traditional areas of intro-to-psychology; ranging from biological aspects of psychology to psychological disorders to social psychology. This book can be modified: feel free to add or remove modules to better suit your specific needs. Each module in this book is accompanied by instructor's manual, PowerPoint presentation, test items, adaptive student quiz, and reading anticipation guide. Please note that the publisher requires you to login to access and download the textbooks.","contributors":[{"id":3475,"contribution":"Editor","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Robert","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Biswas-Diener","location":null,"background_text":"Robert Biswas-Diener has written a number of books including Happiness: Unlocking the mysteries of psychological wealth and The Courage Quotient. He is senior editor for the free-textbook platform, Noba."},{"id":3476,"contribution":"Editor","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Ed","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Diener","location":"University of Utah","background_text":"Ed Diener is a psychologist, professor, and author. Diener is a professor of psychology at the Universities of Utah and Virginia, and Joseph R. Smiley Distinguished Professor Emeritus from the University of Illinois as well as a senior scientist for the Gallup Organization."}],"subjects":[{"id":42,"name":"Psychology","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"BF121","visible_textbooks_count":51,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/psychology"},{"id":9,"name":"Social Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"H1","visible_textbooks_count":285,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/social-sciences"}],"publishers":[{"id":266,"url":"http://nobaproject.com/textbooks/discover-psychology-v2-a-brief-introductory-text","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","name":"Noba"}],"formats":[{"id":436,"type":"PDF","url":"http://nobaproject.com/textbooks/discover-psychology-v2-a-brief-introductory-text","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2047,"type":"Online","url":"https://nobaproject.com/textbooks/discover-psychology-v2-a-brief-introductory-text","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4","textbook_reviews_count":20,"reviews":[{"id":427,"first_name":"Samantha","last_name":"Bergmann","position":"Associate Lecturer","institution_name":"University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is a brief introduction to psychology with 15 units that cover the material traditionally targeted in intro courses. The 15 units hit on the \"big\" topics that are included in most introductory textbooks including: basic research methods, biological psychology, sensation and perception, learning, social psychology, and psychological disorders. Most of the chapters provide sufficient information on a topic; however, there are some units that could use more detail or topics. For example, the sensation and perception unit only includes modules on vision and hearing without information on smell, taste, or touch. The content on psychological disorders could also benefit from a module that includes more of an introduction to how psychological disorders are defined and diagnosed. The learning objectives listed at the beginning of each chapter would be helpful to guide students as they read the module, and they could be very useful in guiding an instructor in their course planning. However, the quality of the learning objectives vary from unit to unit, and it is obvious that they were written by different individuals. Some of the learning objectives state very specific behaviors that a student should be able to engage in following reading the module whereas other units include more general objectives that a student should \"understand\" some concept. The completeness of the vocabulary lists/glossary varies from unit to unit as well. Some of the terms are very clearly defined whereas others are quite poorly defined. For example, discontinuous development is defined as \"discontinuous development.\" The discussion questions are a great feature, but the quality varies across units as well. Overall, the content appears complete and would likely function well for a introductory course that is often strapped for time, but the individual instructor may need to offer more complete definitions or more narrowly define learning objectives.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content of the book appears accurate. I did not come across any egregious errors; however, it is impossible to be an expert on all of the modules! The text nicely covers difficult topics like gender, cultural diversity, intelligence, nature and nurture, and discrimination from an unbiased perspective. Accurate content in chapters such as these can be especially helpful for lecturing and in stimulating discussion.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The content is up-to-date (although it does appear that a version 2.0 has also been added to the book's website). The content on psychological disorders could use more information about the latest edition of the DSM. Updates to the content could be relatively easy to implement, in my opinion.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Each module is authored by a different professional, so the clarity can vary a bit from unit to unit. Overall, the text is very clearly written and accessible. Many first-year students and non-traditional students with a variety of backgrounds often take introduction to psychology, so a text that is not too advanced is a great resource to have. The units include many current examples which would help a student apply a psychological concept to their own life.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in framework and layout. Each module begins with an introductory paragraph and learning objectives, followed by the \"meat\" of the module, and ends with references/links to other sources, discussion questions, and glossary. The layout is easy to navigate and increases usability. There is little consistency in terms of terminology; however, this is somewhat common in introduction to psychology textbooks regardless of the number of authors. The text covers 15 very different topics, and there is little overlap between the units. This can make consistency difficult. Overall, the tone of the text carries nicely throughout modules even when written by different authors.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modularity of the text is one of its best features. The 15 units are further organized into modules that are easy to navigate and easy to consume. The  modules have very clear sections and flow nicely from one section to the next. I would likely reorganize the order of some of the modules for my own course, but the order of the modules makes sense.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text is very well organized. The organization is similar to most other introductory texts that I have read/used. The topics progress in a logical fashion and the information organized into modules within each unit builds upon previous modules. The layout of each module helps with the structure and flow of the information.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Overall, the interface is highly navigable. I did have some annoyance with returning to the table of contents from modules I was reading, but it was a minimal disruption. All of the figures and images that I came across did not appear to be distorted in any way.  There were some modules in which the text of a paragraph continued awkwardly after a picture, but it was only minimally distracting.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors. Some of the learning objectives and discussion questions could be revised for clarity.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I did  not find the text to be culturally insensitive or offensive. In fact, I found the information on gender and discrimination to be rather neutral. There could be more emphasis on cultural diversity especially with respect to topics like social psychology and values.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I often select a brief text to use in my introduction to psychology course because I have so many topics to cover in a 15-week semester. I think this book could accomplish many of the goals that I have for my intro course; however, I would need to supplement my lectures with more examples not provided in the text and incorporate supplementary resources like videos. In my experience, students rarely complete all of the reading for an intro course. I think that the length of the modules and clarity of the text could make the material accessible and hopefully lead to more students completing the reading assignments.","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":444,"first_name":"Ashley","last_name":"Billig","position":"Associate Lecturer","institution_name":"University of Wisconsin Milwaukee","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers all major areas of psychology appropriate for an introductory course. However, the table of contents is organized in a way that makes it somewhat difficult to find a specific piece of information. While reviewing, I noted things lacking only to find it later on in another section. Very broad categories are listed with the topical areas of the chapters within each section. I think students and instructors may have a difficult time locating specific material using the ToC.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I found the material to be accurate to the best of my knowledge. Major plus: Loftus co-wrote a chapter specific to eyewitness memory. Drawback: No mention of Zimbardo other than a suggested video clip. Major omission of Freudian and neo-Freudian theoretical perspectives in unconscious chapter. Everything else was accurate and error-free.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"As with all psychology, the text will need to be updated with advances in research and to stay current with DSM. The historical aspects and overview of seminal studies are relevant and current.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I found the text easy to read and easily understood without a lot of jargon. The physio sections are slightly more advanced as a result of the content.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"The writing is cohesive throughout and the authors have done a good job making it sound as one voice. However, the organization makes the text seem a little disjointed. There is no real overarching framework introduced in the first chapter, which makes the organization seem off in a few places.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"The chapters are appropriate length (some may be even a bit too short), but would be manageable for a student needing a brief review. The sections are rather short and easy to break down, but within the sections, I suspect students would need a lot of underlining and highlighting, more so than a traditional text, to go back and find what they’re looking for. Some of the headings within the chapters are ambiguous which would also make it difficult to go back and find specific pieces of information.","organization_rating":2,"organization_review":"The organization of this text is the biggest flaw, in my opinion. A lot of information is placed in broad categories that seem out of place to me. For example, I would expect research ethics to be in research; it’s in the introductory chapter. Nature-nurture and gender socialization are both under biology, and I would expect it to fall under development.  Most of the information under the broad category of emotion seems to be a better fit for the social chapter. The social psyc module should be right after personality, but is second to the end.  I think the text would benefit from fewer categories and combining some of the chapters together along with reorganization.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"In some places, text will reference a graphic “above” when it is actually beside or below. Some of the graphics in the physio sections are too rudimentary. By this, I mean students may not be able to identify a part because the graphics in the text are not detailed enough for the specific part being labeled. It is difficult to see what is being pointed to and identified.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I saw no grammatical problems. The table of contents could be organized a little better with more specificity.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"One thing I really liked was the inclusion of a chapter specific to the real-world application of research methodology. In an introductory course, many students may need to see “the point” of the course before engaging in the material, and I think the inclusion of this chapter early on does a nice job engaging readers with the “why it matters” element. I found nothing offensive or insensitive. Photos include people of a variety of races and ethnicities, but could possibly use even more diversity. The chapters could use more images or examples of real-world things that students would recognize, but it's understandable if budget for a free text does not allow for that inclusion.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Overall I like this text as a supplement to other material for a full-semester introductory psychology course. It does a nice job covering the basics of most of the relevant areas. However, aside from the organization, in my opinion a flaw of the text is the lack of introduction to major fields and orientations within psychology in the first chapter. If you asked a student using this text and only this text what behaviorism, humanism, Freudian theory, or social learning theory is, they would probably not get that from the text. There is no overview of historically significant theorists, and no overview of orientations and perspectives. The orientation informs the differences in methods, explanation for behavior, and treatment. Without this overlaying perspective, the text feels disjointed. Each chapter is good independently, but there lacks a through-line. In this way, you can tell this is written by multiple authors independent of one another. We read about parts of the brain and then don’t hear much more about how biology relates to behavior in different ways. The chapters don’t really build on one another – which is not necessarily a bad thing if it’s intended to be broken up and assigned in a different order than the one it’s presented in. But if the intended use, as it would be for me, is to introduce information and then build on that information and come back to it repeatedly to relate it to new information, this text is lacking. It’s a nice primer but would not be my choice for sole text for a course.","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":601,"first_name":"Demitrus","last_name":"Ewing","position":"Part-time Instructor","institution_name":"Lane Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The problem with textbooks is that they can’t devote enough time and space to each sub-discipline of psychology that’s needed. With that being said, the book did a good job of including the major areas of psychology, while highlighting many important subcategories of psychological inquiry (e.g., the bias, discrimination, and stereotyping section in the social psychology chapter). The textbook provides an effective glossary, which helps the reader navigate the book with ease.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I found the content to be mostly accurate and up-to-date. I did, however, have an issue with how in-groups and out-groups were defined in the social psychology chapter. The book states that showing in-group favoritism leads to outgroup bias but it is my understanding that one can favor in-groups without showing bias toward out-groups. I would like to see the authors update that section to reflect our current understanding of this social phenomenon.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"One of the pros of a modulated textbook is that each module can be easily updated in a short period of time. I found the chapter on personality to be particularly relevant to today’s world with each subsection written by a leading researcher in that area. The book will stay relevant because the work of the researchers/authors was and is relevant.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book reads well and keeps the readers’ interest by relating current issues to psychological inquiry. The editors did a great job of eliminating unnecesary jargon and technical terminology. The text is easily digestible and written at a level that most students can read and, more importantly, comprehend. The textbook also has vocabulary words with definitions at the end of each chapter subsection, which is a handy tool for students beginning to learn and understand psychology.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I found the text to be consistent in terminology and framework, which is hard to accomplish when each chapter has different authors. With that in mind, the text does not appear disjointed or artificially constructed. The chapter layouts are consistent throughout the text adding fluidity to the developing picture of psychological science.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The strongest attribute of this textbook is that it is setup for each chapter or subsections of chapters can be easily divided into sections within that chapter or a related chapter. Because each chapter subsection has a different author, you may expect each chapter to read like a different textbook but this is not the case. Because of the how the book is organized, subunits can be reorganized and realigned without distracting the reader.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The fact that each of the chapters, and subsections, are written by authors well known in their particular area of psychology adds credibility to the textbook as a whole. The text is organized so the instructor can dissect each chapter and arrange them in the order she chooses. This type of textbook allows instructors to share certain areas of psychology that overlap with other areas of psychology. It also allows the reader to read chapters and chapter subsections out of sequence without losing flow.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I did not find any issues concerning navigation or distortion of images, charts and figures. Readers can fluidly move through the text from chapter to chapter without confusing figures and charts that seem out of place. When charts and graphs are used, they enhance the readers’ understanding rather than detracting from it.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors in the text.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I believe this textbook does a good job of using examples that are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities and backgrounds and I did not find any language that could be considered offensive. I will say that I wanted the section on racism, biases, and stereotyping to be longer and more in-depth. The changing social and racial/ethnic make-up of the US suggests that intolerance may increase as we adjust to the changing social landscape. Biases and prejudices in conjunction with right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation have always been and continue to be issues that we in the US refuse to devote serious inquiry and resources to. The 2016 presidential election is a prime example of these phenomena.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"This textbook is because it has lecture slides and test bank questions that other textbooks don’t offer. As an instructor, this helps tremendously with preparation for lectures and exams. As far as comprehensibility of textbooks goes, this textbook is a good one. Students will read if the text is written in a way that they can comprehend without too much effort. This is such a textbook.","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":761,"first_name":"Julie","last_name":"Luker","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Inver Hills Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook appears to cover many, if not all, of the same areas that are found in traditional textbooks. For each area that is discussed, the text includes relevant authors and studies.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"This book appears to be incredibly accurate. The information presented is presented using critical thought and defended using relevant scholarly sources.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"It is my opinion that this textbook is and will remain relevant to today's psychology students. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook is written at a level that is very easy to understand, in my opinion. It is not too confusing or difficult to comprehend it. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The expectations I had going into each of the sections (after going through one section), were met. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I really liked how some of the more important points were highlighted on the side of the pages. It made it easy to find pertinent information I might have otherwise overlooked and it helps me to focus my learning. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The outline and structure were similar for each area. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"It was incredibly easy to open and view this book from my desktop computer.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No issues that I saw.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The textbook consistently addressed issues on a global scale.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1229,"first_name":"Sara","last_name":"Sohr-Preston","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Southeastern Louisiana University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook (a collection of entries written by top experts in psychology and related fields) covers all major areas of behavioral science I typically include in an introductory course. The topics list is fairly simple to navigate, and the \"browse\" option allows a user to locate topics and terms easily.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content appears appropriated referenced and reflect current research and theory in the authors'  areas of expertise.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The citations are current. This is an ever-changing field in some domains, but this text should be sufficiently relevant for the next few years.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The books reads well. College students should be able to comprehend the content.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"There are different authors for each topic, so individual styles do come through at times. This does not, however, detract from the flow of the book.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"There are clear sections and topic areas designated.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics can be absorbed separately or a as a whole.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I found no interface problems.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors in my reading.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Culture was include with respect in many topic areas.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1498,"first_name":"David","last_name":"Allbritton","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"DePaul University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers all areas that are typically taught in Introduction to Psychology in the default “Brief Introductory Text” pre-packaged version, and there are many additional modules/chapters that the instructor can choose among to create a customized version of the text.   Noba is a collection of chapters or modules that were written by different authors, many of whom are leading researchers in the field about which they write.  It reads more like an edited volume or handbook of psychology than a traditional single-author textbook, which has both advantages and disadvantages.  On the positive side, the perspective of domain experts provides more depth and makes it a more interesting read overall.  A potential negative might be that there is less consistency of style and level of detail across chapters than in a traditional textbook, and less importance placed on providing “encyclopedic” summary coverage of the whole field.  Nevertheless, the text does have adequate breadth of coverage overall, and the availability of additional modules allows the instructor to supplement any topics that they wish to cover in more detail.  I would rate its comprehensiveness as more than adequate, though not as comprehensive as some of the more encyclopedic traditional textbooks.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The use of domain experts as chapter authors has a positive effect on the accuracy of the text.  In my text selection process I paid particular attention to the treatment of methods and statistics.  The Noba chapters did a good job of explaining concepts in an understandable way without being inaccurate about (for example) p values - a criterion that some of the other free textbooks (and some traditional textbooks) I considered failed to meet.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The modular structure of the text, with contributed chapters on various topics, lends itself to easy updating by soliciting updated or new individual chapters as needed, rather than requiring a full-scale revision of the entire text.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing is clear, though it may vary from chapter to chapter due to each chapter having a different author.  Students generally rated the text as readable and interesting.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"The consistency is adequate, though not as high as it would be for a single-author textbook.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"One of the strengths of this text, there are dozens of modules that the instructor can choose among to create a customized textbook.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Good","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Easy for students to access via a browser, or to download a pdf version of the textbook.  It is too bad there are not e-book versions such as mobi (Kindle) or epub available, however.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Good","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Good","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I recently switched from a traditional textbook to a customized version of the Noba text and thus far the experience has been good.  Surveys of students revealed that they found it to be interesting and well-written, comparing favorably to two traditional textbooks that were used concurrently in other sections of the same class or in my previous sections of the class.  The only area in which I perceive the Noba text to lag traditional textbooks currently is in the instructor test banks.  I would characterize the Noba test banks as adequate, but much less extensive than those provided by commercial publishers.  