APA Dictionary of Psychology » (New Edition)

The American Psychological Association is proud to announce the publication of an invaluable addition to your reference shelf, one that represents a major scholarly and editorial undertaking. With over 25,000 terms and definitions, the Dictionary encompasses all areas of research and application, and includes coverage of concepts, processes, and therapies across all the major subdisciplines of psychology. Ten years in the making and edited by a distinguished editorial board of nearly 100 psychological scholars, researchers and practitioners, the APA Dictionary of Psychology is destined to become the most authoritative reference of its kind.

The APA Dictionary of Psychology includes
· 25,000 entries offering clear and authoritative definitions
· Thousands of incisive cross-references directing the user to synonyms and antonyms, acronyms and abbreviations, and related terms and concepts that deepen the user's understanding of related topics
· Balanced coverage of over 100 subject areas across the field of psychology including clinical, experimental, neuropsychology, cognitive, personality and social, developmental, health, psychopharmacology, methodology and statistics, and many others
· Entries include nearly 8,000 terms from the APA's Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms® which helps students and researchers refine their APA database searches (such as the flagship PsycINFO® bibliographic database's 2+ million records)
· "A Guide to Use" and "Quick Guide to Format" that together explain important stylistic and format features to help readers most effectively use the Dictionary
· Each of four appendices gathers terms into a thematic summary listing, covering (1) biographies; (2) institutions, associations and organizations; (3) psychological therapies and interventions; and (4) psychological tests and assessment instruments
· Thumb tabs for locating definitions quickly and easily

Academicians, researchers, clinicians, undergraduates and graduate students, and professionals in allied mental health, education, medicine, and law, as well as academic and public libraries, will find the Dictionary essential.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Nicholas Greco IV, MS, BCETS, CATSM(Abbott Laboratories)
Description:The American Psychological Association's first published dictionary fulfills a longstanding void in our field.
Purpose:The APA felt that it was its duty as the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and the largest association of psychologists in the world, to collect and define the vocabulary of the field, not for just its members, but for the general public. The purpose is to provide an authoritative and well written dictionary of the major terms in psychology that encompasses many subfields as well as the ever-evolving field itself. The editors have exceeded their goals and objectives.
Audience:Clearly, anyone in the field of psychology (students, clinicians, researchers) as well as psychiatrists, lawyers, nurses, social workers, etc. will find this an invaluable resource. The editorial staff worked tirelessly to produce this edition and their hard work and dedication is discussed in the preface. They are certainly credible members of the field.
Features:What is unique about this dictionary is that it can be used by the general public as well as seasoned clinicians. The 25,000 terms cover over 90 subareas of psychology. There are many cross-references as well as 200 entries on major figures in psychology. Readers will appreciate the four appendixes that cover biographies, institutions and organizations, psychological tests and assessments, and the various psychotherapies. As with any first edition, there will be revisions and minor errors, but these do not detract from the overall utility of this needed reference.
Assessment:Clearly, this compilation of terminology by this premier organization could not have been timelier. Our field has gained a substantial resource that is destined to become a staple on every psychologist's shelf.