Coverage: Findings from a
National Sample of Introductory
Psychology Syllabi
Scott C. Bates, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
Utah State University
Logan UT
[email protected]
References
Irion, A. L. (1976). A survey of the
introductory course in psychology.
Teaching of Psychology, 3(1), 3-8.
Miller, B. & Gentile, B. F. (1998).
Introductory course content and goals.
Teaching of Psychology, 25(2), 89.
Method: Sample
• National Center for Educational Statistics’
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data
System (IPEDS*) was used to generate the
sampling universe using the following criteria:
– 4 year, public, institutions of higher education
– Within the 50 States & Washington, D.C.
– Awarding BS/BA in Psychology
• Universe N = 492
• Randomly sampled institutions: 161
* http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/
Method: Sample
•
•
•
•
Universe N = 492
Sampled institutions: N = 161
Responses: n = 63 (38.9%)
Total Syllabi: 146
– Excluded syllabi: 39
• Wrong Semester: 10
• No Schedule: 24
• Sequential Courses: 12
– Syllabi for present analysis
• Syllabi: 107
• Institutions: 51
Method: Domain Classification
• Scheduled “Lecture Topics” classified into 17 domains:
– Developmental
– Introduction
– Motivation
– Research Methods
– Emotion
– Bio
– Health
– Sensation
– Personality
– Perception
– Abnormal
– Consciousness
– Treatment
– Learning
– Social
– Memory
– Cognitive
Method: Domain Classification
• Subtopics classified into broader topics
– Sleep/Dreaming = Consciousness
– Forgetting = Memory
– Schizophrenia = Abnormal
• There were some difficult classification
decisions
Methods: Domain Classification
• Classification Decisions
–
Nature/Nurture:
•
–
Evolution / Evolutionary Psych
•
–
.5 Bio & .5 Motivation
Language / Thought / IQ
•
•
•
–
.50 Bio & .50 Developmental
IQ = Cognitive
Thought = Cognitive
Language = .50 Cognitive & .50 Developmental
Positive Psychology
•
Personality
Methods: Domain Classification
• Classification Decisions
– Sensation and Perception
•
Split evenly into S & P
– Sex & Gender (text specific formulation)
•
•
•
•
Developmental
Motivation
Social
Abnormal
Methods: Domain Classification
•
The Miscellaneous Domain
– Topics that could be classified into multiple
domains, where no specific information
provided guidance
•
•
•
•
Environmental Psych
Work / IO
Culture
Applied Psychology
Results
Text Ty pe
Frequency
0 Core
72
1 Brief
19
2 Modules
10
3 Brief & Modules
3
4 Other
3
Total
107
Percent
67.3
17.8
9.3
2.8
2.8
100. 0
Text
Baron
Bernstein
Davis
Gazzaniga
Gerrig
Gleitman
Hockenbury
Huffman
Kalat
Kassin
Kosslyn
Lefton
Morris/Maisto
Myers
Nairne
Nevid
Plotnik
Rathus
Santrock
Smith
Wade/Tavris
Weiten
Westen
Wittig
Total
Frequency
2
4
4
1
1
1
6
2
4
2
4
3
3
35
4
1
1
2
1
2
8
10
4
2
107
Percent
1.9
3.7
3.7
.9
.9
.9
5.6
1.9
3.7
1.9
3.7
2.8
2.8
32.7
3.7
.9
.9
1.9
.9
1.9
7.5
9.3
3.7
1.9
100.0
18
0
6
12
Mean = 14.2
SD = 2.4
Min = 7
Max = 18
N = 107
r = .19
0
10000
20000
30000
Total Institutional Enrollment
40000
Misc
Health
Emotion
Motivation
Cognitive
Consciousness
Perception
Treatment
Sensation
Developmental
Personality
Memory
Social
Bio
Intro
Research
Abnormal
Learning
Graph 1. Proportion of syllabi indicating any coverage of domain.
1.0
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.0
Misc
Emotion
Perception
Sensation
Motivation
Health
Intro
Consciousness
Cognitive
Treatment
Memory
Research
Personality
Bio
Learning
Social
Abnormal
Developmental
Hours
Graph 2. Average class-time invested in each domain.
3.50
3.00
2.50
2.00
1.50
1.00
0.50
0.00
200
mean
Developmental
Abnormal
Social
Bio
150
Learning
Personality
Research
Memory
100
mean
Treatment
Cognitive
Consciousness
Intro
Health
Motivation
Sensation
50
Perception
Emotion
.6
.7
.8
.9
Proportion Coverage
1
Discussion
• Syllabi follow textbooks
– Most syllabi schedules tracked a text book
– All but 2 syllabi (from one instructor) used a
textbook from a major publisher
• No single domain was covered in every
syllabus.
• Topics most likely to be covered are most
likely to be covered with some depth.
Discussion
• Should ‘brief’ texts as a low-cost
alternative become ‘core’ texts with
supplements that provide readings in lessused areas?