Overall I have  been pleased with the Noba textbook and plan to continue using it.","created_at":"2017-08-15T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-08-15T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1503,"first_name":"Olya","last_name":"Glantsman","position":"Visiting Professor in Psychology","institution_name":"DePaul University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers all of the standard areas/topics typical for an introductory textbook. The subject areas are presented in a comprehensive manner without making the chapters too long. I also really enjoyed videos and suggested outside sources. The book’s layout and its glossary are helpful in making the text user-friendly and easily digestible. I was a bit surprised not to see a module on the History of the field as well as a module on other subfield (e.g., Community Psychology, I/O, etc.) at least in an introductory format. I would also suggest possible inclusion of a chapter on adolescent/adulthood psychology for a more comprehensive lifespan chapter.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content of the book appears to be accurate and free of errors and biases.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text appears to be up-to-date. Typical for any text, some studies/examples could be more current but the necessary updates can be easily made.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text’s voice is clear. Terminology is defined both in-text as well as in glossary.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Even though the text was written by multiple authors, there is a good flow and consistency when it comes to various modules and the transition from one module to another; this is helped by the apparent similarity in structure (e.g., sections pane on the right, learning objectives, glossary, etc.).","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Having the book split into module is a plus as the chapters can easily been re-organized and modules can be added and removed per the instructor’s interest/need. The text is clearly divided into sections and subsections.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics in the text are presented in a clear manner and are logically nested within subunits.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Navigating the text was relatively easy. I was, however, disappointed that 1) the headers on the right pane did not get updated (i.e., highlighted) when I was scrolling the actual text and 2) that I was not able to go directly to the part of the text by clicking on the header on the right pane. None of the images/charts/graphs appeared distorted. Minor note: in the memory chapter, the image on mnemonic devices is slightly cut off.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any major grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"While I really enjoyed the chapter Culture and Emotion, I would have preferred the text incorporated the notion of cultural relevance throughout the text rather than in one specific chapter or sporadic examples such as on Implicit and Ambiguous Biases or on representation of women in certain professions.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I really appreciated how innovative this text was. What a great way to introduce a quality introduction of the field to the students, while helping the students avoid the high costs of a textbook.","created_at":"2017-08-15T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-08-15T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1517,"first_name":"Peggy (Virginia)","last_name":"Hull","position":"Dept. Chair/Social Science","institution_name":"Rogue Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"I found the book pretty thorough.  It did lack some of the bells and whistles that our current book has but could be supplemented by the instructor.  It covers all the same material and in some cases adds some info.  The presentation int terms of chapter organization is a bit different and this would require a bit of planning.  However it was pretty much the same information and easy to locate.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I haven't reviewed every chapter but I did review key concepts and found a high degree of accuracy and good detail as well.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"I think the book would be relevant as long as our current texts.  They update every few years and I am not sure they change too much.  I would think this text would be timely and up to date for the same time period as other competing texts.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Easy to follow and well organized.  Clear chapter headings, glossary, etc.    Presented in a way that is accessible to college students of various levels but still challenging in content.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"The chapters follow a straight forward plan and it is pretty easy to locate needed information.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"See abobe","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"I prefer our current textbook but just because I am familiar with it.  I think the organizational structure of this book follows a logical progression.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"It could use some better charts, graphics etc.  I a bit more color, variety, etc  would be nice.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Well written","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Not really addressed much but neither does our current text.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2017-08-15T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-08-15T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1704,"first_name":"Heather","last_name":"Lum","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Penn State","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"AS the authors state, this book represents the core concepts common in intro courses. In this way, the textbook is comprehensive of the major topics and domains within psychology. It does a nice job of covering most topics in a brief but explanatory manner. It does lack in some areas of psych such as a more detailed history as well as the applied areas of psychology but this could be supplemented by instructor resources/additions. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I did not see any major errors, typos, or fallacies. It did lack some mention of major historical figures like Freud, Ximbardo, and a few others. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The textbook appears to be up to date and will work for a few years before needed to be updated. One area that will need to be updated sooner, as with all psych textbooks, is on clinical psychology including the DSM and classification of psychological disorders. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The format of the chapters lends itself to relative clarity. Also, even though written by multiple authors, the feel and language seems to read clearly and easily for introductory students. Examples, definitions, and background articles help this as well. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The layout and formatting are consistent throughout. The usability and expectation between chapters remains constant. The tone carries throughout and the overall consistency is good.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The modularity of the textbook is extremely clear and flows well. Although the order of modules/chapters could be rearranged, overall I find the modules to be well organized.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"As with most intro psych textbooks, the flow and structure are similar, easy to follow, and sound. Layout, consistency, and flow are all as they should be. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface was again consistent the module flow will allow a student to easily navigate between. Images and figures were easy to read and added to the topic that was being discussed. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No major grammatical errors were noticed in this textbook. ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I would say that this textbook does a good job of bringing up cultural, racial, and ethnic issues in a neutral tone. Perhaps a deeper discussion of some of these topics as they relate to psychology would have been helpful, but overall it is culturally relevant. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"As a brief text, this book does a good job of covering most of the major topics within psychology without overwhelming the reader. I would consider utilizing this book the next time I teach an intro psych course. ","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1804,"first_name":"Kimberly","last_name":"DuVall","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"James Madison University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text covers all topic areas that are usually taught within a brief version of an introductory psychology text.  All topics include relevant authors and up-to-date empirical evidence. Learning objectives at each chapter’s intro are useful in guiding student learning, as well as assisting the instructor with course preparation.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found no errors in this text.  It appears to be accurate, citing updated empirical evidence.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Content is current, but will need to be updated with advances in research (as with any textbook).  A nice feature to this text is that each module can easily be updated as needed.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This text reads well and is accessible to undergraduate introductory students.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I found no inconsistencies in terms of terminology and framework. Though this text is written by various authors, it maintains a nice flow.  ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"One of the strongest attributes of this text is its structure.  The modules with sections and subsections allow the instructor to reorganize for the course as needed.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"All topics are presented in a clear and logical configuration.  ","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"There is an easy-to-use search feature within the text.  My one concern with the book’s interface is that the right pane of the text listing “sections” did not allow movement by clicking on the topic.  A few links were active (e.g., Learning Objectives, Outside Resources, etc.).  It would help immensely with readability for each link to take the student directly to the section/subsection of the text. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This text does a good job of using global examples throughout.  ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I have confidence in this text as an appropriate resource for an introductory psychology course.  I believe that the length of the modules along with use of interesting photos, graphics, and video clips would encourage student engagement.  I would continue to supplement, as the students would need more information about major perspectives within the field.  ","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1840,"first_name":"Georgann","last_name":"Willis ","position":"Associate Professor-Psychology","institution_name":"Umpqua Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"I think the brain and nervous system lacked a lot of content, especially the role of neurotransmitters in everyday behavior.  The developmental section skips from childhood to late adulthood. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"What is presented in the text is accurate after a first reading, I did not see anything I would question or argue.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The authors do a good job of citing more recent findings and including technology into the theories.  I was a little taken aback to see Ainsworth's attachment theory attributed to someone in 2008 rather than her in 1978.  Since Thomas \u0026amp; Chess were still there for temperament and Baumrind was still there for parenting styles I am unclear why Ainsworth lost her citation?","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"Very text heavy without enough breaks for graphics to help break up long blocks of text.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Every chapter seems to have a constant level of content, review questions and vocabulary.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text breaks up into reasonable chapter divisions, many of which could be switched in order to accommodate instructor preference.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"In the development section it skips from childhood to older aged adults.  This skips overs adolescence, early adulthood and middle adulthood.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"I think many of the graphics are not really useful and some theories would benefit mote from graphics to help them stand out from the text.  One example is Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory.  The graphics are disjointed and not terribly useful.  The theory would be more relevant in a table or complete chart.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not come across any grammatical or spelling errors in my read of the text.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The pictures are varied and show multiple ethnicities depicted in a variety of everyday situations.  I also liked the variety of ages displayed.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"This book would be adequate to give students reading selections if they had a strong, experienced lecturer who has put together a set of more comprehensive resources (PPTs, lectures or links to other resources).  For a new or first time instructor I think there would be too many gaps in the content.","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1849,"first_name":"David","last_name":"Bull","position":"Director, Open Access College","institution_name":"University of Southern Queensland","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is a comprehensive text covering all the major aspects of introductory psychology.    All chapters are well written and provide a very effective overview and reasonable detail for each topic.   The photographs and diagrams used throughout supplement the key material well.   I particularly like the structure of each chapter.  A brief introduction, a list of learning objectives and then various primary headings covering the significant aspects of the topic.  Each chapter provides a relatively succinct overview of the subject but this is supplemented by an excellent list of additional references for further investigation.  The glossary of vocabulary at the end of each chapter will be a further bonus to students who are unfamiliar with some of the terminology.  The discussion questions should also prompt further consideration of the topic.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content appears to be accurate throughout.  Psychology texts are renown  for regular updates on editions.  Provided this 'open' text is able to be reviewed and updated with reasonable regularity it will be able to compete extremely well with similar commercial versions.  I think it is necessary to keep in mind that this text covers a very wide range of topics, that this is an introduction to each of these topics and is intended to be supplemented by wider reading.  This text serves its purpose well.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"As mentioned above the text is in competition with commercial texts  which are updated very regularly (probably more often than is necessary).   It has strong relevance and good longevity and could be updated relatively easily.  Many commercial text updates are fairly minor in any case.  Also, the fact that this is an 'open' text enables the user to update the material as required.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Very good structure.  Easy to read and follow.  Given that numerous authors contributed to this edited volume the consistency of structure and  writing style is excellent.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book has a consistent structure throughout.  This is a real plus for students and scholars.  The list of vocabulary at the end of each chapter addresses any concerns that might arise as a result of unfamiliar terminology.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Chapters of this book could be withdrawn and used independently of other chapters or sections.  As the text covers a wide range of psychological topics it may be desirable to only draw upon particular chapters, dependent upon the intention of the instructor and the objectives of the learning exercise.  In this regard the modularity of this volume serves multiple purposes.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"As mentioned above, the organisation and structure are logical and presented very clearly.  I like the brevity of some chapters, particularly when they are supplemented so well with further references on the topic.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I didn't identify any issues in this regard.  I felt the balance between text, images, diagrams and charts was appropriate.  The index is helpful but essential the tight structure largely negates an navigation difficulties the user might encounter.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Again, no issues in this regard.  The entire book reads easily and was grammatically correct.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Cultural aspects of psychology are certainly very important.  It is understandable that a volume of this nature could not fully explore many of the cultural factors which impact upon various psychological concepts.  For its purpose this text is culturally fair and presents a balanced view.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Overall, I believe this to be a very useful open text.  It has adequate coverage of a very wide range of topics and can be used by instructors in multiple ways.  Students would find this easy to use, easy to read and a great source of preliminary information on numerous aspects of psychology.","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1946,"first_name":"Daisy","last_name":"Aceves","position":"Graduate Student Professor","institution_name":"Texas Tech University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book is pretty comprehensive for being a brief introductory book. While it does not cover everything that a full book may cover, it does a great job of providing supplemental list of references (something that can be incorporated as assignments for students). The glossary and index section is also extremely helpful for students and can be used as a great resource as well.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate with the current field of psychology. References and articles used are not too old (unless they are the staple studies). Being an introductory book, the book is unbiased and straight to the point.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Content is up-to-date with current field of psychology. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is easy to follow, clear and concise. I believe students will enjoy the ease and flow of this book and the fact that it does not use terms that are not easily understood.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book was created in a consistent manner in which the previous chapter flows into the next chapter.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Helpful in that instructors can pick and choose their modules and shape it based on the way they want to teach the course.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Book was organized in a clear manner.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No interface issues were found.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors were found.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The book seemed culturally appropriate. It included many examples of different cultures. I do believe the book lacked on the importance of race and culture in every aspect of psychology. The field is moving more and more towards that aspect and would have been beneficial if the book had more information, especially in the social psychology aspect.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Overall, a good book that can be appealing to students.","created_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2014,"first_name":"Keri","last_name":"Whitacre","position":"Psychology Instructor","institution_name":"West Virginia University Potomac State ","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text covers the traditional topics found in an Introductory Psychology course. The learning objectives are helpful to the student as well as the instructor for course/classroom preparation. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"This text appears to be accurate and using current research. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content of this text appears to be current, but as with any text, will need updated as research advances/changes. Could pull out specific chapters for updating as needed. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I found this text to be easy to read.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I was skeptical about the text being written by various authors, but they did a good job to get an even flow from chapter to chapter. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I like how this text is structured with the modules and sections. This allows an instructor to reorganize if desired.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Good organization/structure and flow. ","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Perhaps by allowing the \"Sections\" topics to be linked (able to click on the topic and go to the information), one could navigate more easily. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I didn't see any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This text appeared inclusive to a variety of backgrounds. I didn't notice anything offensive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This text seems to be on target for an Introductory Psychology course.","created_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2646,"first_name":"Alica","last_name":"Ibaraki","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Western Oregon University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"As a whole the book is very comprehensive, covering all of the units you would expect in an Introductory Psychology textbook. I actually found, that given the number of modules, there is sometimes more information here than would be a print textbook- for example, 3 of 4 sections that make up the Psychological Disorders section are quite detailed, included DSM criteria, and seem more at the level that I would cover in an upper division Abnormal Psychology class than Intro.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"No issues with accuracy noted.  I was glad that the personality assessment section did not include anything about the Myers-Briggs.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"It's nice that each module starts with a story that connects the content to 'real life.' Most of these stories seem universal enough that they will work well now or 10 years from now, or can be easily updated if needed.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The formality of the writing varies between sections. Some of the modules are written more like a traditional textbook. other are written very casually, for example, this sentence appears in the text: \"If you’re like most people, you’d choose to spend the money on yourself (duh, right?)\". The casual language likely aids readability makes the text more accessible and clear to students rather than detracting from their learning.  ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in terms of terminology and framework but very inconsistent in the types of outsides sources included in the chapter and their relative usefulness. For example, some chapters include short videos that you can be assign to students or show in class. Other chapters just list websites (e.g. www.apa.org).","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"No issues noted with the modularity","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization/flow is good.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"An advantage of an e-book over a traditional text is that you can hover over the vocabulary and citations and easily get more information. That is a nice feature.\r\nI had difficulties when trying to use the navigation bar within modules. When I clicked any content sub-heading, it took me back to the top (Abstract). When I clicked on the ancillaries (outside resources, discussion questions, vocabulary, or reference) it jumped to the appropriate place on the page.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical issues noted","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"A discussion of the role of culture in the expression of mental illness is absent, or superficial at best.  The Therapeutic Orientations section also represents a missed opportunity to introduce the idea of culturally-informed care or culturally adapted therapy. There are no egregiously insensitive or offensive examples noted, but this text is not particularly strong at incorporating a discussion of cultural issues into the body of the text.   ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-03-09T17:40:56.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-03-09T17:40:56.000-06:00"},{"id":2711,"first_name":"Kelly","last_name":"Chang","position":"Professor","institution_name":"George Fox University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This compilation includes 36 modules specifically chosen to represent general psychology.  Noba modules are set up to be flexible, so instructors are able to take some out, edit them, and add more content from over 103 modules in the Noba Psychology collection.  \r\n     I am currently (spring 2019) teaching Social Psychology from the Noba collection, Together: The science of social psychology, and some of my observations in this review will be based on my experience with it so far.  \r\nAs far as feasibility, I do not think 36 modules could be covered in a 15-week semester, especially not if there also needs to be instruction in research, writing, or other skills, so most instructors would probably choose not to use the entire collection.  The social psychology collection is 27 modules, out of which I am covering 18 (with a couple modules swapped).  I have made other modules options for students to cover in group presentations.  That way they still have exposure to as much of the material as possible.  \r\n     To assess comprehensiveness, I will use recommendation #1 from the APA Board of Educational Affairs (BEA) Working Group (2014) on Strengthening the common core of the introductory psychology course.  \r\n     Short version:  This collection covers all the bases, though may not be consistent in the cross-cutting themes and integration of levels of analysis, leaving that responsibility in the hands of the instructor.\r\n1.\t Scientific Methods Foundation:  The collection includes three modules on scientific inquiry in psychology (and more are available).  Research examples are also included throughout most modules.\r\n2.\tCross-cutting Themes:  This is where different modules may hit the mark and others may not.  Since each module is written by different authors, and each module is meant to stand alone, there is no consistency of themes cutting across topics, and there is more of a bent toward silos in psychology.  