Textbooks Grades
Coverage of Childhood Maltreatment
A recent study by Cindy Miller-Perrin of Pepperdine University found that textbooks used in teaching Introductory Psychology courses often lack information about the prevalence and impact of child maltreatment, despite the well-documented and often long-term negative impact that maltreatment has on children (Kissee, Isaacson, & Miller-Perrin, 2014). Even more concerning, some textbooks presented one sided reviews of controversial topics such as delayed recall of childhood trauma and dissociative disorders. Bethany Brand and her research team at Towson University recently collaborated with Cindy Miller-Perrin to assess the accuracy and adequacy of the information about child maltreatment and its link to psychopathology in Abnormal Psychology textbook. Their results echo those of earlier studies: some textbooks still present one-sided, sensationalized, and even inaccurate information related to child maltreatment (Wilgus, Packer, Lile-King, Miller-Perrin & Brand, 2015). The results of these studies will impact professors' textbook selections as well as prompt textbook authors to provide balanced and evidence-based information about trauma in their textbooks.
Based on this important work, Division 56 bestowed the "Best Coverage of Child Maltreatment in Undergraduate Psychology Textbooks Award to Nevid, J., Rathus, S., & Greene, B. (2014). Abnormal Psychology in a Changing World. (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. due to its outstanding coverage of traumatic disorders linked to child maltreatment.
Dr. Nevid stated the following in response to the award:
"I am deeply honored to have earned this award. I received the notification today and downloaded your article, which was very thorough and extremely helpful I am especially thankful for the suggestions in the article about the additional mentions to improve coverage of CM issues. Though space is always at a premium in texts, I intend to expand our coverage to include additional content. Thank you again for this very distinguished honor."