A Dictionary of Psychology

By Andrew M Colman
Review by Ellie (Experimental Psychology)

Being a completely new subject until sixth form, Psychology uses a lot of unfamiliar terminology. When I first began studying Psychology at A Level I purchased the A Dictionary of Psychology (Oxford Quick Reference) and found it to be incredibly useful. This book is really easy to order and can be found online. I found having a physical copy saved me having to google every term and that the definitions themselves were comprehensive and much more readable. Having easy access to terms such as “superior colliculus” or “social loafing” is not only beneficial when starting to read articles for the first time but also comes of use when beginning University to help you understand the essay title. The definitions cover all key areas in psychology from cognition and perception to neuroscience, in particular the neurophysiology information is invaluable. You need to think of this book for reference rather than something to back up your personal statement or widen your interests. What it will do is lead to understanding of the concepts and content you read and, therefore, make the reading in preparation for studying Psychology much more engaging and. I gained a lot from this book as it provided me with the ability to understand the brain areas mentioned in studies, e.g. Broca’s area for language production and how Broca’s aphasia is the result of a lesion of this area and results in language production deficits, as well as an understanding of a range of other concepts.

A Dictionary of Psychology by Andrew M Colman
ISBN-10: 9780199657681
ISBN-13: 978-0199657681

Try checking the availability of this book at your school or local library or explore second hand bookshops and websites. You may also wish to purchase from either Amazon or Blackwell’s.

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