Author Description

The Dictionary of Physiological and Clinical Psychology contains over 250 articles covering abnormal behavior and the neurophysiology and chemistry of the nervous system. Aided by numerous illustrations, it explains the mechanisms that underlie perception, sensation, and many aspects of human behavior. Theoretical problems such as emotion and pain are also discussed. Some articles focus on particular regions of the brain or particular neurotransmitters, while others take up functions such as movement and memory and topics such as the plasticity of the whole system. The dictionary also covers the whole area of clinical psychology, including physical and nonphysical causes of abnormal behavior. Important distinctions are explained, and different theories are covered in depth. Articles are devoted to such major areas as schizophrenia and neurosis, psyhoanalysis, behavior therapies, and less orthodox therapies such as EST and psychosynthesis. The Dictionary of Physiological and Clinical Psychology is one of four dictionaries based on the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Psychology, published by The MIT Press in 1983 and cited by American Libraries as an "outstanding reference source" that "speaks to the specialist and nonspecialist alike." They update existing articles while offering many new entries.