A Dictionary of Psychology - Hardcover

Andrew Colman

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0198662114 ISBN 13: 9780198662112

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2001

Synopsis

From aggression to amnesia and from schizophrenia to shock therapy, here are 10,500 alphabetically arranged entries that cover all the major topics in psychology.
Guided by an eminent team of seven consultant editors--including Robert J. Sternberg, Harvey R. Schiffman, Dr. Leonard W. Hamilton, Daniel P. Kimble, and Dr. Robert Spitzer--Andrew Colman provides in A Dictionary of Psychology clear, concise definitions of terms and concepts in such areas as sensation and perception, cognition, learning and skills, mental disorders, emotion and motivation. Colman not only covers all areas of psychology, but he also explains relevant technical words from other disciplines used by psychologists, including psychiatry, neuroanatomy, and statistics--subjects that are often excluded from single-volume dictionaries of psychology. Likewise, this is the only dictionary to offer extensive coverage of psychoanalysis, with clear explanations of terms introduced by Freud, Jung, Adler, Erikson, Kohut, Lacan, Reich, and others. 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. All entries are detailed and explicit, with word origins and illustrations given where necessary. Moreover, the entries are far more extensively cross-referenced than customary. For example, the entry "visual illusion" includes cross-references to every particular visual illusion described in the dictionary, and the entry for "cranial nerve" directs the reader to all twelve of the human cranial nerves, each of which has its own separate entry.
Written by a leading authority and completely up to date, the Dictionary is an ideal resource for students of psychology, professional psychologists, and the general reader.

About this title

About the Author

Andrew Colman is Reader in Psychology at the University of Leicester. He is the author of What is Psychology? and editor of The Routledge Companion Encyclopedia of Psychology. Robert P. Kimble is at the University of Oregon. Dr. Leonard W. Hamilton and Harvey R. Schiffman are at Rutgers University. Robert J. Sternberg is at Yale University. And Dr. Robert Spitzer is at the New York State Psychiatric Institute.

Reviews

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
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Joined by a distinguished group of advisory editors, prolific author and editor Colman (psychology, Univ. of Leicester, U.K.) offers more than 10,500 definitions of terms in psychology. The entries range from neuroanatomy and psychoanalysis to statistics and pharmacology, and they often cover etymology and history as well as language. Weighty in substance, the work is nevertheless manageable; Colman uses words with grace and economy, offering many entries (e.g., trademark drug names and their chemical names) of only a sentence or two. Longer entries, e.g., "Blood-Brain Barrier," "Rorschach Test" (with Leonardo da Vinci as forerunner!), "Love," and "False Memory," are more explanatory. Cross references are handled effectively; for example, users will find that "Onanism" is another name for "Coitus Interruptus" or (less correctly) "Masturbation." Browsers will find much food for thought and some intellectual treats, like "Monty Hall Problem" (made famous by Marilyn vos Savant's Parade column) and the difference between animal magnetism and hypnosis. Eager to teach and entertain, Colman offers a list of do-it-yourself demonstrations in the preface. Comprehensive, sound, readable, and up-to-date, this is probably the best single-volume dictionary of its kind. A visit to the American Psychiatric Association's library revealed that it is also the newest such work in many years. Essential wherever psychology matters. E. James Lieberman, George Washington Univ. Sch. of Medicine, Washington, DC
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0198662114
• ISBN 13: 9780198662112
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 859