Harrison, A.M. & Goozee, R. (2014). Psych-related iPhone apps.Journal of Mental Health, 23(1), 48-50. DOI: 10.3109/09638237.2013.869575. PMID: 24484194.
An increasing number of free applications are available for smartphones. The authors completed a brief pilot review of several free psychology-related iPhone applications to investigate the usability, graphics, and utility of these programs. After searching the iTunes store for free applications, the authors selected four to study. Selected applications covered a variety of topics, including guidance on mindfulness meditation, educational videos on statistics, and an animated dictionary of psychiatric terms. While the authors found these applications to be novel and interesting, they were limited in usefulness and lacked a theoretical basis. Additionally, most applications marketed as “free” actually had associated costs. Standardized quality assessment criteria for applications should be developed to help consumers select useful and effective smartphone applications.