most significant theoretical premise embodied in the physical science concept of presentation technology is that which "casts materials . . . and machines . . . in nonverbal roles and . . . traditional media (lectures, books) in verbal roles (Brown, Lewis, and Harcleroad, 1994, p. 32). The implicit assumption contained in this concept is that nonverbal media are more effective (Brown, Lewis, and Harcleroad, 1994, p. 32). Regardless of its validity or its ability to stand alone, the physical science concept of presentation technology gained a wide acceptance through the first three quarters of the twentieth century (Saettler, 1989, p. 7).
The behavioral sciences are anthropology, sociology, and psychology. When presentation technology is conceptualized in the context of the behavioral sciences, its development and application is considered in terms of learning psychology, group processes, language and linguistics, communications, cybernetics, perception, and psychometrics (Sheaer, 1992, pp. 20 23). The behavioral science concept of presentation technology, however, also incorporates applications of engineering research (particularly human factors engineering), logistics related to the effective use of physical resources, and contemporary technology, such as computers (Saettler, 1989, p. 11). Thus, the behavioral science concept of presentation technology does not reject the physical science concept. Rather, it incorporates the physical science concept within a broader perspective.
A useful definition of presentation technology for the decade of the 1990s requires elements of both the physical science and the behavioral science concepts. The effective use of presentation technology requires the consideration of the tenets of learning psychology, group processes, language and linguistics, communications, cybernetics, perception, and psychometrics. The contemporary applications of presentation psychology are heavily dependen...