The Contents of Introductory Psychology Textbooks: A Follow-Up

Abstract

Results of the content analysis of 60 introductory psychology textbooks published or revised between 1969 and 1975 were compared with another analysis of 52 texts published or revised between 1980 and 1989. Recent texts were found to be not only more voluminous and more comprehensive but also more readable than their predecessors. However, within the set of newer texts, book length was negatively correlated with readability scores. Examination of the most frequently and least frequently used terms revealed some interesting trends in the contents of introductory psychology textbooks since 1975.