That said, many of the modules (covering different topics) do address such themes as cultural and social diversity, ethics, variations in human functioning, and application.  Even the questions in the test bank attempt to represent different ethnic names and different sexual orientations in their example questions.\r\n3.\tGeneral Content Commonality.  This collection includes, as recommended by the BEA:\r\n    a.\tPillar 1: Biological—Five modules under this topic, including Brain and Nervous System, Evolutionary Theories, Nature-Nurture Question, and Gender.  Sensation and Perception, Consciousness, and Motivation (Drive States) are also found elsewhere in the collection.\r\n    b.\tPillar 2: Cognition—Three modules in the Cognition, Language, and Intelligence section.  Memory (2 modules) and Perception are found elsewhere\r\n    c.\tPillar 3: Development—Three modules in the Developmental Psychology section, including Cognitive Development, Social and Personality Development, and Aging.  Learning and Language are found elsewhere in the collection.\r\n    d.\tPillar 4:  Social and Personality—Three modules in the Personality section and four modules in the Social Psychology section.  Intelligence, Emotion, and Gender are found elsewhere in the collection.  There is a module on Culture and Emotion, but no other module in this collection specific to culture.\r\n    e.\tPillar 5: Mental and Physical Health—Four modules on Psychological Disorders, two modules on Therapies (Orientations and Psychopharmacology), two modules on Psychological Health (the Healthy Life module includes the connection between psychological and physical health, the effects of stress, and the importance of psychology to medicine).  \r\n    f.\tConclusion:  All the identified pillars are present in this collection.  It is important to note again that modules can be deleted, added, and re-arranged as desired by each instructor.\r\n4.\tIntegration as a cap and explicit focus—The modular set up of the Noba collection leaves this in the hands of the instructor.  The APA BEA (2014) includes recommendations for connecting the pillars with the four cross-cutting themes, so if a module does not already do this (some of them do), the instructor could adjust their discussions accordingly.  The BEA also includes an example integration assignment.  Noba also has additional modules such as The Family, Attachment Through the Life Course, and Love, Friendship, and Social Support that could be used to help tie different areas of psychology together to explain relevant themes.\r\nA final note:  As I have been adapting to Noba's Social Psychology text, I have found myself filling in many concepts that I'm used to teaching from my old textbook (Myers).  This lower amount of terms may work great for instructors looking for more freedom and space for discussion and depth.  However, since I'm a bit nervous about social psychology terms students might miss on the GRE Psychology test or the MCAT, I'm going to give comprehensiveness a 4 out of 5.  \r\n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"One of the strengths of the Noba Project collection of modules is that each chapter is written by an established expert on the specific topic.  In contrast to textbooks in which every chapter is written by a generalist explaining many topics shallowly, these chapters are each based on a career of research on the specific issue.  The drawback to this approach is that less topics are covered per module than in a traditional textbook chapter.  So an instructor may need to fit several modules in a week in order to get the breadth desired.  ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The Noba collection is recent and still growing.  Representatives say that the content will be kept up-to-date, though that remains to be seen.  Over time, instructors would have the option to switch out older modules for newer ones if they feel certain topics have become more relevant.  They can also tailor topics to be more relevant to their student population.  For example, since I often have senior engineering students in my General Psychology classes, I might include The Family or The Developing Parent as an optional module since they are closer to building their own families.  I could also choose to include the module on Self-Regulation to help my many freshmen reflect on how they want to build the skills and habits they need for success. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Since the modules are each written by different authors, there is no general statement that can answer this question.  However, considering the large number of contributors, I am pleasantly surprised by the sense of consistency in clear, accessible writing style.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text is module-based, and therefore different parts can be mixed in.  The Discover Psychology 2.0 collection provides some order and organization.  Since the modules aren’t written to build on each other, there is risk of redundancy.  The organization of the modules is consistent: Introduction, Learning Objectives (according to APA guidelines), text with pictures (with sections usually not longer than 2 pages each), Conclusions, Outside Resources (mostly web links), Discussion Questions, Vocabulary, and References.  This consistent framework will help students know what to expect, even as authors change.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"With 36 modules in 15 units, this collection provides some structure, but can easily be organized according to what an instructor most wants to cover.  The modules are written to stand alone, so reorganizing chapters will not disrupt the flow of information.  Some chapters could be selected based on the instructor’s emphasis, as well.  Each module is divided into sub-sections that are easy to navigate and aligned with the Learning Objectives.\r\nSince each module is written by an expert on the topic, some of them may seem overly self-referential.  However, they are arguably justifiable self-references, and at least it is not one author self-citing in every chapter. \r\nFor example, David Buss, a leading author on evolutionary psychology, writes mainly about work in Evolutionary Theories in Psychology, citing five of his own works, and only two sources he did not author. However, this makes sense given the narrow focus of this module.  It is followed (in this collection) by The Nature-Nurture Question, which fills in more of the basics on behavioral genetics, twin studies, and heritability coefficients.  \r\nAlso, if an instructor wants to provide other perspectives on sexual and romantic relationships besides the evolutionary theories explained by Buss, there are other modules in the broader Noba collection that could be pulled in for that, such as Attraction and Beauty, or Positive Relationships.\r\n","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Besides the topics (and BEA pillars) discussed above, this collection also includes an index at the back to help users find specific concepts.  With the downloaded pdf version, it is easy to search for specific terms as well. Each module also includes its own glossary, outside resources, and references at the end.  In the online version, clicking on bold vocabulary terms allows you to see the definition without losing your place.  Similarly, clicking on citations produces the reference information without losing your place.  Outside resource videos are sometimes embedded in the webpage.  In the pdf version, clicking on the vocabulary term takes you to the glossary at the end.\r\nIf an instructor chooses to add modules, these can be put together on the Noba website, re-arranged, edited, and compiled into a downloadable pdf file.  Students can also easily search for the extra module in the Browse section of the Noba Project website.\r\n","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Chapters can be read online or downloaded as pdf files. Also, for those students who prefer to study using paper texts, inexpensive prints of the textbook can be ordered from Noba through LuLu.com (about $19 plus shipping).\r\n\r\nOnline, each chapter has an interactive table of contents (TOC), learning objectives, a list of links to interesting outside resources (occasionally with imbedded videos), discussion questions, and a glossary of terms.  All of these are pedagogically useful for instructors and students. However, the second level of headings (within the text content) is not interactive, so clicking on the TOC only works for the supplementary resources, not sections of the chapter.  Using a search function (online or in the pdf) makes up for that.\r\n\r\nWhen I first started examining Noba modules, there were occasional disruptions such as “peace \u0026amp; conflict” and “future\u0026mdash;to.” However, a few months later, those are no longer apparent. This could be either because of Noba’s editing process or my browser’s updated features (I’m reading it on Google Chrome).  \r\n\r\nDownloaded files (pdf) do not have an interactive TOC.  Clicking vocabulary terms takes you to the glossary, though you have to scroll back up to find your place again afterward.\r\nOn either the online or downloaded version, the formatting is clean, attractive, and easy to read and navigate.\r\nThe online version has some nice accessibility features built in.  For example, a text-to-speech function will clearly describe the pictures and tables included in the module for those who cannot see them.\r\nI also want to say a little more about supplemental resources for instructors here.  For all of the modules in this collection (but not all available modules), Noba provides Instructors’ Manuals, PowerPoint presentations (which include some good activities and demonstrations, but not a lot of text for notes-hungry students, video links occasionally don’t work), test bank (about 25 MC questions per module, with available files compatible with multiple LMS platforms, e.g., Blackboard, Moodle, Brightspace, and MS Word), and Reading Anticipation Guides.  I find 25 multiple choice questions limiting, since I like to have students take quizzes multiple times with questions drawn randomly from a bank of 75 or more questions as practice learning until they get the score they want.  However, currently Noba partners with Cerego, an adaptive quiz platform that has students practice 20 questions per module (separate from the test bank) using a spaced practice set up (they tell students to come back in a certain number of hours to obtain mastery levels).  My social psychology students are currently using this platform, and so far the feedback has been positive.  Cerego has a very interactive and intuitive website and app, and it is easy for instructors to track students’ progress.  I do wonder if this setup encourages students to just keep taking the Cerego quizzes and not read the text, so I still have in-class exams.  A Noba representative indicated to me that they may move the adaptive quizzing into something more compatible with LMS, so I’m not sure how this will look in the future.  Overall, I am happy with the supplemental sources provided.\r\nNoba is supported by the nonprofit Diener Education Fund, and has staff available to guide instructors through the Noba site, explain how to edit and save textbooks, and give access to instructor resources.  The Noba website also includes Teaching Topic Essays and a blog (about 3-4 entries per month) with teaching tips and resources.\r\n","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I have found some grammatical errors.  If I take the time to email Noba about it, they will fix it.  This is true for the text, the test bank, and the Cerego quizzes.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"As mentioned above, I’ve noticed a concerted effort to use examples and names from multiple cultural and social perspectives, including in pictures and in the test bank.  I have not found culturally insensitive or offensive content. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I am very grateful to the Diener Education Fund and all who have contributed to the Noba Project for their support of ground-breaking open-source educational and instructional resources in psychology.\r\nReference:\r\nAmerican Psychological Association. (2014). Strengthening the common core of the introductory psychology course. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, Board of Educational Affairs. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/ ed/governance/bea/intro-psych-report.pdf ","created_at":"2019-03-30T15:19:07.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-03-30T15:19:07.000-05:00"},{"id":3625,"first_name":"Lisa","last_name":"Hagan","position":"Professor of Psychology","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University of Denver","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"It is difficult if not impossible to discuss comprehensiveness in an Introduction to Psychology book due to the fact that you cannot cover everything in this course and everyone has a different opinion as to what are the important topics to cover. Having said that feel free to take this comment with a grain of salt. In that Cognitive Development in Childhood module, the introductory paragraph states that some important theories are Piaget, Vygotsky, and Information Processing Theory (IPT). However, the module then only goes on to explain Piaget's theory. I would have like to see a page on Vygotsky and a page on IPT.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not review every chapter but the three chapters I read were detailed and accurate.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Around 20 references were used per module. Some of those references were based on historical studies and others were as recent as 2011.  I only looked at the references of 5-6 modules but of those, I did not see any very recent citations (within the last five years).","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I was pleasantly surprised how understandable the Conditioning and Learning Module was. I think of this area of Psychology as particularly challenging for students but the use of real life examples throughout the module makes clear not only the concepts but also the relevance of the material.  Similarly, I read the Brain and Nervous System module and it was one of the easier and more understandable modules on this topic that I have read. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The structure and the tone of the modules is very similar across the three modules I read.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"While there are multiple modules per book unit (or chapter), the modules are self-contained so it would be very easy to not include one or to pick and chose which modules you did want to assign. The Cognitive Development in Childhood module seemed like a rather specific module for an Intro Psychology textbook. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The modules are ordered in a manner similar to most Introductory Psychology courses but of course an instructor could assign them in any order they wish or even add or not include other modules.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"It was very easy to navigate.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"While I was not reading for grammatical errors, I certainly did not see any glaring ones either.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Some of of the modules had cross-cultural references and others did not. The images were definitely inclusive of a variety of races.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I would seriously consider adopting this book. ","created_at":"2020-03-06T17:42:41.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-03-06T17:42:41.000-06:00"},{"id":3882,"first_name":"Melonie","last_name":"Sexton","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Valencia College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"For an introductory level book, this text does a good job of covering topics that are needed for students to progress into higher levels of psychology. The textbook provides enough information for students to become familiar with a topic but leaves room for instructor's to provide supplemental learning.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"From my review, it looks accurate. The information in the text is fairly up to date and relevant.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I like the book has included recent articles and discusses technology being used in the field today.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Some parts might be hard for first-year students to understand but I think it is easy-to-follow for the most part. I like that the authors included definitions along the way that pop us if a student clicks on the word.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"There is a consistent pattern to how information is presented. Sequencing of the book follows most General Psychology patterns.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"I see that there is a system of organization in place but it could be improved. The table of contents don't really break down the contents within the chapter. There is a search feature but if students don't know what keywords to use, they won't be able to get to the information they need.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"I like the organization of the chapters (the sequencing). Furthermore, I like that any topic I am not using in class can be removed to help keep the content concise.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Not a fan of the interface. There is a lot of scrolling and going back and forth between sections. A lot of text in many areas. Could be broken up better with pictures. Also, the few images that are included aren't always clear.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I do not see any grammar errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"They are intertwined with the chapters. The authors do a decent job of trying to include diverse topics and pictures.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Great for a brief introductory class!","created_at":"2020-06-01T10:30:16.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-01T10:30:16.000-05:00"},{"id":4435,"first_name":"Valerie","last_name":"Wilwert","position":"Adjunct Professor of Psychology","institution_name":"Century College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Covers content for a General Psychology and is organized well!","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I saw no issues with inaccurate content, and I love how they incorporate modern research in with the content.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Great use of modern and classic research methods and this book includes many citations/links to recent research projects, which is wonderful in courses focused on the science of psychology.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Very user friendly and easy to read!","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"I like how the book references the terminology in the appropriate place, and will review relevant terminology in additional parts of the book, if needed.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This is one of the biggest strengths of this book! I love how each reading module is broken down, with clear links to each subsection. Each module includes many of the same types of resources, and is organized consistently. It has video links to relevant content at the end of each reading section, and is a really easy read!","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of the modules follows the common layout for general psychology courses, starting with history and methods, and then working from a biological foundation though all of the various applications/areas of psychology. It follows how I organize my syllabus modules very well!","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"There were a few video links that were broken, due to copyright issues. The rest of the charts/diagrams were great, and fit the reading very well.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No errors found.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This text includes a variety of ethnicities, and discusses research in multiple areas of human behavior, including modern research in areas of gender and ethnicity.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I really like this book, overall. The supplementary materials are great, and it looks like it will align with the teaching objectives for our general psychology class very well. Additionally, it has information on how to interface with our online learning platform, so it can be incorporated into the online versions of my class very easily!","created_at":"2020-12-04T13:26:43.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-12-04T13:26:43.000-06:00"},{"id":4498,"first_name":"Amanda","last_name":"Sensenig","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Goshen College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text does a nice job of addressing a wide variety of subjects within the field of psychology.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"By publishing chapters written by experts in different sub-fields of psychology, this text offers up-to-date, research-based information for students.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The examples in this text are easy for students to identify with, but also have good staying power.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"One thing I really appreciate about this text is the organization of the chapters. They provide clear definitions for terminology and provide opportunities for students to apply concepts to their own lives.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Although the chapters are written by different authors, there is high consistency in their organization and style.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This text is easily broken down into smaller sections, which can be assigned in different units.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topica are organized in a clear, easy to navigate fashion. I especially appreciated the ability to customize them into an order that suited my course.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text was easy to navigate and images were helpful.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors in this text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This book does a nice job of including culturally diverse examples and images.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2020-12-31T10:10:25.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-12-31T10:10:25.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/discover-psychology-2-0-a-brief-introductory-text","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:31:17.000-06:00"},{"id":228,"title":"Introduction to Psychology: The Full Noba Collection","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2016,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"This textbook represents the entire catalog of Noba topics. It contains 90 learning modules covering every area of psychology commonly taught in introductory courses. This book can be modified: feel free to rearrange or remove modules to better suit your specific needs.Please note that the publisher requires you to login to access and download the textbooks.","contributors":[{"id":3467,"contribution":"Editor","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Robert","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Biswas-Diener","location":null,"background_text":"Robert Biswas-Diener has written a number of books including Happiness: Unlocking the mysteries of psychological wealth and The Courage Quotient. He is senior editor for the free-textbook platform, Noba."},{"id":3468,"contribution":"Editor","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Ed","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Diener","location":"University of Utah","background_text":"Ed Diener is a psychologist, professor, and author. Diener is a professor of psychology at the Universities of Utah and Virginia, and Joseph R. Smiley Distinguished Professor Emeritus from the University of Illinois as well as a senior scientist for the Gallup Organization."}],"subjects":[{"id":42,"name":"Psychology","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"BF121","visible_textbooks_count":51,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/psychology"},{"id":9,"name":"Social Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"H1","visible_textbooks_count":285,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/social-sciences"}],"publishers":[{"id":142,"url":"https://nobaproject.com/textbooks/introduction-to-psychology-the-full-noba-collection","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-02-20T22:26:55.000-06:00","name":"Noba"}],"formats":[{"id":115,"type":"PDF","url":"https://nobaproject.com/textbooks/introduction-to-psychology-the-full-noba-collection","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2046,"type":"Online","url":"https://nobaproject.com/textbooks/introduction-to-psychology-the-full-noba-collection","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":21,"reviews":[{"id":496,"first_name":"Gary","last_name":"Brase","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Kansas State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The full Noba collection has 93 “learning modules”, which are designed to cover every area of psychology at an introductory level. These modules have authors (over 120, in total) with expertise in the relevant area.  Instructors can select and arrange the modules as they like, or instructors can choose from a few curated selections (Discover Psychology, Psychology as a Biological Science, and Psychology as a Social Science).","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content of the book (more accurately, the learning modules) is very accurate, within the context of each module.  There are some apparent conflicts across modules, however, which arise from having different authors who have different perspectives.  For example, the modules “Biochemistry of Love” and “Love, Friendship, and Social Support” both address the topic of “love” but in very different ways.  These could possibly be contested as issues of accuracy, although it really is just a demonstration of different perspectives on a complex topic.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Content is currently up to date (e.g., there is a module on replicability issues in psychology), and the modular structure should make updates very easy to implement.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Sections are generally very well written and clear.  There is some variation in clarity across the modules, because of the different authors, but there is a very consistent level of writing given the multiple authors, and there is a set structure for each module (see comments on consistency)","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The multiple authors makes for some challenge in terms of consistent use of terminology.  There are efforts to minimize this issue by having a set framework for the structure of each module: An opening abstract, a set of learning objectives, the main body of the module, a list of outside resources (external links), discussion questions, and vocabulary list.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This book is entirely modular and, although there are ready-made compilations that instructors can use, there are no constraints on how the modules must be ordered.