Biological Psychology

Reviewed by Jay Schwartz, Assistant Professor, Western Oregon University on 6/25/24

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

It is impossible to adequately cover all areas of biopsychology in a single text, and some key areas such as comparative psychology are missing. However, the text recognizes this, and the authors justifiably limit the scope of the text mostly to physiological psychology. Notably lacking are cognitive neuroscience as well as sensation and perception.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The text is accurate including recognizing where nuance and uncertainty exist.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The text mostly focuses on classic findings which are supported by converging sources of evidence and are very unlikely to be overturned. The chapter on research methods is likely to eventually become outdated, but should remain relevant for the foreseeable future barring major revolutions in technology. Inevitably the text includes statements that certain processes or phenomena are currently not well understood (especially in the later chapters), which may require in some cases extensive revisions as the field progresses.

Clarity rating: 3

Each chapter covers its topic with a lot of detail, but little (note: not zero) explanation or scaffolding. As a result, throughout the text, a student reader might be left overwhelmed or confused about the material, and/or wondering why a given bit of information matters or how it relates to a broader concept. Some chapters (like the chapter on genes) seemed better suited to intro-level students while others (like the chapter on hormones and behavior) included more jargon with less context.

Consistency rating: 5

The text consistently adopts a biological framework in which psychological phenomena are understood as underpinned by physiological activity. It does a good job of conveying this lens to students.

Modularity rating: 4

Subsections are generally brief and easy to assign specific ones based on the instructor’s needs. Chapter sections vary widely in length, with some spanning only 1-2 pages and stating that a particular field of research exists rather than reviewing it.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The early chapters cover foundational knowledge such as brain anatomy and basic neurophysiology, while the middle and later chapters cover higher-level and applied topics.

Interface rating: 5

I did notice any interface issues.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not notice any grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

The first chapter contains a section explaining the value of diversity in the discipline.

Comments

As mentioned above, due to the density of detail in some areas and the lack of scaffolding, students might be left overwhelmed or confused about the material. On the other hand, its brevity makes it easy to get through, and a first exposure to these concepts can help students even if it doesn’t make complete sense to them on a first pass. But if I were using this as the primary text in a course, I would think of lecture as the main avenue for student learning. I could also see this text being very useful as a reference to someone who has already learned this material.