A Dictionary of Psychology (Oxford Quick Reference) - Softcover

Colman, Andrew

Softcover

ISBN 10: 019860761X ISBN 13: 9780198607618

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2003

Synopsis

With over 10,500 entries, A Dictionary of Psychology is the most up-to-date dictionary of its kind with coverage of all areas of psychology, together with technical words from other disciplines used by psychologists. These include psychoanalysis, psychiatry, neuroanatomy, and statistics--subjects that are often excluded from single-volume dictionaries of psychology. The definitions are detailed, but clear and explicit, with word origins and illustrations given where necessary. There is comprehensive coverage of phobias and phobic stimuli and mental disorders, as well as a list of over 700 abbreviations and symbols commonly used in psychology.
Written by a leading authority, with the assistance of a distinguished team of advisory editors, this comprehensive volume will be essential reading for professional psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, and students of psychology and related disciplines such as psychiatry, medicine, nursing, sociology, social work, and education.

About this title

About the Author

Andrew Colman is Professor of Psychology at the University of Leicester and is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society. His previous publications include more than 150 journal articles and several books. He edited the 12-volume Longman Essential Psychology series (1995) and is the founder and former editor of the journal Current Psychology (1981- ).

From Booklist

In recent years, a number of dictionaries of psychology have been published, among them David Statt's The Concise Dictionary of Psychology (3d ed., Routledge, 1998), Raymond J. Corsini's Dictionary of Psychology (Brunner/Mazel, 1999), Arthur Reber's Penguin Dictionary of Psychology (3d ed., Penguin, 2001), and Jon Roeckelein's Dictionary of Theories, Laws, and Concepts in Psychology (Greenwood, 1998). This latest addition carves a spot for itself by increasing coverage of the technical terminology of neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, psychopharmacology, and statistics, not always covered in previous psychological dictionaries. It also continues the traditions of earlier psychology dictionaries in covering the more widely used terms.

Entries include parts of speech, numbered senses (with the sense that is most common in psychology literature appearing first), synonyms, alternate forms, and cross-references. Etymological or word origin information is provided for many terms. When a term was coined by an individual or originated with a person's name (Weber's law, Purkinje cell), the individual's birth and death dates are noted. British spellings are employed.

Physically, this is an attractive and comfortable dictionary to use. Even with 10,500 entries, or an average of 11 and one-half per page, the pages do not appear crowded. Dictionary entries are followed by two appendixes. The 20-page "Phobias and Phobic Stimuli" lists phobias by their technical names, noting their stimuli and etymologies, and also lists stimuli (ageing, spiders) for those unsure of the technical terms. Appendix 2 defines 700 abbreviations and symbols. The list of principal sources is more than three pages long and includes subject dictionaries, companion volumes, research methods, statistics, subject encyclopedias, and more. This list in itself would be useful as a benchmark against which a research library might judge its reference collection in psychology and related areas.

This dictionary is a required addition to larger public and academic libraries where users seek information in the social, biological, and medical sciences. It is both classic and futurist, bringing together theory and practice and physical, emotional, and historical concepts used within the widening scope of psychology. It is a great value for the price and would also be a welcome addition to any social scientist's personal library. RBB
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Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 019860761X
• ISBN 13: 9780198607618
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 860