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The default organization of the modules is reasonably sensible. The modular organization, however, can be changed to any order an instructor would like.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No problems were found with the interface","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors were found","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"36 of the modules include some mention of “culture”, including modules on “Time and Culture”, “Culture and Emotion.”","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"The totally open, modular structure of this open-access resource means both that it can maximize its innovation and customizability as a textbook, but also that it does require an instructor to think much more carefully about what she/he should include in the course.  Of course, there are the curated module collections that can be used “off the rack”, which could be either a way to use Nobu without deeper reflection or as a transitional step.","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":577,"first_name":"Elizabeth","last_name":"Richey","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Miami University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Extremely comprehensive. The text covered all the topics I would expect for a basic introduction to psychology course, and there were many additional units that would allow an instructor to go in greater depth or customize a course (see item 6 in review).  Each unit provided a nice blend of introducing a topic, discussing relevant research, and providing examples and applications.\n\nThe scale of this work could make it a little trickier for students to navigate. However, there’s a glossary that appears to update to reflect the contents that you include in your customized text, and there’s a search bar in the online edition of your text that seems to do a good job of bringing up units and locations for any search terms. Finding a particular topic or term might be more difficult for students who prefer to print the text and use a hard copy.\n\nMost units also include a Cerego adaptive quiz for students to review, outside resources, a glossary of important vocabulary, discussion questions, and references. Many also include instructor resources like an instructor manual, powerpoint slides, and a test bank.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I did not notice any inaccuracies, nor were there any typos that stuck out to me. It generally feels well edited.\n\nA small quibble is that some facts are presented without sufficient context, to the point that I think it could create some misconceptions. For example, in the first unit,  “Why Science,” the author is making points about science-driven progress and states things like “80% of all households have television” and “life expectancy is 79 years old.” As best I can tell, the first fact applies to global households and the second applies to the United States, but this context isn’t provided and could be confusing to a student trying to understand this information.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text covers a number of foundational topics, but especially given the young nature of the field, psychology texts generally need to be updated at least every five years or so to reflect the most recent discoveries and understanding of the field.  Right now everything feels very fresh and is consistent with my current understanding of the different areas of research without being done in a way that seems likely to become outdated quickly. Units could be individually updated by their authors to reflect new information, though I could imagine some difficulty with this given the large number of authors contributing to different units. This could lead to some units being updated regularly and others not, or at least not without intervention from a new author. Major changes in the field could easily be accommodated by the introduction of new units, given the nice modularity of this text. I see there have already been some new units added since the original creation of this book.\n\nI mention this elsewhere, but I enjoyed reading so many units written by some of the leading experts on that topic. Their expertise and excitement for the topics generally came through in the readings. At its best, this book captures the voices of some of the people who know each topic best, where the field has been, where it's going, and why those ideas matter.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Each section is very clearly organized, with a clear introduction at the top of each unit and a guide with key section headings within each unit. The writing clarity varies with the different authors. Some units are extremely well-written and there’s nothing I would change about them. Others sometimes don’t express ideas quite as clearly as I would like or introduce ideas without the level of explanation that I think is necessary for introductory-level students. For example, in the nature and nurture unit, the author introduces the topic by discussing the mind–body problem, the free will problem, and the nature–nurture problem as “the three great questions about humans’ relationship with the natural world.” The author states that everyone understands these problems and has opinions even with relatively little background, yet he doesn’t actually provide enough of a basic explanation that someone who has never heard of these problems would necessarily know that they are. It’s not critical for a student reading this unit to come away with an understanding of the mind-body and free will problems, and the unit does provide a nice explanation of the nature-nurture issue, but I would prefer that the author either take a few more sentences to provide enough context for novice readers to know what the other “problems” are referring to or not mention them at all.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Different authors for different units can introduce some inconsistencies in tone and writing style – nothing too jarring, but worth noting that it lacks the level of consistency and conceptual coherence of a book written entirely by the same authors. There are small organizational differences, too. For example, the “Why Science” unit is divided into 7 sections, each about 5 paragraphs long, and you can navigate among the sections using the content navigation on the right-hand side. The “Nature and Nurture” section, written by a different author, has just two sections that are both about 10 paragraphs long and rather uninformatively titled “Introduction” and “What have we learned about nature and nurture?” This isn’t a huge problem from a comprehension perspective, but each unit feels very much like it was written by a different author, and some students may find the variations in writing style a little less than ideal. The trade-off is that you get a very nice selection of units, many of which are written by leaders in the field when it comes to that topic.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This, in my mind, is one of the book’s greatest strengths. This book includes the complete collection of units created by NOBA, which provides a tremendous amount of flexibility in choosing which units to include for your text. For ideas, there are some texts that have already been created, both by the editors (see the NOBA “Discover Psychology: A Brief Introductory Text”) and by other users. I teach a course with a slightly different focus than a traditional intro to psych course, and I found that this modularity could help me create a set of readings much more well aligned with my course than a traditional intro to psych text, of which I usually end up assigning only some sections.\n\nCompared to chapters in a typical textbook, I think three or four of these units would comprise a typical chapter. That means you can choose more precisely which topics you want to discuss within a given area. However, within the unit, there isn’t as much flexibility for customization. You could customize the text further if you were creating a pdf, but you can’t cut or edit the text within a unit in the online version, at least not in a way that I’ve been able to figure out after a week of reading and playing around with it.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Since this text contains all the units available, it’s pretty overwhelming, though thematically organized. When deciding which units I thought I would want to include for my course, I used the NOBA “Discover psychology” text as a reference. It contains the exact same units here, but only a small portion of them designed to give an overview of the discipline within the constraints of a semester. I liked having the additional units available to me for topics where I wanted to go deeper than a standard introductory text, but it would have taken me a lot longer to figure out which units I wanted to include without the “Discover psychology” version as a reference.\n\nThe major problem with flow is what I mentioned earlier in regards to the different authors and somewhat different styles of each unit. You certainly don't forget that different units are written by different people, and for students still developing their skills of reading scientific textbooks, I could imagine that constantly switching \"voices' might disrupt the flow or make it harder for them to get used to the book.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The online interface is very easy to navigate, with a nice search function and a lot of useful links. Cerego is seamlessly integrated into the end of each unit, allowing students to test and review their understanding without having to log in somewhere else.  The pictures all display well, although the text is not particularly heavy on images and I noticed very few charts or diagrams embedded in the text. Once you have selected the units you want to include in your text, you can create a PDF of the text. It looks clean and sharp, with the title of your course and your name on the front page. All the images, captions, and formatting look good in the PDF, and it includes the unit glossaries, discussion questions, and outside resources. The PDF version also generates a table of contents based on your arrangement and an index at the end. It certainly doesn’t look quite as professional as a traditional textbook, but I think it would be easy to read and navigate for a student.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No problems that I noticed.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Nothing stood out as insensitive or offensive. Images in the book reflect a variety of cultures, races, and ethnicities. The authors on the whole don’t seem to go out of their way to include examples from different cultures or to reflect a wider variety of backgrounds than what I would expect in an average text, but they also don’t fall below my expectations based on an average text.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":588,"first_name":"Ben","last_name":"Bryan","position":"Adjunct Faculty","institution_name":"Rogue Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book seems to reasonably cover introductory psychology concepts as appropriate for an entry level psychology course. The three textbooks I have used in the past to cover the same curriculum have had 18 chapters. In most Universities in the United States, this content is divided into two semester’s worth of classes but not evenly. The chapters covered are usually out of order and some chapters are not covered in either class. This text seemed to address those differences in a coherent manner. \nAlthough there was no specific chapter on Stress, Health and Coping, these topics were embedded in the content of the other chapters (Stress response is covered in section 10.2 in the Emotion Chapter). This seems like a more coherent way to divide the information. \nAlthough this text may also be less detailed than other textbooks, it was consistent with the author's stated pedagogy of being less concerned with students learning specifics than theories as a whole.\nThe table of contents seemed coherent since each chapter had multiple sections which were descriptive (Psychologists use the scientific method to Guide Their Research) for example. Some other reviewers commented on a lack of index, however with the .pdf you could just search for the topics or words you are looking for which is much more effective than the index, so I think that is a reasonable omission.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Overall this text seems accurate in that it each chapter is adequately explained and appropriately covers associated content.  The content of each subsection was fully addressed and there were no theories that seemed inaccurately represented.","relevance_rating":2,"relevance_review":"There were several issues seemed like they would limit this books’ longevity. One was the explanation of nature vs. nature as opposed to these two working together for current development. This sounds like textbooks from the 1980’s.  Although this text was originally written in 2010, it said it was updated in 2015 however it still states the DSM-V will be published in 2013, which has been released and is an industry standard.  However my main complaint is that social media was not addressed at all and culturally relevant sites like Face book were not mentioned at all. At a time when online bullying is a significant cause of teen suicide and we are seeing people addicted to online activities, this seems like a glaring omission.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Overall this textbook was exceedingly clear and accessible, almost to its detriment. This is an introductory text; however there were sometimes it could have added depth to the explanation of theories. For example, Human Factors was only covered in section 4.5 ACCURACY AND INACCURACY IN PERCEPTION and there was no section on industrial psychology, that term wasn’t ever mentioned in the book. The subsection on human factors would serve as an adequate introduction, but didn’t do justice to an entire field of psychology. \nAny Jargon and technical terminology was adequately explained, but once again there may have been a lack of technical terms used in this text. For example, although Erik Erikson theory of psychosocial development was explained, the term Eriksonian was never used which would have highlighted his lasting contribution to the field of psychology.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent both in regards to framework and to formatting. Chapters follow the same format including chapter openers [examples], psychology in everyday life [application] and research focus. The theoretical frame work is consistent with its emphasis on application and critical thinking which aligns with my teaching style and seems to be a trend in introductory psychology currently.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text was reasonably modular. Each chapter could stand alone if need be and was accessible without additional outside references. In addition, the formatting was such that you could grasp the point of each subsection without needing to have read a universal introduction. I would rate this book as slightly more modular than the other introductory psychology textbooks I have used.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This textbook was organized in a clear logical fashion that flowed easily. The chapter topics related to one another but were independent enough they could be moved around if a class had specific content or if someone needed to additional theories to another course. There were a few sub sections that take out of context might have seemed odd to fall under the chapter title, but since these were clearly noted on the table of contents and the content itself flowed this seemed entirely reasonable.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I only used this book in .pdf format, however that is a common file type so that is reasonable. There were no errors with the interface in this format. All diagrams displayed correctly and each page margin was in the right place. When I have created curriculum from scratch this is a constant issue so the fact that this 650 page textbook did not have any interface errors seemed remarkable.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Acknowledging that I am a therapist and not an editor, I did not find any grammatical errors nor were there any editing issues that interfered with my ability to understand the material.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"This text seemed culturally competent because it included many different cultures in its explanation of behavior and application of theories. For example, in 6.4 EARLY AND MIDDLE ADULTHOOD: BUILDING EFFECTIVE LIVES, the effectiveness of different parenting styles was explained through a cultural lens. Some textbooks seem to go far with cultural relevance and mention it with every subsection which makes the book seem more like sociology than psychology.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Overall I liked this textbook and would choose to use it in my current classes over the traditional textbooks that my school has been using for two reasons. One is the pedagogy of applying psychology everyday life is consent with how I teach in a community college setting. The second is the chapter content and breakdown is easier to access than the books we have used with 18 chapters. My main complaint was this textbook may already be outdated, and will definitely be so soon (see relevance/longevity section for more info).","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":621,"first_name":"Dr. Mary Ann","last_name":"Woodman","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Rogue Community College in Oregon","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I feel extremely impressed with the 15 sections containing 93 Modules covering most areas taught in General Psychology.  The table of contents and index make it easy to find subjects and topics pertinent to each section.  The collection offers the ability to design the course according to what the instructor chooses to be most applicable to the course learning objectives.  The text allows for flexibility and creativity.  Modules are full of content but not above the average student's ability to comprehend the material.  The glossary of terms is rich and expansive.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content of the text seems very accurate and error free.  The authors do an outstanding job at presenting objectivity and unbiased information.  I appreciate the wide variety of authors rather than a text with only one author.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Content is up to date.  I especially appreciate the sections on the DSM V, Mental Illness, diagnosis and treatments which offer a diverse and wide assortments of new therapies.  Since an Introduction to Psychology is a prerequisite for Abnormal Psychology this allows for a solid foundation for students making transition from one course to the other.  The approach of the NOBA Collection makes it very easy to implement and add future educational modules and promotes longevity. One consideration would be to alphabetize the 15 sections to make it even more easy to locate each section.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is for the most part written in clear language easily understood by college students.  Technical terminologies are defined and glossaries very helpful.  Some of the modules seem a bit too long for an introductory course but can be modified to fit time constraints.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The framework is very consistent each module containing the same internal components. There is a lack of consistency in use of videos and daily life stories applicable to the lives of college students.  Some modules have audio videos, quizzes and real life stories, others do not.  Summaries and conclusions are particularly important.  Terminology and language seems consistent throughout, though I would redefine psychology as a science of the whole person rather than the scientific study of mind and behavior.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I appreciate the originality and flexibility in the approach utilized here.  The text provides ample opportunity for rearrangement and reassignment of various sections.  For example, I prefer teaching Health and Wellness at the beginning of a course so that students may begin to apply what they learn at the onset and throughout the term.  The NOBA approach provides for reorganization.  One can easily move and realign the modules to a different section if desired with minimum disruption to the reader.  Each one has a subheading and the subunits fit logically into each section.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"All the topics are presented in a logical, clear fashion.  The order seems to align itself with common structure and flow, and fulfills the most common learning objectives of an introductory course. Each module has similar components, abstract, learning objectives, content, conclusions, resources, discussion question, vocabulary, references and bio of author.  As an organizational component, it offers clarity in structure and flow in organization.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is free of problematic interface issues.  Some of the modules could use some audio visuals and more visuals in general.  Since many students are hands on learners suggestions for activities are most welcomed.  The video in the Consciousness Module did not seem to work. The images and charts appear clear and easy to read.  I look forward to reviewing the supportive resources such as the power points and instructor's manual.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I could find no grammatical errors in any of the modules presented in this collection.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Some of the modules seem very culturally oriented, particularly the one on Cultural Psychology and Emotion which also has an audio visual component.  I could find no instance of culturally offensive language in any of the modules.  The collection needs more examples supporting its content which add diversity of race, ethnicity and global context.  A separate module on Cultural Psychology is advisable. And whenever possible, it is very valuable to include the contributions women and Native Americans and Native Hawaiians have made to the field of social science in our country.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Very excited about adapting this approach to learning!  I am highly appreciative of the variety of authors presented and the enormous amount of content and resources offered.  It includes  topics that seem on the horizon such as Epigenetics, Positive Psychology, Neuroscience, new therapeutic treatments.  I would like to see a module on alternative treatments, such as naturopathy and energy psychology.  A module on psychology and ecology would be valuable.  Though there is a module on beauty, I would suggest more on the importance of aesthetics perhaps in the health section.   If revisions are made, I would suggest including more applied psychology, that is examples of how students can apply learning to everyday life and more cultural diversity.  A left/right brain approach to learning is very much needed at the college level. A video collection of various topics alphabetized according to topic would also be useful.  Finally, the low cost factor is a strong factor for adopting this approach to learning.","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":779,"first_name":"Meagan ","last_name":"Coffield","position":"Instructor ","institution_name":"West Virginia University ","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text provides a great overview of all the material. It contains several modules covering all areas of psychology, specifically all of the topics covered in the Introduction to Psychology course. This would fit nicely into WVU's curriculum. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The text does a great job of being unbiased. Throughout my readings I did not notice any errors and all of the material was up-to-date. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Content is organized and relevant. It is set up in a way that necessary future changes will be easy to implement. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The content of the text is very clear and easy to ready. Appropriate jargon is used and would be very helpful to students. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The material is consistent throughout the textbook. All jargon is used appropriately each time. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"One of the best aspects of the text is that it is split into several modules that flow nicely with the pace of the course. Students are able to delete and/or more around certain modules to better fit their needs and structure of their course. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The content is nicely organized and flows well with the structure of the WVU course. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The book uses helpful visuals that provide students with additional resources. The images are not overly used which does not provide a distraction to students while reading. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The context shows no grammatical errors. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is not offensive in any way. All examples and material is written in an unbiased way and inclusive to all backgrounds. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I would recommend using this text for WVU psychology students. The free text helps students immensely and I see no difference in the quality between this text and others used in the past. ","created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":853,"first_name":"Mikle","last_name":"South","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Brigham Young University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The comprehensiveness of this textbook is a real strength. There are 100 or more individual modules covering everything included in a standard intro psych course. Some of the topics are overlapping: for example there are some broad research methods topics and a couple of more specific ones that are redundant with a bigger chapter; and the same for a couple of more comprehensive central nervous system modules with some more specific modules (like on a neuron) that are also covered in the bigger chapter. But I really like the flexibility of focusing as much or as little on a topic as I choose without sacrificing the availability of complete coverage if I like.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I have found this book to be very up-to-date with modules not found in many current textbooks (for example separate modules on epigenetics, neuroendicrinology, and neuroscience research methods). Many of the modules are written by experts in that topic: the autism module is by autism neuroimaging expert Kevin Pelphrey and the biochemistry of love module by Carter \u0026amp; Porges, for example. I think on the whole this book is likely to be MORE accurate than standard textbooks where a few authors are mostly writing about non-specialty areas.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The flexibility of having multiple smaller modules, most written by experts in that particular field, provides opportunity for frequent updating. I'm not sure how often these actually are updated, because it's relatively new. But at this time the content is more up-to-date than any other book I've seen. Will wait and see whether this continues to be the case.