Finding Resources in Psychology
November 08, 2002
by Mike Simanoff,
Senior Librarian,
Social Sciences Collection, Mid-Manhattan Library
The History and Social Sciences Department has a wide variety of works on psychology. Some of this material is primary, which means that it is original and deals directly with a particular subject. Other material is secondary and contain explanations and interpretations of the work of others. To locate primary and secondary works, use the Library Catalog, bibliographies, electronic resources, and indexes, as well as reference lists in encyclopedias, books, and articles. When searching LEO by name, you will find books by and about writers. Look for books about a topic under the subject heading, and look for specific titles under the title heading.
These are some of the possible terms that can be used in the Library Catalog as subject headings in alphabetic searches:
- Anxiety
- Freud, Sigmund
- Child psychology
- Manic-depressive illness
- Client-centered psychotherapy
- Piaget, Jean
- Clinical psychology
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Cognitive therapy
- Psychoanalysis
- Depression, mental
- Self-help techniques
- Developmental psychology
- Skinner, B. F.
- Feminist therapy
If established subject headings don't seem match your research interests, try keyword searching.
The standard style guide used for the writing of papers in psychology and psychology is the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. It is in its fifth edition (2001). Circulating copies can be found at 808.0661 P, and there is a reference copy available for consultation behind the Reference Desk.
The American Psychology Association maintains a Web site at www.apastyle.org that provides style guide updates, tips, and an overview of how to cite electronic references.
Dictionaries
The Dictionary of Psychology. Cardwell, Mike, ed. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, 1999.
[REF 150.3 C]
The Dictionary of Psychology. Corsini, Raymond J., ed. Philadelphia: Brunner/Mazel, 1999.
[REF 150.3 C, shelf B2 behind Reference Desk]
The International Dictionary of Psychology. Sutherland, Stuart, ed. New York: Crossroad, 1996. 2nd ed.
[REF 150.3 R]
Encyclopedias
Baker Encyclopedia of Psychology and Counseling. Brenner, David G., ed. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 1999. 2nd ed.
[REF 150.3 B, Encyclopedia Case]
Comprehensive Clinical Psychology. Bellack, Alan S. and Hersen, Michael, eds. New York: Pergamon, 1998. 11 vols.
[REF 616.89 C, Encyclopedia Case]
Encyclopedia of Psychology. Corsini, Raymond J., ed. New York: J. Wiley & Sons, 1994. 4 vols.
[REF 150.3 C, shelf B1 behind Reference Desk]
The Encyclopedic Dictionary of Psychology. Harre, Rom, ed. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1983.
[REF 150.321 E, shelf B2 behind Reference Desk]
The Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology. Strickland, Bonnie R., ed. Detroit, Mich.: Gale Group, 1996.
[REF 150.3 G]
International Encyclopedia of Psychiatry, Psychology, Psychoanalysis, and Neurology. Wolman, Benjamin B., ed. New York, Van Nostrand Reinhold for Aesculapius Publishers, 1977. 12 vols.
[REF 616.89 I, Encyclopedia Case]
Bibliographies and Indexes
Chicago Psychoanalytic Literature Index. Chicago: CPL Pub. 1920-1986.
[016.6168 C, Index Table 1]
Eminent Contributors to Psychology. Watson, Robert Irving. New York: Springer Publishing Company, 1974. 2 vols.
[REF 016.15 W]
The Index of Psychoanalytic Writings. Grinstein, Alexander. New York: International Universities Press, 1956.
[REF 016.15 G]
Psychological Abstracts. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.
[REF 150.5 P, Index Table 1; also available via Electronic Resources as PsycINFO]
Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association, 1997. 8th ed. 5 vols.
[REF 025.4915 T, Index Table 1]
Women in Psychology: A Bio-Bibliographic Sourcebook. O'Connell, Agnes N. and Russo, Nancy Felipe, eds. New York: Greenwood Press, 1990.
[REF 150.922 W]
Electronic Resources
The following psychology resources are available under the Social Sciences heading on The New York Public Library's Electronic Resources page:
E-Psyche
Coverage includes journals, newsletters, dissertations, Web sites, technical reports, and conference proceedings. Citations only.
[Available only at the Mid-Manhattan Library and the Humanities and Social Sciences Library on 42nd St. & Fifth Ave.]
Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection
A comprehensive database with nearly 480 full text titles covering topics such as emotional and behavioral characteristics, psychiatry & psychology, mental processes, anthropology, and observational and experimental methods.
