Psychology: Encyclopedias

Now in its 4th edition (the earlier editions were titled The Corsini encyclopedia of psychology and behavioral science), this outstanding reference presents extended descriptions, definitions, and current research on the disorders, treatments, processes, influences, and behaviors of importance to the practice of psychology. In addition, the biographies of 63 notable figures are included within the alphabetical entries, and short biographies of 543 more are found in volume 4. Each entry is signed, and includes an introduction to the topic, a summary of current research, an overview of treatment options, and a list of references and, in the case of biographical entries, a list of suggested reading. Each entry also includes a list of cross-references. The list of references for all entries kept from the earlier edition have been updated. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

A reference work in philosophy addressed to an audience of scholars and university students but fully accessible to others with a serious interest in the field. Two hundred sixty-seven writers from around the world have contributed, either as editors or authors, to the 435 signed articles on topics in meta-ethics, ethical theory, perennial moral problems, and political, social, and legal theory. There are survey articles on trends and eras; summaries of leading concepts, principles, and theoretical problems; and biographical entries for philosophers whose place in the history of ethics is secure, as well as a few contemporaries whose seniority and eminence make their inclusion appropriate. Each article has a bibliography, and the usual cross-references are supplemented with an analytical index of the text of the articles and an index of authors cited in the bibliographies. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Covers depression, suicide, domestic violence, social issues, medications, compulsions, and therapies.

Jackson presents the first scholarly resource guide synthesizing the field of multicultural psychology, with contributions from some 200 academics, researchers, and practitioners, primarily from the U.S. and Canada. The alphabetically arranged entries address culture across a broad spectrum of psychological viewpoints--social, cognitive, environment, cross-cultural, and clinical--and support the belief that culture, not race, is the best way to understand differences among individuals. In addition to a subject index at the back, the text contains an alphabetical list of entries and a reader's guide at the front; the latter groups the individual articles under nine main categories--conceptual issues, cultural concerns, ethnic groups, indigenous concerns, measurement, professional organizations, psychopathology, sociological issues, and treatment--to aid readers in finding articles on related topics. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

An important publishing event in psychology, this encyclopedia was developed by the American Psychology Association and Oxford University Press under the editorship of Kazdin (Yale). A large editorial board was involved in choosing topics and deciding on their scope, thrust, and focus. Articles cover all areas of psychology and the related fields of sociology, social work, nursing, and allied health. The aim was not to resolve issues but to clarify them and point out their significance and implications. Over 1,400 contributors wrote the 1,500 entries and nearly 400 biographies, which range in length from 500 to 7,000 words. Entries are signed, arranged alphabetically, have cross-references, and include bibliographies of resources as recent as 1998. The essays are written by experts (e.g., Icek Ajzen on "Theory of Reasoned Action" and Craig Anderson on "Violence and Aggression"). The level of writing, intended for professionals, will challenge beginning psychology students and general readers. Both Encyclopedia of Psychology, ed. by Raymond J Corsini (CH, Sep'94), and Encyclopedia of Human Behavior, ed. by V.S. Ramachandran (CH, Oct'94), continue to be valuable and will complement Kazdin's work. Ramachandran provides 250 broader essays with glossaries, and has a narrower scope; Corsini (2,000 entries) is more similar to Kazdin. Comparisons of topics show that large libraries will need all three. Corsini supplies a column-long entry for "James-Lange Theory of Emotions," while Kazdin's index leads to two sentences about the theory in the three-page entry on William James. Corsini's entry for James runs less than a column and has no bibliography. Ramachandran's nine and a half-page essay on war focuses on its origins and evolution, while Kazdin's five pages discuss war's effects on the general population and on military personnel. Kazdin discusses agoraphobia on nine pages scattered among the articles "Anxiety," "Anxiety disorders," "Behavior therapy," "Fear and terror," "Panic disorder," and "Taste," while Ramachandran devotes a 12-page essay to "Agoraphobia," and Corsini has neither an article nor index entries. Impressive and authoritative, Kazdin is highly recommended for all academic and research-oriented public libraries. J. E. Sheets; Baylor University. c. American Library Association

Offers more than six hundred alphabetically arranged entries covering the history, treatment, diagnosis, and current medical research on psychotic disorders.

Presents authoritative information on topics including the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders, definitions of key terms, biographies of researchers, descriptions of medications, long-term consequences of sleep deprivation, and advances in sleep research.

This newly titled incarnation/edition features 177 new, and 103 revised entries, from a total of 452. Written for nonspecialists, high school and above, entries range from one to eight pages and cover people, diagnoses, disorders, treatments, tests, and issues. To illustrate entry contents: the three-page entry on Tourette's syndrome is subdivided into introduction, clinical features, etiology, and treatment, and includes sources for further study and a quick guide to the syndrome's key concepts. Appendices feature an extensive glossary, a bibliography subdivided into 33 topics, a Web directory, a mediagraphy of films and TV shows, and lists of organizations and support groups with contact information, pharmaceuticals, psychologists, notable court cases, and entries according to category. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

The 120 or so entries in this volume cover a wide range of topics, including, for example, Alien abduction, Birth order, Insanity defense, Mad cow disease, Multiple personality disorder, Parenting styles, and Satanic ritual abuse. Also represented are individuals such as Carl Jung and Dr. Phil. The goal is "to try to counteract the tide of misleading information about the field of psychology with a concise guide to some things that the well-informed student of psychology and the interested general public ought to know."

Contains over 600 entries on education, death and dying, family development, parenting, cognitive development, mental health, language and communications, personality, social development and behavior, substance abuse, and research methods and measurement.

Addresses research and practice in the interface of psychology and law. Surveys the traditional subdisciplines of psychology: cognitive (e.g., eyewitness testimony), developmental (e.g., children's testimony), social (e.g., jury behavior), clinical (e.g., assessment of competence), biological (e.g., the polygraph), and industrial-organizational psychology (e.g., sexual harassment in the workplace).

Includes entries for all 150 disorders classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, text revision (DSM-IV-TR). Also features entries for prescription, alternative, and over-the-counter drugs, as well as the various therapies used to treat mental disorders.

Presents authoritative, comprehensive information on more than 200 mental disorders as well as drugs, treatments and therapies, alternative treatments, diagnostic and evaluation procedures, and related biological concepts totaling 530 articles.

Covers the entire spectrum of psychology, including: notable people, theories and terms; landmark case studies and experiments; applications of psychology in advertising, medicine and sports; and career information.