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"This is a little bit variable across modules but in general I really like the ease of reading, the quality of graphics, and so forth. I'm choosing the modules that are most clear and easy for students to follow, but it's not quite as universal as I'd like.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"This is again variable just because the different modules are written by different people. Because this is an intro textbook it's pretty straightforward and I don't really have any concerns about this. I choose the modules that I like best for clarity and consistency and am not bothered by small differences.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This is a HUGE strength for the NOBA book. I am choosing the modules that fit what I want to teach without students being bogged down by excess text that I don't possibly have time to cover during the semester. While of course I COULD assign them extra material, I find that I'd rather sacrifice a bit of breadth to really understand the topics I find to be most relevant to my course goals, and to leave time for critical thinking exercises rather than extra reading.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Because of the modular nature of this book, organization is entirely left to the discretion of the instructor. It's a little bit extra work but in the end maybe LESS work than usual because I'm not trying to restructure what the publisher set up for me, to match my needs. Here I just use what is provided in any fashion I use.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"This may only be my lack of experience, but grabbing text and graphics and so forth to package in a way where I can include other things like videos etc. is still a learning curve for me. I'm not at the finished product yet but I do wish it were easier to package everything together in an easier manner.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contains no grammatical errors.\n\n","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"As good as any other standard textbook.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I'm really looking forward to teaching a course based on this book. I'm about 1/2 way through with preparing the course and will comment back once I've been through a semester with it.","created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1417,"first_name":"Sabrina","last_name":"Schroerlucke","position":"Instructor of Psychology","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"I am planning to use this text for an Introduction to Psychology as a Natural Science course and feel that it is comparatively thorough to the major topics I would normally cover to a more traditional text. For example, the major units/chapters are Psychology as a Science, Biological Bases to Behavior, Sensation and Perception, Development, Cognition and Language, Learning and Memory, Personality, Psychological Disorders, Motivation, and Well-being.  You'll notice that there is no unit on Stress and Coping but these topics are covered under Well-being.  The units are then divided into subtopics that you can see before reading the chapter which I find is really convenient because it serves as an outline to the reader instead of in a traditional text where there are subheadings but you may not get an overview of the subheadings. You may find that some of the subtopics may not go into as much detail as a traditional text and provide more of an overview though the introductory concepts that are most relevant are clear and won't overwhelm the reader with information overload. That being said, I felt like the content will be sufficient and workable in addition to lecture material outside of the text or additional readings you can use to supplement some of the topics you may want to go more in depth with.  There are sometimes videos embedded in the reading that clarify concepts (i.e. animations of action potentials and neurotransmitter activity at the synapse) and that are also currently relevant instead of appearing to be outdated.  Starting with the full collection is beneficial because you can customize the text to take out topics you may not have time for.  After each section, there is a convenient glossary of terms, list of references, quiz, and outside resources which sometimes includes videos. You can also 'search' for terms if the reader would like to look up a term not covered or highlighted in the glossary. I also find the search box very useful when trying to look up Author references within the text.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"In my reading, I did not find anything that was inaccurate.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The content seems up to date though I would like to see even more current research published within the last 5 years. This is a challenge with all texts. All of the topics are authored by experts in the field that provide at least a handful of references published within the last decade. I do not find this text behind in terms of using relevant research when compared to other traditional texts though I feel like there could be some improvement on this end. There are also references that are historic and supported well within the field.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The terminology and accessible prose is a strength for the text.  The clarity also seems consistent across the chapters.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text does not seem to have any issues in terms of general framework and organization or terminology.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text does not need overwhelming meaning that there are enormous blocks of texts without subheadings.  You have the option and flexibility to organize any of the major modules in the order you prefer to teach them.  You also have the option of deleting any of the modules although you do not have the option of deleting or reorganizing some of the subtopics within the module. I would find this useful though you can always choose to assign specific subtopics as readings and skip over others.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The subtopics within each module are fixed.  When you read each major module, there is a column to the right which shows the subtopics and authors within each module which I find is very helpful to the reader so they know what is coming next as they are reading. However, I wish I had the option of reorganizing some of the subtopics to different modules (i.e. putting eyewitness testimony and memory biases under 'Learning and Memory' instead of Sensation and Perception, or taking 'Social Neuroscience' from 'Learning and Memory' and putting it under 'Social Psychology' or even 'Psychology as a Science')","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not find any issues with the interface or navigation problems. The reader does need to be prompted that the text is presented in an 'online blog fashion' so that when they click on a module/chapter, they will be sent to that module/chapter and it's subtopics and will need to click the 'back' button to get to the other chapters if needed. There were no distortion in images or graphs and they appeared clearly on an online format.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any glaring grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Some of the modules attempted to take a culturally relevant perspective with the way information was presented (Time and Culture under 'Sensation and Perception)  but like with all texts, I think there could be improvement especially in the beginning modules (for example, the History of Psychology module: presenting Psychologists of Color and Psychologists that are Women that have made significant impacts in the field) or at least attempting cultural relevance with every subtopic. I would've also liked to see a more updated and thorough discussion within the Gender chapter of diverse gender identities.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"The full NOBA collection is a great place to start and the way it is displayed on the screen to the reader doesn't seem as overwhelming as a traditional text.  My only concerns are ones that I have of printed texts already- cultural relevancy and revisions to include current research in the field that will be interesting and applicable to students. Otherwise, I feel prepared with integrate it into my course. I would recommend this to instructors that are willing to also put in the work to supplement the text with lecture material or other readings if they feel that some of the topics do not go into as much depth as they prefer. However, I do not feel like this text is lacking in the major topics that are covered in an Introductory Psychology course.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2127,"first_name":"Bonnie","last_name":"Ekstrom","position":"Online Adjunct Instructor","institution_name":"University of Minnesota Crookston","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The chapter on Personality Traits was clear and concise yet dealt with one of the most controversial issues in personality: the person-situation debate. The debate was clearly outlined and described in enough detail for an Introductory text.\n\nOn the other hand, Ch 7 Neurons provided probably more information than was necessary for an introductory psychology text. Some of the material was also too complex and in depth  for understanding how neurons work. In this regard the chapter is out of sync with other chapters related to the material such as Ch 9 The Brain which is clearly written and provides a very good overview of areas of the brain and various functions of the brain. In other words, the Brain chapter (9) is easily understood, flows well and provides the depth needed for an intro text, while the chapter on Neurons (7) is written in a complex manner with jargon and depth that is beyond an Intro text. \n\n\nThe chapter about Schizophrenia and Psychosis was a good, brief overview. I felt the chapter could have given much more detail about predisposition theories, the history of treatment for schizophrenia including the atrocious treatment in state hospitals, frontal lobotomies, side effects of medication, childhood precursors and the treatment for this disorder. However, the chapter on the History of Mental Illness does help to fill in some of the gaps and provide background to this earlier inhuman treatment. \n\nHowever, the Psychophysiological/Neuroscience chapter was confusing and did not flow well. It contained too much jargon and was written above level for an Introductory Psychology chapter. The chapter could have been made better had there been clarifying definitions in the margins or within the text. Though there is a glossary of terms provided not having concise definitions readily apparent for the complex vocabulary made reading the chapter even more difficult. Overall, the chapter did not flow and was not interesting enough to hold my attention. I left the section without feeling that I could recall what I learned. \n\n\n","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I did not note any glaring inaccuracies. Some chapters were overly comprehensive while others covered the topic accurately and with enough detail for the level of an Introductory text. The material also did not seem biased.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"There are some chapters where the material is not likely to change (i.e. resting potential of a neuron) and therefore should remain up to date. \n\nExperiment examples are relevant for today and also include older, well established reports (Phineas Gage and personality change due to brain injury). ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"As noted earlier in my review, some chapters have more depth and jargon than is necessary for an Intro text, while others could dig deeper and cover the material in greater depth. There is so much material to choose from, literally 88 topics, modules, chapters, sections to choose from that an instructor has the freedom to pick and choose and customize even to the extent of the depth of the material covered.   \n\nThe chapter on Statistical Thinking was one of the clearest chapters I have read describing p-values, random assignment, the standard deviation, etc. The research examples used to describe the various concepts were interesting and clear (babies choosing preferred blocks, creative writers being motivated by intrinsic vs. extrinsic factors).\n\nThe Research Methods chapter was also clearly written and easy to read. The research examples used were also interesting. The chapter flowed logically and was easy to read and understand. ","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"Consistency would be an issue with this type of text in which every chapter is written by a different author, from sometimes very different backgrounds. Sometimes it can be refreshing to read varied chapters from varied authors as long as the comprehensiveness, clarity and relevance remains consistent. This could be accomplished if the instructor has time to review the materials and customize the text to his/her liking. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The beauty of the Nova model is that the chapters are written so that an instructor has the ability to customize the modules and chapters they will cover.  There are some very interesting topics/titles/modules that would add greatly to an Intro text and generate interest for even the most hard to engage young student (i.e. Love, Friendship and Social Support, Attraction, Violence, etc). ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"For the most part, the several chapters I reviewed were well written. The chapters flowed logically, were easy to understand, moved into the topic with ease. I do note that at times when I would reach the end of a topic area, chapter, I was left wanting more or it had the feel that it ended abruptly.  ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I was able to navigate easily to websites and online material. The additional materials provided were plentiful and varied. An instructor could supplement assignments or in class lectures with the material to add variety and interest to the material.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors. Again the material was well written.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I did not note any cultarally insensitive or offensive material throughout the text materials I reviewed. The chapter on Schizophrenia and Psychosis could probably have made some reference to cultural aspects of this illness.  ","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I would very seriously consider using this text in an Introductory Psychology course. I love the variety of topics/modules/chapters that are available. I could see customizing the text to the depth and level of the course I am teaching. ","created_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":3023,"first_name":"Benjamin","last_name":"Anderson","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Southwest Minnesota State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Very comprehensive.  Modules span those that are commonly found in introductory psychology textbooks.  The index system is well organized within each module and students can click terms to find their definition.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I didn’t notice any errors and the content seemed very accurate.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Content was relatively up to date.  The vast majority of the references seemed to be from before 2013.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text was very clear overall, but clarity did vary somewhat depending on the author and content being covered.  The module on Neurons lacked some clarity due to overuse of jargon and unnecessary level of detail in some sections.  For example, the second paragraph includes a lengthy discussion about different staining techniques including information about the parts of the neuron that are highlighted based on the staining technique being used.  This information seems well beyond the scope of an introductory psychology textbook.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text is very consistent in terms of terminology and organization/layout.  There was some redundancy in content covered in the text.  In particular, the modules on The Nervous System and The Brain had a large amount of content overlapping.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"There is a great deal of modularity to the text, which is one of my reasons for considering using it.  The Noba text is able to be organized into rather particular subtopics, making it ideal for a survey course with limits on the amount of content being assigned to students.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of the text is very similar to that of most introductory textbooks.  The module subtopics within broader topics seemed well organized.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The text is easy to navigate.  The table of contents includes all of the broader topic areas and modules.  The interface is not as visually appealing compared to most of the textbooks that I’ve reviewed.  However, the graphs and images may be sufficient and could perhaps be supplemented with outside resources.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I didn’t notice any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I didn’t note any culturally insensitive or offensive content.  Cultural differences seem to be brought up across a variety of topics such as development and intelligence.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I found the textbook to be clear, concise, and rather comprehensive.  I plan on using it for my introductory psychology course next semester.","created_at":"2019-06-26T17:58:48.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-06-26T17:58:48.000-05:00"},{"id":3645,"first_name":"Erin","last_name":"Rhinehart","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Susquehanna University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook is very comprehensive, covering a broad range of fields of Psychology from social and cognitive Psychology to more biological topics like epigenetics. Every chapter in the book identifies clear learning goals and ends with potential discussion questions and additional outside resources as well as a glossary. While there are a wide array of potential texts available for teaching Introduction to Psychology, this one definitely contains information that demonstrates to students the immense breadth of potential fields of study within Psychology. The only issue I can possibly see with the book is that it might benefit from some additional illustrations.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content in the text is highly accurate with a couple of very minor typos here and there.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content in the text is highly relevant to current students, and should retain its relevancy for some time. It appears that it would be fairly easily updated, making it unlikely to become obsolete anytime soon.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is extremely well written and accessible for all student levels. The text avoid the overuse of jargon and regularly defines important terms, including links to their definitions in the glossary at the end of the chapter. There is sufficient background information provided so that students can understand even the more complex topics included in the book, such as the molecular mechanisms responsible for epigenetic inheritance of psychologically related traits.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"All of the chapters in the book follow the same consistent framework, starting with a brief introduction, followed by learning goals and ending with discussion questions, outside resources, a glossary and references. In addition, the use of terminology seems to be consistent throughout the entire text.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book is divided into modules that have several chapters each, with each chapter averaging around 20 pages. This modularity makes it possible to pick and choose which topics to include in your course fairly easy. In addition, there are a wide variety of topics in each module so that you could potentially tailor your course to fit a very basic introductory course, a more advanced upper level course in the major, a focused seminar course or just about anything in between.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics for the most part are presented in a clear and logical manner. There are a couple of chapters that might be better if they were shifted into different modules. For example, there is a chapter on eye witness testimony and memory in the sensation and perception module, which might be better placed in the memory module. There are also some areas that seem to be repeated. For example, the module on the Biological Basis of Behavior has chapters entitled: The Nervous System, The Brain and then also one titled The brain and nervous system. Because of the modular nature of the book, this is not really a major issue.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text has great navigation features. All of the important terms in the PDF file are underlined and linked to their definitions in the glossary. In addition, the main textbook site has a wide variety of additional features including a test bank, powerpoint files, an instructor's guide and reading anticipation guides (questions to give students to think about before starting to read the content in each chapter). These are all freely downloadable and fairly easy to use. All of the figures are free of distortion as well.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The grammar is very good with just a few typos here and there.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Overall the text is culturally inclusive. For example, in the history chapter, it specifically includes examples from women and minority psychologists and outlines how they have made important contributions to the field. In addition, it explicitly addresses the issue of how bias and our value systems influence what we, as scientists, decide what issues are important enough for us to study, how to interpret our results and the tone that we use when reporting and publishing our results.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Overall, I found this to be a great text, with a wide variety of interesting topics interspersed with all of the necessary basic information that you would want to include in an introductory course. The text appears to be a fantastic resource and a useful framework for teaching psychology that is relevant and extremely accessible for students of all levels.","created_at":"2020-03-11T15:25:09.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-03-11T15:25:09.000-05:00"},{"id":3824,"first_name":"Giselle","last_name":"Hendy","position":"Visiting Professor","institution_name":"James Madison University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Very thorough in presenting the vastness of psychological constructs.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"What I've read in this text is accurate to the best of my knowledge.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The variety of topics provides information that is surely relevant to whatever one's interests may be.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"What I've read of this text is very clear and concise.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The multitude of authors lends to some inconsistency with the \"voice\" of this text.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The division by specific topics within broader constructs makes it very easy to assign specific concise readings regarding the important topics for the instructor, but also as an awesome topical overview for curious students.  Outside resources provide additional support for inquiries.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Organization is typical of a psych textbook, however the division by topics within broader constructs allows for even better organization.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Although basic, the interface of the table of contents and links within the document work well.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No significant grammatical errors noticed.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"There could be additional consideration for cultures outside of typical European/-American or Asian/-American mentions, through examples, citations and even authorship of sections/chapters.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"The page numbers are daunting, however considering this is a pdf and not formatted like a textbook.  Consider priming students with this fact and the division of \"Chapters\" by specific topics.  That feature makes it very easy to assign readings and tailor the course to the instructors preferences.","created_at":"2020-05-21T12:09:51.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-05-21T12:09:51.000-05:00"},{"id":4418,"first_name":"Megan","last_name":"Sumeracki","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Rhode Island College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Across all of the learning modules, this book covers a very large number of topics and includes a vocabulary section at the end.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found the book to be accurate.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I found the book to be up-to-date while covering classic research. I do wonder who is responsible for updating given the large number of authors who contributed. Are they updating every few years?","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I found the book to be clear and accessible. Technical terms are highlighted so that students can hover over and see a definition.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Because the modules are written by a number of different authors, there does appear to be subtle differences in style across the modules. The way that images are implemented and whether there are boxes with highlights throughout changes slightly. Overall, I would say that it is very internally consistent given the number of authors involved, but is not as consistent as you might see from one smaller group of authors.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"There are a lot of modules and so it is easy to divide the book into a number of sections that you cover within your course. However, I think these modules are better suited for subject courses (e.g., cognitive psychology, social psychology) rather than a full intro course. To cover the breadth that I currently do in intro, I would need to include a number of modules within each \"chapter\" or topic (e.g., in my psychology as a science course I would likely need 2 modules, and for memory, I would need 2 or 3). However, the readings then would be a little bit longer than I like to assign to my students in intro, and would go into a bit too much depth. Some editing and chopping, of course, could be done.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"I found the book to be relatively organized, with only a few modules in a place where I would not necessarily put it. However, piecing the modules together in the order each instructor likes is one of the main benefits of using this type of open textbook.