Software Reviews : SOCIOLOGY LABORATORY: COMPUTER SIMULA TIONS FOR LEARNING SOCIOLOGY Reviewed by William F. Bengston,St. Joseph's College Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing Co.,Belmont,CA 94002 (telephone: [phone]) Year of Publication: 1987 Materials: One diskette,106-page manual,data forms Price: $16.75 Machine Specificity: IBM and compatibles System Requirements: 128K memory,one disk drive Effectiveness: Fair to good User-Friendliness: Excellent Documentation: Excellent

Abstract

The SOCIOLOGY LABORATORY diskette provides 12 simulations for use by introductory sociology students as computer lab assignments. Eleven of the simulations emphasize exchange theory in the teaching of a wide variety of theories and concepts. The programs are remarkably user-friendly, and the manual is clearly and concisely written. Criticisms of the effectiveness of the program concern the uneven quality of the simulations, their tendency to be like recreational computer games, and the overreliance on exchange theory.