Dictionary of Psychology

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.

For this new edition of a dictionary that provides definitions of important and difficult words found in the psychological and psychiatric literature, Colman (psychology, U. of Leicester, UK) has revised and updated some 400 entries from the last edition and added 423 new entries. The treatment seeks to be systematic, with coverage of the more technical and specialized terminology of neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, psychopharmacology, psychoanalysis, and statistics included alongside more basic terminology. Definitions are kept simple but are presented in a manner designed to avoid inaccuracies, oversimplification, or trivialization. Wherever originators of concepts or other individuals are mentioned by name, birth and death dates are provided, where available. Also, says Colman, the definitions are cross-referenced to an extent that goes beyond the custom of earlier dictionaries.
Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

For this new edition of a dictionary that provides definitions of important and difficult words found in the psychological and psychiatric literature, Colman (psychology, U. of Leicester, UK) has revised and updated some 400 entries from the last edition and added 423 new entries. The treatment seeks to be systematic, with coverage of the more technical and specialized terminology of neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, psychopharmacology, psychoanalysis, and statistics included alongside more basic terminology. Definitions are kept simple but are presented in a manner designed to avoid inaccuracies, oversimplification, or trivialization. Wherever originators of concepts or other individuals are mentioned by name, birth and death dates are provided, where available. Also, says Colman, the definitions are cross-referenced to an extent that goes beyond the custom of earlier dictionaries. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

With over 11,000 entries, this comprehensive and up-to-date dictionary covers all branches of psychology. Clear, concise descriptions for each entry offer extensive coverage of key areas including cognition, sensation and perception, emotion and motivation, learning and skills, language, mental disorders, and research methods. The range of entries extends to related disciplines including psychoanalysis, psychiatry, the neurosciences, and statistics. Entries are extensively cross-referenced for ease of use, and cover word origins and derivations as well as definitions.

In addition to the alphabetical entries, the Dictionary of Psychology, Second Edition also includes appendices covering over 800 commonly used abbreviations and symbols, as well as a list of phobias and phobic stimuli, with definitions. Comprehensive and clearly written, this dictionary is an invaluable work of reference for students, lecturers, and the general reader with an interest in psychology.

Professor Andrew Colman is Professor of Psychology at the University of Leicester and is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society. He graduated from the University of Cape Town, where he was appointed to his first lecturing position, and then lectured at Rhodes University before moving to Leicester. 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- ).

Greek Alphabet

Dictionary

I. Phobias and phobic stimuli

II. Abbreviations and symbols

Principal Sources