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I struggled to get the outline on the sidebar to quickly move me from section to section. I had to scroll like a standard PDF, which is not a huge deal.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found the book to be grammatically correct.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text covered culture in a sensitive way and was inclusive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall this is a huge library of well-written learning modules for those studying psychology and teaching psychology. I believe it could be labeled as more than for introductory psychology courses.","created_at":"2020-12-02T14:35:01.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-12-02T14:35:01.000-06:00"},{"id":4754,"first_name":"Jenn","last_name":"Wilhelm","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"College of Charleston","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book is comprehensive and provides a good overview of the major fields in Psychology. The collection is divided into modules that cover the main topics commonly found in introductory textbooks.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is highly relevant. It appears that new modules can be easily added and existing modules can be updated easily without disrupting the usage of the textbook.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is clear and easy to read. The authors are good about explaining terms and including links to definitions of important vocabulary words. My students have found the text accessible and engaging.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The textbook seems to have fairly good consistency even with multiple authors across different modules. Some subunits have more modules available than others. One weak area is the neuroscience/brain and behavior subunit. Three of the modules, The Nervous System, The Nervous System and The Brain, and The Brain, contain a lot of overlap. Each of those modules take slightly different approaches to the topic of neuroscience, but none are complete enough to use on their own. \r\nSome subunits contain modules with broad overviews of the subfield such as \"An Introduction to the Science of Social Psychology\" while other subunits only contain modules that cover subtopics within the broader field.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This textbook is easily divisible and customizable. I was able to easily link the modules that I wanted to use into my syllabus/learning management system so that I could cover topics at different points throughout the semester regardless of where the authors had them categorized. Each module within a subunit is self-contained. They are written so that each could easily be reorganized or assigned independently without confusing the reader.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The modules within the textbook are organized into various subunits that correspond to the topics most commonly covered in an introductory textbook. I found that some of the modules were categorized differently than I had expected. For example, Elizabeth Loftus' module on Eyewitness Testimony and Memory Biases is included in the Sensation and Perception subunit rather than the Learning and Memory subunit. Fortunately it is easy to rearrange the modules to customize the textbook for your own preferences and uses. \r\nThe modules themselves are very consistent in their organization. The overview and learning objectives at the top of each module help readers orient to the module. Then the text is broken into various subheadings with relatively short paragraphs. This approach is very successful and makes it easy for students to navigate and stay engaged.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The textbook is easy to use. The modules are easy to link into a Learning Management System or to download into pdf. Each of the modules are similarly structured with an overview and learning objectives at the top. There is a navigation bar at the side that allows the user to easily see all of the subsections within the module. Vocabulary words are highlighted and linked to the glossary at the end of the module providing easy access without having to leave the page. The textbook also includes instructor resources such as a test bank, powerpoint files, reading guides, and instructor's guides.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text is fluent and easy to read. I did not notice many grammatical errors or typos.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text does a good job of being culturally inclusive. In the section \"History of Psychology,\" the authors do include some discussion of the contributions of women and BIPOC scientists.  There is also a module that specifically addresses culture and emotion. As is true of many textbooks, this text would benefit the inclusion of more examples from non-majority groups throughout all of its modules.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I highly recommend considering this text. The ease of use, customizability, and cost make it superior to many other commonly used introductory textbooks. My students have commented to me about how much they enjoy the structure and content of this text. Most importantly, they all seem to do the assigned reading since I have started using this text (and assign the reading anticipation guides).","created_at":"2021-04-09T17:32:27.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-04-09T17:32:27.000-05:00"},{"id":4870,"first_name":"Angela","last_name":"Griffin","position":"Psychology Program Director and Faculty","institution_name":"Midlands Technical College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is quite comprehensive. It has a good balance between board concepts and a focus on psychological literacy and application and depth and detail across numerous topics. I think that the NOBA text covers all of the major topics most instructors want to see in an introductory course with good depth of coverage for each topic overall. There were a few spots where I was left wanting a bit more, a small addition, or a slightly different presentation, but it's all there and easily individualized for a course and can be paired with the right supplements as needed.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Throughout my review the content appeared to be accurate, error-free, and unbiased. I had no concerns.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Because of the comprehensive nature of the text, thorough treatment of individual topics, and nicely woven (fairly) current and solidly engaging content, I think that it is relevant and can maintain its relevance fairly easily. I would like to see some more current references and wonder how often the text will be updated. It is certainly written in a way and by multiple, expert and accomplished authors and so can be easily edited and updated to maintain relevance if the commitment to do so remains.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I found the text to be quite clear, readable, accessible, clean, and engaging. I think that along with comprehensiveness and modularity that this is a major strength. Even with multiple authors and voices, it is quite lucid and enjoyable to read and would be a good fit with the range of students that I teach. I only found a few places in the section of the brain and neurons that was a bit heavy and jargony. Overall, the text is amazingly clear and refreshingly well-organized and readable. I think that it is both eloquent and uncomplicated in many ways and this is both appealing and helpful for students.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Overall, the organization, design, and contents are consistent. There is some variability in writing style and fluidity across writers and subsections, but it is not particularly problematic. It might be nice to have an audio introduction to each chapter or section to emphasize the shift in focus and voice to prepare the naive reader in particular for some of the necessary variation. I think that given the design and multiple, excellent authors/researchers involved in the project that there is about as much consistency as one could expect.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The NOBA text us, by design, is easily ad readily divisible into smaller reading sections. I think that the design is fantastic for individualizing a course or course sections. The level of modularity is just right and is the content is easily reorganized without significant or problematic disruption.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Overall the topics in the text are presented in a logical, clear fashion. There are a few sections that seemed to have a better fit or place elsewhere and so it would be nice to have another layer of modularity built in to address this and fine tune a bit more to the instructor's liking or preference.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I think that similar to the writing the interface was pleasantly clean, clear, and uncomplicated. Navigation was easy and consistent and I did not find any significant points of confusion or distraction. It would be nice to update some of the simpler images/schematics to higher quality images in some areas of the text for greater consistency and aesthetic.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors in my review.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I think that the NOBA text is intentional and effective in striving for inclusion and variety. I think that the level and consistency of inclusions of a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds is acceptable and average for what many are looking for and comfortable in a text. That said, I think that the NOBA text (and most others) could and should strive for even more intentional coverage of excluded contributors to the field and our body of knowledge and level of inclusivity.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I very much enjoyed this text and review and found it to be more compelling, impressive, flexible, and comprehensive than expects. As I said before, the comprehensiveness, fine writing style and readability, and modularity are major strengths. I see it as a breath of fresh air in terms of the welcome clarity and uncomplicated nature of the prose and design that at the same time delivers significant breadth and depth of coverage. The adaptive quizzing and resources also fill a critical gap in OER and really encourage me to consider this option (combined with some minor supplements) as the primary text for an introductory course-assuming updates continue to be made. Nicely done.","created_at":"2021-04-30T21:51:19.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-04-30T21:51:19.000-05:00"},{"id":33453,"first_name":"Tiffany","last_name":"Thomas","position":"Professor of Psychology","institution_name":"Des Moines Area Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"With 101 modules, The Full Noba Collection is comprehensive in its coverage. The collection is divided into topic areas and is searchable by topic/keyword. Topic areas cover all of the traditional topics within an introductory psychology course including Psychology as a Science, Biological Basis of Behavior, Sensation and Perception, Development, Cognition and Language, Learning and Memory, Social, Personality, Emotions and Motivation, Psychological Disorders, Well-Being, and Community Psychology.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"No content errors or inaccuracies were noted. Content appears to be unbiased.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Content appears up-to-date. Content can be updated or added by individual module. If modules were printed in hard copy, only updated modules would need to be reprinted. Noba states they review material and make revisions when needed, as well as making revisions if needed based on instructor suggestion. When updates are made to text content, ancillary materials are also reviewed for necessary changes. Module updates and additions are announced via the “Instructor Resources” tab on the webpage.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Overall, content is engaging, readable, and accessible to college students. Modules contain images relevant to the text. More images would be useful in some modules, especially regarding the brain. Terms and concepts are generally explained well, and a Vocabulary section is included in each module. Some of the biological modules were a bit heavy on jargon, which is typical for many introductory texts. However, a number of biological modules are included with varying levels of depth, allowing the instructor to determine what is appropriate for their student audience.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Modules follow a consistent framework or format. Material within individual modules is presented in a logical and consistent order with Abstract, Learning Objectives, Introduction, Sections, Take a Quiz, Outside Resources (some including a video), Discussion Questions, References, and Conclusion.\r\nModules are also consistent in use of terminology.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Modules can be chosen from and combined to “Build a Textbook”. “Build a Textbook” creates a new text in your library. Your text can be customized with unit headings. Modules are selected and placed within units. Modules are organized by topic area within the collection, and the collection is searchable by topic/keyword. Modules are not lengthy, making it easy to create units of one or several modules per topic to achieve the breadth and depth of coverage that is appropriate for your student audience. For example, in the topic area of “Biological Basis of Behavior,” the instructor might choose a number of more detailed modules, or a single more general less detailed module. Modules can be neatly combined into any sequence with minimal concern about reference to another module. (Only two biological modules reference two other biological modules.) Once complete, the text is “published” but can be edited at any time to add or subtract modules.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Topics mostly follow a traditional organization similar to most introductory psychology textbooks. Additionally, since this collection includes a “Build a Textbook” option, topics can be presented in any order the instructor finds best for their course. A few modules were included in unexpected topics (for example, “Eyewitness Testimony and Memory Biases” in Sensation and Perception rather than Learning and Memory). Modules addressing sexuality are included in the Biological Basis topic area. Modules addressing consciousness are included in the Cognition and Language topic area.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No interface issues were noted. Navigation is smooth. All images display with no problems.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors were noted.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No culturally insensitive or offensive material was noted. Examples and images are inclusive. Three modules focus specifically on culture (“Culture”, “Culture and Emotion”, and “Time and Culture”).","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Noba also offers instructor resources including PowerPoints, quizzes, test bank, instructor manual, Reading Anticipation Guides, and Teaching Topic Essays. One of my concerns when moving from a traditional publisher text to an OER was needing to construct all my own ancillaries. Thankfully, Noba has it covered! I also had a question regarding making physical copies available to my students, and I received a quick and helpful reply to my email.","created_at":"2021-11-09T17:19:10.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-11-09T17:19:10.000-06:00"},{"id":33754,"first_name":"Nora","last_name":"Murphy","position":"Professor of Psychological Science","institution_name":"Loyola Marymount University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is a remarkable collection that covers 101 topics across Psychology. The modules are written by prominent researchers on the given topics. The text runs more than 1800 pages, indicating a very thorough examination. The index itself runs almost twenty pages and every modules is followed by a reference section (rather than all the references appearing at the end of the entire textbook – which is the usual format).","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Each module is authored by an expert in that topic. Thus, to the extent that multiple authors would reduce the potential to present biased opinions or specific lens/viewpoint, the content could be considered unbiased. I reviewed topics in my own expertise (methods, social psychology) and the content was accurate and error-free; I did not see evidence of misinformation.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"“Newer” advances in topics are covered including: the replication crisis in psychology, affective neuroscience, social neuroscience, and culture and emotion. The current copyright is 2022, however, I ran checks on citation dates and found that the vast majority were more than 5 years or older (\u003c 2017). There were very few citations of work done since 2017.  And there were places with dated language. \r\ne.g., p. 1221 “behavior. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that I/O psychology, as a field, will grow 26% by the year 2018.”\r\np. 1758 “Depression alone is predicted to be the second largest contributor to disease burden by 2020 (World Health Organization, 2004).”\r\nThat being said, updating specific sections with new developments does not appear to be particularly difficult.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The end of every module contains a Vocabulary list with definitions of key terms. I randomly selected a few topics with no previous knowledge. I noted that there are useful figures and illustrations throughout – which are sometimes lacking in OER texts. I believe some of this is dependent on the module authors themselves and how much detail they decide to go into.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each module is structured the same: general introduction/overview of topic, learning objectives, specific subjects/sections, outside resources (sometimes these are interspersed throughout the module), discussion questions, vocabulary, and module references.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each module is 10-20 pages. The textbook is well-designed for an instructor to select chosen modules and designed with customization in mind. Noba publisher indicates “This book can be modified: feel free to rearrange or remove modules to better suit your specific needs.” Reviewing the textbook myself, I believe the customization would be desirable to many General Psychology instructors.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Sure, but given the customization option, it would be up to an individual instructor to decide what makes the most sense for their pedagogy and class.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I only noticed that the page numbers in the textbook did not navigate in alignment with the Adobe reader. The text, formatting, graphics, and pictures were all at professional levels. Very clean and organized.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"None that I detected.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Photos depicted an array of ages, genders, and race/ethnicities (to the extent that such identities are assumed based simply on appearance). There are modules specifically dedicated to community psychology; and stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination. Within specific modules, I found discussions of diversity e.g., cis and transgender; sexual fluidity; systemic oppression; essentialism; racial bias; among others. That being said, I did not see evidence or even acknowledgement across many modules of potential cultural effects within the topic or samples. (I found a lack of in-depth analyses of bias in psychological and intelligence testing, somewhat disconcerting; more of a hand-wave than a true acknowledgement.)","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I am impressed with the coverage of so many topics. The publisher, funding foundation, and module authors are all reputable and respected within psychology. I liked the links to outside materials - which could be useful pedagogical tools for instructors.","created_at":"2022-03-18T17:04:50.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-03-18T17:04:50.000-05:00"},{"id":33912,"first_name":"Susan","last_name":"Geffen","position":"Non-tenure-track Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Occidental College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers a range of topics, presenting both general perspectives (e.g., Sensation and Perception) appropriate for survey classes and more specific modules (e.g., Vision, Touch \u0026 pain) for topical classes.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"No glaring errors","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book seems to be relatively up to date with citations from the early to mid 2000s, and it seems like updates would be relatively easy and straightforward to implement. However, I would like to see more citations from within the last 5-10 years","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is very easy to follow with lots of examples. I also like how students can click on bolded terminology and get a definition (rather than having to scroll to the end of the chapter or the book)","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The overall structure and length of each chapter are consistent. The use of bolded terms and the clickable glossary are consistent. However, it is a little hard to maintain consistency when almost every chapter is written by a different author/set of authors, though they do come close.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This book has wonderful modularity. It is broken into larger blocks (Psychology As Science, Development) with a mix of general and more specific topics within each block. It is very easy to select a particular module to include in one class and choose a second model to include in a different class.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Overall, the organization is good with the larger blocks (Psychology As Science, Development) and the subtopics/modules within each. Sometimes the organization of the modules themselves could be a bit better.  It's not always clear why certain modules are in a given block or in the order they are in.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The interface looks good. The screen scrolls relatively well, no distortion of images or charts. The only thing that would make it better is if there was a clickable menu on the side that allows you to skip ahead rather than having to scroll through all the topics. NOBA has a clickable menu like that on their \"browse\" page, but not within this textbook.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I didn't find any grammatical errors","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"None of the material is culturally insensitive or offensive. However, the book could benefit from some more examples that are culture specific. Some modules do include this information (e.g., emerging adulthood) and there is an entire module on Culture, but the book could use a little more diversity throughout.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2022-06-15T20:37:14.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-06-15T20:37:14.000-05:00"},{"id":34065,"first_name":"Tessa","last_name":"Dover","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Portland State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"With so many modules to choose from, this collection offers an introduction to most areas of the discipline. Each module is relatively short and thus cannot always cover the depth of the topic, but it provides a good introduction. I should also mention that aside from the text itself, there are extremely comprehensive \"companions\" to each module, including test banks, discussion questions, pre-reading exercises, and even lecture slides. I didn't take advantage of those companion pieces, but they make it very easy to build a course of this text if that's what an instructor wants to do.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I'm not an expert in all the sub-disciplines covered, but I didn't find factual errors in the modules I'm more familiar with. Having experts in the topic write specific modules helps ensure that each topic gets covered accurately.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"It seems like additional modules will be relatively easy to add as needed. I'm sure it'll be a bit challenging to get hundreds of authors back on-board if updates are wanted periodically, however.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The language used throughout is simple to understand and appropriate for an introductory text.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"There is some inconsistency, simply due to the sheer number of authors. The text is very easy to navigate, however, and each module has a predictable format.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This text is a great example of a modular text. It's easy (and encouraged) to take pieces and rearrange them, and they try their hardest to make each module independent and able to stand on its own.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text is well organized, but the emphasis is really on modularity so it doesn't totally matter which order the modules appear by default.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I found the text/site very easy to navigate, and was grateful that they gave the option to both download a given module as a pdf.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"As a whole, I believe the text includes adequate (though not exemplary) consideration of psychological diversity. There were a few specific modules, however, in which omissions of cultural variation/nuance were stark and almost jarring.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I'm grateful for the Diener family for creating such an important resource for psychology students. Ed Diener will be truly missed by our field.","created_at":"2022-09-30T12:19:12.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-09-30T12:19:12.000-05:00"},{"id":34518,"first_name":"Timothy","last_name":"Williamson","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Loyola Marymount University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This modular approach to covering introductory psychology covers a wide variety of topics that can be selected in an ad hoc manner. As a Health Psychologist, I regret that there is not a specific chapter on Stress \u0026 Coping (based on the seminal work by Lazarus \u0026 Folkman), but the chapter \"The Healthy Life\" by Emily Hooker and Sarah Pressman is quite useful and covers a variety of topics within health psychology. There is also an intentional effort to cover breadth rather than depth, which is relatively appropriate given the pedagogical focus on introductory psychology. Given the large number of modules, it can be difficult to see from a larger perspective about the degree of overlap and redundancy between chapters, however.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"From my review, the information covered is accurate, including differing perspectives on similar topics (written by different authors). Mostly, the information was up-to-date.