Have introductory psychology textbooks gotten better at representing psychological science?

Abstract

Recent scholarship has identified that factual errors have been common in introductory psychology textbooks. These errors tend to be in the direction of making psychological research appear more consistent than it is, as well as promoting viewpoints consistent with politically progressive ideologies. Some famous experiments in psychology have also seen serious questions raised about their validity. Given that these conversations have gone on for about a decade, it is worth considering whether identification of these issues resulted in improved coverage in introductory textbooks. Textbooks were sampled at two time points. Sixteen textbooks were sampled in 2018, and 18 in 2023. Although some improvements are seen from earlier studies, results indicated that errors in textbooks have remained common even after this issue had been clearly identified in the published literature. Misreporting of basic scientific information remains common in introductory textbooks, despite improvements in some areas. Textbook authors should be alert to potential misinformation, particularly related to controversial topics. Introductory psychology teachers may need to be aware that not all information presented in textbooks is true.