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"As a clinical psychologist, I noted that information is included for DSM-5, but the recent revision to DSM-5-TR is not reflected in these modules. Given that the changes from DSM-5 to DSM-5-TR were more substantive than the change from DSM-IV to DSM-IV-TR, this is an important shift to capture within the most up-to-date information. Importantly, one of the most major changes were made in response to review groups that focus on Sex and Gender, Culture, Suicide, and Ethnoracial Equity and Inclusion to ensure than cultural and contextual differences in symptom presentations were taken into account using the most updated information on these topics.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written clearly and would be easily understood by introduction to psychology students.  Of course, this varies from module to module because of the different authors, but this is overall a highlight of this OER.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"Even though this is a lower score, I would not raise this as a major concern. Rather, the lower score reflects the modularity of the OER. There are several small differences that arise with regard to terminologies and frameworks, but I do not foresee any to be so glaring that they would raise significant problems for students. I do appreciate the formatting consistency of each chapter, which provides a nice through-line that connects the different modules and scaffolds the information to students within a predictable and relevant structure.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This is a major strength of this OER and a very compelling reason to use these chapters in your course. Each chapter could really hold on its own and does not rely on others to communicate its main points. Instructors can curate a selection of chapters and order them in the best way that works for their course. As I mentioned earlier, you can also include these chapters into other courses (beyond introductory psychology) as supplemental readings.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The suggested structure of the texts makes sense but in itself would likely be too much reading to assign for most introductory psychology courses. As such, the strength of this OER is to allow instructors to determine their own organization based on the material provided.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not encounter any interface issues. The PDF versions of the modules are easy to use and compatible with the LMS as well as a wide range of devices that students may use to read.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not encounter any grammatical issues.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Several of the modules mention cultural contexts and include meaningful understanding of cultural influences. I did not encounter any material that appeared culturally insensitive or offensive. However, it would be appreciated to more directly acknowledge the eurocentric nature of psychology's history and empirical knowledge base as a major limitation of the field. Additional modules that are centered on African and East Asian perspectives of psychological concepts would be appreciated.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"The modular nature of this OER resource lends itself well to integrate some of the chapters into a variety of courses. Some of my favorite modules include \"The Healthy Life\", \"Why Science?\", \"Functions of Emotions\", and \"Love, Friendship, and Social Support\".","created_at":"2023-04-17T12:17:22.000-05:00","updated_at":"2023-04-17T12:17:22.000-05:00"},{"id":35327,"first_name":"Andrea","last_name":"Kunze","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Butler University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"I have thoroughly enjoyed this book for a number of different psychology courses I have taught, and I appreciate the sheer number of chapters the entire collection possesses. It makes it easy to either create your \"own\" books for students. I would rank this higher if there were more details in some of the chapters and maybe more chapters - this is really an issue of needing more people to contribute to development of the NOBA OER though.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I find the intelligence related chapters a bit odd as one of them really is tapping more into motivation than intelligence.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"This is a tough question - relevance for who? Is it relevant for an intro psych class? yes. Is it relevant for a cognitive psych class? yes. I think there is a lack of chapters for an effective social, development, or cultural psychology class. I also think it would not be extremely relevant for a history of psych class due to the lack of critiques of the pervasive Whiteness in psychology.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I have had no concerns or issues with clarity - the vocab section at the end of the chapters is great. I do think they could consider expanding some of the terminology in a few overly short chapters.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"There are some redundancies in a few chapters that talk about concepts slightly differently. I find the memory chapters to be a bit awkward as the eye-witness testimony chapter could likely benefit from being combined with the forgetting chapter to ensure language consistency.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I find NOBA to be one of the easiest modular based OERs to use for a number of classes. It's seamless to create your \"own\" texts and organize them in a form that aligns with how one structures their course.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of the full collection or the intro selection moves in a similar sequence to other OERs that I have previously used, but I do prefer the NOBA version.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Online or the PDF version are easy to navigate, all videos and links have worked for me!","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"To my knowledge, I have not noticed any issues with grammar.","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"I think, unfortunately, many of the authors across the different chapters are the same and the cultural backgrounds (to my knowledge) may be limited. I have also not noticed many (if any at all) chapters critique the pervasive Whiteness of many theories of psychology. I think there is opportunity for other scholars with a variety of educational and cultural backgrounds to contribute to NOBA chapters related to providing alternative perspectives or even update some of the chapters to provide more diverse scholars theories across the different topics (i.e., development, social, etc.) - Where are the chapters to highlight the work of Dr. Carl Hart or Derald Wing Sue?!","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I love the NOBA collection, but I do believe more scholars should consider contributing to the development and updating of chapters. I would love to see more chapters related to social cognition, self-regulation, and more motivational theories. I can only assume that scholars from other disciplines in psychology would feel similarly!","created_at":"2024-12-04T17:21:04.000-06:00","updated_at":"2024-12-04T17:21:04.000-06:00"},{"id":35373,"first_name":"Beth","last_name":"Mechlin","position":"Associate Professor of Psychology \u0026 Neuroscience","institution_name":"Earlham College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text covers the majority of topics that you would cover in an Introduction to Psychology course. However, there are a few specific topics I cover in my course that are not included in this text. For example, this text does not include a good overview of specific neurotransmitters. It also does not cover the Modal Model of Memory or common theories of emotions (such as James-Lange and Cannon-Bard).","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is in this text is very accurate. Each module is written by an expert in the field, which results in a very high level of accuracy.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The information appears up to date. It is very modular, which allows for it to be easily updated in order to stay current.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is well-written and easy to understand. The level is appropriate for an undergraduate course.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The general outline of each module is consistent. Each module has an abstract, learning objectives, vocabulary, and outside sources. However, since each module is written by a different person, there is not perfect flow from one module to the next.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This is the most modular text that I have ever encountered. Each section stands on its own as a complete source about the topic. As stated previously, each module includes its own abstract, learning objectives, vocabulary, discussion questions, outside resources, references, and even instructor resources. I really love how modular this text is.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organization within each module is great. There is some organization for the text overall (for example all the sensation and perception topics are grouped together). However, since each module stands on its own, the organization for the text as a whole is not quite as strong (but this is not necessarily a problem).","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text works great. I did not encounter any issues with the interface.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This text is written by multiple authors, so it includes a variety of viewpoints. There are multiple modules that specifically focus on issues relating to culture, race, and gender (such as the Psychology of Racism, Culture \u0026 Emotion, and Time \u0026 Culture)","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I think this is a great text. The fact that each module is written by an expert in the field is a huge strength. It is incredibly modular, which makes it easy to assign the specific topics you plan to cover in your course. You can search the entire text, which can help you find a specific topic easily. Each section includes links to outside resources, which can be helpful and engaging for students. There are also instructor's resources, which can be helpful when teaching a course. I enjoyed the wide variety of topics that were covered.","created_at":"2024-12-30T08:03:19.000-06:00","updated_at":"2024-12-30T08:03:19.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/introduction-to-psychology-the-full-noba-collection","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:31:17.000-06:00"},{"id":229,"title":"Psychology as a Biological Science","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2020,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"This textbook provides standard introduction to psychology course content with a specific emphasis on biological aspects of psychology. This includes more content related to neuroscience methods, the brain and the nervous system. This book can be modified: feel free to add or remove modules to better suit your specific needs. Please note that the publisher requires you to login to access and download the PDF.","contributors":[{"id":3474,"contribution":"Editor","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Robert","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Biswas-Diener","location":"Portland State University","background_text":"Robert Biswas-Diener has written a number of books including Happiness: Unlocking the mysteries of psychological wealth and The Courage Quotient. He is senior editor for the free-textbook platform, Noba."},{"id":5272,"contribution":"Editor","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Ed","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Diener","location":"Universities of Utah","background_text":"Ed Diener is a psychologist, professor, and author. Diener is a professor of psychology at the Universities of Utah and Virginia, and Joseph R. Smiley Distinguished Professor Emeritus from the University of Illinois as well as a senior scientist for the Gallup Organization."}],"subjects":[{"id":37,"name":"Biology","parent_subject_id":8,"call_number":"QH308.2","visible_textbooks_count":88,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/biology"},{"id":8,"name":"Natural Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"QH301","visible_textbooks_count":252,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/natural-sciences"},{"id":42,"name":"Psychology","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"BF121","visible_textbooks_count":51,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/psychology"},{"id":9,"name":"Social Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"H1","visible_textbooks_count":285,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/social-sciences"}],"publishers":[{"id":368,"url":"http://nobaproject.com/textbook-editions/4071/download","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:39.000-05:00","name":"Noba"}],"formats":[{"id":629,"type":"PDF","url":"http://nobaproject.com/textbooks/psychology-as-a-biological-science","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2049,"type":"Online","url":"https://nobaproject.com/textbooks/psychology-as-a-biological-science","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4","textbook_reviews_count":11,"reviews":[{"id":462,"first_name":"Richard","last_name":"Deyo","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Winona State University","comprehensiveness_rating":1,"comprehensiveness_review":"If a comprehensive introduction to psychology as a biological science is expected from this 40-module open textbook, the reader will be disappointed.  This is because each topic has been given unexpectedly cursory coverage.  For example, recalling that the title of the book promises to inform students about psychology as a biological science, the glossary contains no definitions for the terms neuron, nerve cell, or glial cell.  Unfortunately, there really is very little about this book that would appeal to a professor wishing to take the neuroscience approach to the teaching of an Introductory Psychology course.  \n   The lack of depth extends to most topics.  For example, the discussion of research methods fails to include a discussion of the different types of research designs or their interpretation, nor is there even a discussion of independent or dependent variables despite the reference to those undefined terms in a later chapter.  \n   The figures and graphics in this text are largely ineffective as tools for clarifying concepts.  For example, there is no detailed diagram of how a neuron works, or even an image of how one looks, but there are two different photographs of a finger with a string tied around it (page 321 and page 342).  The student is not provided with adequate information to understand difficult concepts such as neurotransmission, but is treated to numerous appealing images of babies, families, and puppies.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The material that was included was generally accurate.  However there were a few minor inaccuracies in the discussion of the brain that were mainly due to oversimplification.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This book is no more vulnerable to longevity issues than any other.  It will need to be updated annually.  I did use the search feature on the PDF reader to check out the age of the sources and it appears that the chapters are largely updated thru the end of 2014 with three sources from 2015.  So a revision will be needed at the end of 2016 to keep current.","clarity_rating":1,"clarity_review":"The lack of depth in many of the early chapters creates serious issues with clarity in later chapters.  For example, the failure to define and discuss research designs creates a problem in later chapters that refer to experimental designs (e.g. page 172) or correctly refer to the problems of interpreting correlational research (e.g., page 189).   The authors of later chapters appear to assume that the students have a working knowledge that is probably not there unless it has been covered in supplemental materials outside of this book.  An old idiom came to mind by the time I reached the fifth chapter: “Too many cooks spoil the broth.”  This work has by my count 61 authors.  To be fair, it is hard to write a book with more than two or three authors (Kandel’s Principles of Neural Science being one of the few successful examples). This work needed a strong editor.","consistency_rating":1,"consistency_review":"Some chapters were very shallow and other chapters were assuming a depth of knowledge that was at a much higher level.  The book reads as if it were aimed at two different groups of students.","modularity_rating":1,"modularity_review":"The book is clearly organized into independent modules.  The problem, however, is that the content in any one module is inadequate to cover that topic without extensive use of outside materials.  Said another way the modules themselves fail to give the students adequate content to come prepared to discuss in lecture.  In short, this book has many modules but not enough content within each module to support a lecture that would enrich a student’s knowledge.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"There is a clear organization that is easy to follow (just not enough content).","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"The free PDF version was cumbersome to navigate.  The images and figures that are included (with one or two exceptions) are clear and can be enlarged without too much distortion.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No problems here.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. It is inclusive of diverse races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.","overall_rating":6,"overall_review":"I read this text after completing a training webinar that had me fired up to try an open textbook.  I was further encouraged by the fact that one of the contributors has written a textbook I had previously used and valued.  Maybe my expectations were too high.  I came in with over 25 years of experience teaching with high quality commercially edited and reviewed textbooks. This open textbook is not in any way comparable in quality to any text I have used previously.  I now have a renewed appreciation for the editorial process and I guess it is true that you get what you pay for. Respectfully, I just cannot recommend adopting this book, especially if you are a professor at a MNSCU institution and need to be in compliance with the “Common Course Outcomes.”","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1475,"first_name":"Patti","last_name":"Harrison","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"Virginia Tech","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"I found this textbook to be quite comprehensive, including the \"traditional\" topics usually covered in a biopsychology text , but also adding fascinating chapters on topics such as epigenetics and aging.  The coverage of the material seemed ideally appropriate for a 3000 or 4000 level course for psychology and biology majors, including higher level concepts that required understanding from other areas of science, not just biology and chemistry.  Although the throughness of the content did vary by chapter/topic, overall I was impressed with the material that was presented and would certainly have no problem augmenting any area in which I considered the text to be deficient. I did notice one glaring absence - a chapter covering the neuron and how it fires, as well as the function of glial cells - also something I could easily provdie myself, but unusual to be missing from a biopsychology text.  While many higher-order concepts were covered, it is highly unusual to find any physiological psychology text that does not discuss the neuron because it is the basic unit of the nervous system and understadning its physiology is essential to such areas as sensroy function and psychopharmacology.\n\nThe index at the end of the book was quite thorough. However the glossaries were placed at the end of each chapter, and, as with the content of the chapters, varied in thoroughness - also a very easily corrected problem for any adaptations of the text.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Given the rate at which information changes in the field of neuroscience, I was impressed with its accuracy and inclusiveness.  In this field accuracy often is not the issue, but new structures/concepts are being found every day, so they are more frequently the material that is easy to leave out.  I found this book to contain coverage of topics that are currently on the front line of investigation, such as entrainment and the psychophysiology of emotion, with a high degree of accuracy.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"As I previously mentioned, the very basic concepts of cell firing and maintaining the resting potential of the neuron were completely absent from discussion anywhere int his text. Therefore by the time the student hits the chapter on psychopharmacology, he/she will be unprepared to understand the basic mechanisms of how different drugs work.  I found the chapter on psychopharmacology to be particularly short, offering only the most simplistic introduction to the topic, whereas it is central to the field of psychology, particularly clinical psychology. Almost all clients are on psychoactive medications and the therapist should have a slightly better than average understanding of how these drugs work. This text will provide only an introductory psychology level perspective on that area.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing was very engaging, something to be treasured in the STEM fields, where emphasis is usually more on the information being presented than on the style in which it is being presented.  Since each chapter had a different author(s), this varied, but only slightly across chapters.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"The consistency across chapters is poor. Some writers are clearly masters of their fields and provide extremely well-written and detailed accounts of their field, while others write short, concise introductions to their area, but leave the reader with little \"meat to chew on.\"  The internal consistency within the chapters was high and I did not always feel as if I were being introduced to another voice as I moved from chapter to chapter.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book's modularity is what contributes to the ease of which one could address its omissions.  Modules were complete and did not rely on other modules in order to fit well into the scheme of things. I would find this book easy to adapt to my own purposes, supplementing when I thought necessary and omitting topics that I did not consider particularly relevant to the course, without taking away from the \"book\" quality of the text.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The overall flow of the book was good. Chapters were organized in such a way that the topics seemed to flow logically from one to the next.  There was some duplication in coverage, but this makes omitting certain chapters easier if the instructor wants to include other material without losing all of the material from any particular chapter.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I accessed the book as a pdf requiring Adobe Acrobat and printed selected topics for closer inspection. Both methods permitted me to find exactly what I wanted when I wanted it. It ws very easy to move throughout the book by just sliding my mouse. Between the table of contents and the index, I had no trouble locating particular terms or concepts.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The grammar was excellent - and I am a grammar gestapo, according to my students.  These folks do not only write well, but they write in grammatically correct English - a rare finding in my opinion.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Given the biological nature of the book, I did not find it to be biased toward any particular culture. There were some discussions of social functioning and interpersonal relationships that were geared more toward Western European values than toward Easter/Mideastern values, but not offensively so.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I very much enjoyed reading this text and will probably adopt it for my physiological psychology text the next time I teach the course.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1659,"first_name":"Chelsea","last_name":"McCoy Asadorian","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook is very comprehensive in my opinion. It covers all the major areas of basic psychology and includes some  in-depth discussion of examples within these. For example, within biological basis on behavior, there are discussions on both the macro level (brain and hormonal regulation) as well as molecular (epigenetics in psychology). There is a vocabulary section at the end of each chapter as well as discussion questions and citations. From Noba, there are many instructor's resources available as well. Still, there are gaps, which is expected when covering such a large field. This text does give students the basics so with light supplement it would seem appropriate for a introductory course or with supplement could aid in upper level courses. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"From what I was able to review, this text is accurate and thorough. While details can be a little oversimplified at times, I think these are necessary in the scope of an overview of an entire field. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The author attempts to keep the content as current as possible by including details on areas that are \"hot\" in research right now. I don't believe that this will make this text obsolete quickly. It does at least bring in newer concepts rather than sticking to the traditional. I think that it allows is organized in such a manner that new sections could be easily added to existing as needed. Even for an individual instructor it would be easy to select the overview chapters within an unit and then simply use review articles if they should want to drive deeper into a different topic that what the author choose to use.  ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I think this text is written at a level that is easy to follow for an undergraduate student. In additional, the vocabulary section are the end of the chapter are useful aides as well. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I think this text is consistent across chapters. ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Yes, this text is broken into sections that are mostly able to stand alone. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Overall, I think it's well done. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I didn't find any issues with the interface. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no issues worth mentioning. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I didn't find any material that seemed to be offensive. It might benefit from a little more discussion on cultural impacts on psychology.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, I found this text to be a good source for basics within each area. I think this text as one of the few open access in this area could be used in addition to recently published reviews to give the students both the basics and detailed information without the high cost of commercial textbooks. This may not be the best option if you want one source to support a course.  ","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":2452,"first_name":"Scott","last_name":"Bowen","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Wayne State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This somewhat comprehensive textbook would be appropriate for an introduction to psychology as a biological science.  While it covers a number of major areas of basic biological psychology with some in-depth discussion, there are some are some missing topics that are very necessary.  For example, there is no real discussion, nor are there pictures or diagrams about the basic unit of the nervous system, the neuron. It seems that another chapter is needed to discuss the neuron, how it functions, and how it communicates with other neurons. This omission could lead the reader to struggle with later chapters that discussion sensation and perception as well as psychopharmacology.  The inclusion of a vocabulary section, discussion questions, and citations at the end of each chapter is a nice feature that would be beneficial to the student.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"From what I reviewed, the material within this textbook was generally accurate. Some of the text was oversimplified at times, but I don’t think that detracts from the text. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content appears to be up-to-date, so it should not become obsolete. I checked several of the modules and found that they had 2018 dates so the content is current. I think that the chapters are organized in such a way that new sections can be added as needed. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"I found the text to be written clearly and at a level that most undergraduates could follow for a basic introduction to Biological Psychology.  The lack of coverage of the neuron in the early chapters could create confusion in later chapters where neurotransmitters and signaling is discussed. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text appears to be consistent across chapters although some chapters don’t seem to go into the depth that other chapters do. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I found the book to be clearly organized and readily divisible into smaller independent modules. \r\n","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I found the book to be clearly and logically organized. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I had no problems with navigating through the chapters. The images/charts were all clear and there was no distortion. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I didn’t find any grammatical errors. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I didn’t find any of the text to be culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. There are several examples of inclusivity of race diversity, ethnicities, and backgrounds.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I completed a training webinar on open source textbooks and was asked to review a textbook as part of that experience. Generally, I think this text is a good source for an undergraduate beginning to learn the basics of biological psychology.  However, I couldn’t find discussion or diagrams on neurons and how they function, so the text will have to be supplemented for this information (or a module needs to be written to cover this gap). This open textbook will have to be supplemented with recent published articles but is definitely a viable option when compared to high cost textbooks.  ","created_at":"2018-12-07T17:48:40.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-12-07T17:48:40.000-06:00"},{"id":2729,"first_name":"Chris","last_name":"Linn","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"SUNO","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"For a special topics course, this book is appropriately comprehensive.  It covers everything I would expect from a course on the biological underpinnings of human behavior and is not limited to a physiological perspective.  As an introductory psychology course, some of the modules are too specialized (e.g. module on autism). I would like to see more diagrams in some modules, but the embedded videos are a terrific addition.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I thought this book was highly accurate, although this varied according to the module author.  Some of the modules seemed oversimplified, but it was fine as an introduction, overall.  ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I think this book is highly relevant for any psychology student interested in behavior from a biological perspective.  I would have enjoyed this book myself as an undergraduate.  Biology students with an interest in behavior would also find the book useful.  As biological issues are some of the fasted advancing in psychology, the longevity of some modules might be limited.  I would hope to see new additions in the future to keep pace.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Most, but not all, authors were extremely clear.  This is as would be expected because modules were written by some of the top authors in their field.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Within modules, I do not see any issues with consistency.  The flow of the book has its limits, as each module was written by a different author.  I think this is a minor issue, and it did not distract from my overall enjoyment of the book.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each module can largely stand alone.  For the most part, modules could be assigned in any order and can even be assigned as readings for different classes.  For example, it would be appropriate to assign the chapter on the history of mental illness to an abnormal psychology class or a class on the history of psychology.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Within modules, the topics are generally organized well.  ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is fine and easy to use on a computer screen.  I do not know if this would carry over to other devices, such as tablets or cellular phones.  Some students might prefer a hard copy of the book.  While I love the embedded video clips, they would not be available to students that with to print the pdf.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical issues.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text did not contain a section on cultural psychology, as I recall.  Give the subject matter, I would not necessarily expect it to.  However, David Buss does make mention of culture in his module on evolutionary psychology.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This text is a wonderful read, but I don't think this book is a good fit for a general, introductory psychology course.  There are a few subject areas that are missing.  For example, it does not attempt to address some of the more applied fields in psychology such as clinical or industrial/organizational.  However I would highly recommend it for a \"special topics\" course in biological topics in psychology.  I would personally consider using this book myself for such a course, but I might omit some of the modules that are less biological in nature.  I might also select certain modules as readings for other courses.","created_at":"2019-04-04T17:57:38.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-04-04T17:57:38.000-05:00"},{"id":3294,"first_name":"Casey","last_name":"Henley","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Michigan State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text covers a broad range of psychology topics and provides a biological aspect to each. The detail and depth provided for each topic, though, ranges considerably throughout the book. Additionally, the addition of some topics, specifically function of the neuron, would strengthen the text. The structure of the glossary may be frustrating to some. Since a glossary exists for each chapter, when these individual glossaries are combined into the Vocabulary section at the end of the text, it can lead to repeated information.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The material in this text was accurate, but the level of detail of each chapter varies quite a bit. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The text will need to be updated as new research becomes available. The structure of the book will allow for additional material to be added easily.  ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is well written, but the variation in level of detail throughout the chapters may lead to confusion at times. Some chapters assume a prior knowledge that may not have been explicitly covered previously in the text. ","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"There is variation in the level of consistency among chapters. Some give a very cursory overview of their topic whereas others dive in with more depth and detail. Some chapters can stand on their own; some need background information to be fully understood. ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text lends itself well to modular use. However, this benefit can disrupt the ability to read straight through. Topics are repeated, sometimes without much additional information, so the reader is seeing the same information. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics are organized in a logical way, but content is sometimes repeated, and sometimes not enough background information is given. There is some consistency issues among chapters. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I had no issues related to the interface. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text did not appear to be culturally insensitive or offensive. Examples were inclusive of different races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. ","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-11-18T17:26:29.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-11-18T17:26:29.000-06:00"},{"id":3353,"first_name":"Katherine","last_name":"Hebert","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Colorado State University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book would provide appropriate depth for a 300-level course, but not a 400-level. There is no description of neurons, synaptic communication, long-term potentiation, etc.  So essentially the book gives a good overview of the important topics, but does not actually delve very deeply into the biology behind them.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content seems accurate and sources are cited well.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Since the book doesn't delve too deeply into the physiology of behavior, and tends towards overviews of the behavior, it won't need too much updating.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is generally consistently clear throughout; I think an undergraduate would be able to follow along successfully, and the embedded videos and links would be a helpful resource.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"There are certainly some inconsistencies from chapter to chapter, and this could potentially be jarring for students.  Overall, the inconsistencies are more in terms of style and organization.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"This varies from chapter to chapter.  Many of the chapters could benefit from additional headings / more explicit organization, but overall there are no major issues.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The topics feel as though any chapter relating to cognitive science or neuroscience was grabbed and put into the book.  There are many chapters that would not typically be covered in a biological psychology course, and they do not feel as if they've been written explicitly with a biological perspective, so it feels a bit muddy and jumps around quite a bit.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Interface was pretty clean.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Hardly any typos.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I did not come across anything that could be construed as offensive.  That being said, the book does not necessarily target inclusivity explicitly within its contents.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"These chapters would be a great addition to a 200-level course, and maybe a 300-level course, but would not be sufficient for a 400-level course.  There was hardly any content at all on cellular/molecular biological psychology.","created_at":"2019-12-06T12:50:12.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-12-06T12:50:12.000-06:00"},{"id":3402,"first_name":"Beth","last_name":"Mechlin","position":"Associate Professor of Psychology \u0026 Neuroscience","institution_name":"Earlham College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook has some really interesting modules. There is a decent amount about biological psychology, and it may work well for an Introduction to Psychology course. However, I do not think it has enough detail for a Brain and Behavior (or similar lower level biological psychology or behavioral neuroscience) course. \r\nThere are some great modules that go in-depth on specific topics (\"Hormones and Behavior\" and \"Biochemistry of Love\" modules are very interesting). Unfortunately, some topics I consider foundational appear to be missing from this text. There is not a section that provides an overview of neurons, action potentials, and neurotransmitters; and I consider these topics to be crucial for an Introduction to Psychology (or Brain and Behavior) course. Thus, supplemental reading would be needed in order to adequately cover these topics.  \r\n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content appears to be accurate. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content in this textbook generally appears to include recent scientific research (although I think the “Healthy Life” module could be updated). It seems that updates based on recent studies will be easy to implement. \r\n","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Most of this textbook is clear and easy to understand. However, some modules contain higher level information that may require some background knowledge to fully comprehend. The actual text of the modules is generally strong, but including more images (diagrams, figures, tables, etc.)  would strengthen the majority of the modules included in this book.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Most terms and general organization appear consistent throughout the book. However, each module is written by a different author, so there are some stylistic differences from one module to the next. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This textbook is very  modular. Each reading can stand on its own. However, that means that some topics are covered multiple times, while others are left out. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Generally well organized. A professor can easily present the modules in any order s/he chooses. Some specific modules might be better with a few more subheadings in sections. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Easy to navigate to different topics. I like that you can hover over some words to get definitions. Links to videos and additional resources at the end of each module are also helpful. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors. ","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I did not find this textbook to be offensive or insensitive. However, I think that health disparities (based on race and socioeconomic status) are an important topic in the field of Healthy Psychology, and they were barely mentioned in “The Healthy Life” module. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-12-19T11:35:21.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-12-19T11:35:21.000-06:00"},{"id":3971,"first_name":"Melanie","last_name":"Peffer","position":"Research Associate","institution_name":"University of Colorado Boulder","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text covers a wide range of interesting topics and could be useful in a wide variety of educational contexts. However, I feel that many of the topics are too advanced for an introductory psychology course.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content was accurate and error-free.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Some topics like epigenetics change rapidly, however necessary updates will be easy to implement.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"Clarity varies depending on the section. Some modules are quite technical, whereas others are accessible to an introductory psychology student.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Each module uses a similar framework and identifies key terms which are included in a vocabulary section. I did not that the use of learning objectives varied widely in style and effectiveness across modules.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The course has clearly delineated modules by topic area, and each module is clearly broken up into submodules.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"I found myself questioning the organization of the modules and how topics flowed from one to another. It also seems odd that some modules are the only ones in a particular topic area. If one is using selections from this text it would not be an issue. However, it may be challenging to implement this textbook if it is to be used as a standalone text.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Images and text displayed clearly, but there were navigation problems present on several of the pages. The links were broken and/or did not redirect as they were suppose too.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not note any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The images used included a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. I did not observe any culturally insensitive materials.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2020-06-11T16:36:43.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-11T16:36:43.000-05:00"},{"id":4218,"first_name":"Hilary","last_name":"Stebbins","position":"Associate Professor Psychological Sciences","institution_name":"University of Mary Washington","comprehensiveness_rating":2,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text covered a number of sub-fields of biological psychology that I would want to expose students to. However, despite the fact that there was in an-depth module on hormones and behavior, the text neglected to include a module about neural communication or the role of glial cells. Some modules (psychophysiological methods in neuroscience, hormones and behavior, psychopharmacology) assume knowledge of neural communication, which is not actually covered in the text. In addition, despite the inclusion of modules on drives and well-being, I was disappointed to note that there was nothing specific in the text regarding sleep-wake regulation or circadian rhythms. I also found some of the specific modules to contain less information than I would expect. For example, there is a module on psychophysiological methods including fMRI, EEG, etc., but not much on more invasive methods involving manipulation of the nervous system. In addition, some modules on cognitive, developmental, and social aspects of psychology fail to take a biological perspective.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The material that is present seems accurate and I appreciate that each module is written by somebody with expertise in that field, helping to ensure a more accurate representation of the material. Many of the authors represent a “who’s who” within their fields. Some modules felt oversimplified, and the missing information might lead to misunderstandings by both the students and professor using the text. It’s possible that any user would need to rely on supplementary material to get a more nuanced understanding of the material.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Due to the slightly superficial nature of most modules, the information is less likely to become obsolete than many biological psychology texts. In addition, the modular structure makes it easy to update specific sections when needed. There are some recent developments in the field that I feel are not represented, such as the increasing importance of glial cells in cellular communication, some advanced methodology such as diffusion tensor imaging or optogenetics, and the role of drugs such as ketamine for treatment of psychological disorders. I hope that the included video links are routinely monitored so as not to result in dead links for students.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The clarity of the information is dependent on the module that you are using. Some modules do a very good job at defining terminology and writing at a level appropriate for an introductory level student while others assume knowledge about biological mechanisms not detailed earlier in the text. For example, there is a module on epigenetic changes without a lot of background information on basic concepts in genetics. In addition, while there are a number of pictures included in the text to break up the content, there are few diagrams or figures that can help to supplement and clarify the material.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"Despite each module being written by a different author, the overall structure is similar and it is easy to find things like learning objectives and discussion questions for each. For a text that focuses on psychology as a biological science, I would hope that each module would emphasize the topic covered from a biological perspective, and this is not the case. While there is more of an emphasis on biological psychology compared to what you would expect in a typical introductory psychology text, many modules (e.g. memory, attention, cognitive development) fail to take much of a biological perspective at all. Thus, the quality of the module is hit or miss depending on the topic.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modular organization of the text is one of its most appealing aspects, as each can easily be assigned as a stand alone component. For the most part, each module feels fairly easy to digest as a reading assignment and I appreciate that some include videos to help to supplement the material and engage the reader.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organization and flow is much like what you would expect from most texts on biological psychology. What makes this text strong in terms of modularity hurts it a bit in terms of flow since some topics are repeated in a number of modules while others are left out altogether. This results in the awkward placement of some information (like what a synapse is in the psychopharmacology module) in comparison with a more traditional biological psychology text.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I found the interface to be easily navigable and was able to find relevant information quickly. Since some material appeared in unexpected modules, I liked the search feature, which allowed me to quickly identify references to specific topics. I also liked the opportunity to see the definition of vocabulary words when they appeared in the text.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors. Overall the writing was strong with good editing.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"This text takes a fairly western perspective, although it does attempt to include pictures of a number of cultures and backgrounds to convey its inclusivity. Unfortunately, almost every picture where a “scientist” is portrayed is that of someone who is white. Based on the author descriptions, the authorship is about 60% male and about 85% white. It would be nice if future updates included a bit more diversity in terms of authorship as well as discussion of relevant topics to biological psychology such as gender identity.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I like the format of this text, but it’s not clear who the target audience is. It feels too specific and biology focused for an introductory psychology course, but does not include enough relevant information about biological mechanisms for a course in biological psychology -  even an introductory one. I could see myself using specific modules to supplement other material in my courses, but I can’t see adopting this as the primary text.","created_at":"2020-07-01T16:23:19.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-07-01T16:23:19.000-05:00"},{"id":33537,"first_name":"Angela","last_name":"Mar","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"University of Texas Rio Grande Valley","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text does not provide an index nor references list. Moreover, the text is missing an integral part of biological psychology: the neuron. Students must first understand how the neuron works and the structure of the neuron to better understand complicated functions.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I found the text unbiased and straightforward. Evolutionary psychology can be a topic in which an author's opinion can come out and stray away from the information that students need. I did not see any errors and accuracy does not seem to be a concern.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"With biological psychology there is always the potential for new groundbreaking information, but the text does a good job at mentioning new research in order to stay relevant.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"There are some modules that are too in depth and thus don't quite fit into a textbook that should be an overview of biological psychology. It is understandable that these topics are interesting, but way outside the scope of a 2nd or 3rd year course.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"I like how the modules fit into a framework that flows well and organized to enhance students success.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text is divided into major topics consisting of several modules. I found that there were too many modules for some of the topics in order to cover in a 15 week semester. My understanding is that some of the modules could be removed or added as desired, which is something that traditional textbooks lack.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The textbook is well organized, albeit lengthy. I am not sure if the order of the modules can be changed as per the professor's preferences, but that would be a great functionality.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I did not come across any interface issues, but I only interacted with the onlin version of the textbook.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors within the textbook.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I would like to see more culturally significant examples throughout the modules. Inclusivity is very important for students.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2021-12-14T17:37:34.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-12-14T17:37:34.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/psychology-as-a-biological-science","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:31:17.000-06:00"}],"links":{"self":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/psychology.json?page=1","total_pages":6,"total_count":55,"next":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/psychology.json?page=2"}}