[Available at all NYPL locations and via the Internet with a valid NYPL card]
PsycINFO
International coverage of psychology and related disciplines, as well as psychiatry, education, business, medicine, nursing, pharmacology, law, linguistics, and social work. Equivalent to "Psychological Abstracts". Citations and abstracts only. Coverage from 1887 - present.
[Available only at the Mid-Manhattan Library and the Humanities and Social Sciences Library on 42nd St. & Fifth Ave.]
Additionally, the following databases of academic journals can be accessed under the Newspapers/Magazines heading:
Academic Search Premier
Provides full text for 3,288 scholarly publications covering academic areas of study including social sciences, humanities, education, computer sciences, engineering, language and linguistics, arts & literature, medical sciences, and ethnic studies.
[Available at all NYPL locations and via the Internet with a valid NYPL card]
JSTOR
A full text collection of core scholarly journals, some of which date from the 1800s and cover up to the past 2-5 years. Coverage of psychological journals is not extensive but includes Social Psychology Quarterly (1978-1996).
[Available only at the Mid-Manhattan Library, the Humanities and Social Sciences Library, and the Science, Industry and Business Library (SIBL) on 34th Street and Madison Avenue.]
Web Sites
There are a lot of sites dealing with the subject of psychology on the Web. You may feel it helpful to investigate some of the following search engines:
AltaVista
AltaVista is a powerful search engine packed with advanced features.
Google
Google is a popular, bare-bones search site that ranks results based on popularity.
Yahoo
In addition to searching individual pages for search terms, Yahoo offers one of the largest hand-picked directories of Web sites that can be browsed. The main Psychology categories are listed here.
A more comprehensive list of popular and recommended search engines is available here.
The terms listed at the beginning of this document can be entered in search engines. When searching for names on the Web, be careful to account for alternate spellings (C. G. Jung and Carl Gustav Jung) and misspellings. Try to start as broadly as you can. If the word "Jung" gives you too many results, narrow it down by using accepted search techniques like "Jung and psychology." Instead of searching for specific phrases such as "how likely depressed people are to commit suicide," try "suicide and depression." See the search engine's Search Tips or Help link for more.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is a catalog of mental and emotional disorders and their symptoms. It is published by the American Psychiatric Association.
The latest edition of the DSM is the DSM-IV-TR. It can be found on shelf B2 behind the Reference Desk. Other materials relating to the DSM can be found at this location, including the DSM-IV Casebook, the DSM-III Training Guide for Diagnosis of Childhood Disorders, and Treatment of the DSM-III Psychiatric Disorders.
Testing
The following sources are reference guides that review or describe tests. The History and Social Sciences Department does not have the tests themselves.
Essentials of MMPI-2 and MMPI-A Interpretations. Butcher, James N. and Williams, Carolyn L. Minneapolis, Minn.: University of Minnesota Press, 2000. 2 vols.
[REF 155.283 B; shelf B2 behind Reference Desk]
The Mental Measurements Yearbook. Highland Park, N.J.: Gryphon Press, 1995. 14th ed.
[REF 016.1539 M, shelf B2 behind Reference Desk; also see Supplement]
Tests: A Comprehensive Reference for Assessments in Psychology, Education, and Business. Maddox, Terry, ed. Austin, Tex.: Pro-Ed, 1997. 4th ed.
[REF 150.287 T, shelf B2 behind Reference Desk]
Tests in Print. Lincoln, Neb.: Buros Institute of Mental Measurements, 1999. 5th ed. 2 vols.
[REF 016.1372 T, shelf B2 behind Reference Desk]
Freud and Other Major Thinkers
The majority of Sigmund Freud's writings can be found at 150.1952 F. Writings about Freud can be found at this and other numbers. An alphabetical name search in LEO will provide an exhaustive list. The following book may also be helpful:
Abstracts of the Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud. Rothgeb, Carrie Lee, ed. New York: International Universities Press, 1973.
[REF 150.1952 F, shelf B2 behind Reference Desk]
Similar abstracts and indexes exist for other major psychologists, including:
Abstracts of the Collected Works of C. G. Jung. Rothgeb, Carrie Lee, ed. Rockville, Md.: National Institute of Mental Health; U. S. Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare, 1978.
[REF 150.1954 A, shelf B2 behind Reference Desk]
Other prominent psychologists in the history of psychology include:
|
Alfred Adler (1870-1937) |
Karen Horney (1885-1952) |
|
Bruno Bettelheim (1903-1990) |
William James (1842-1910) |
|
Mary Whiton Calkins (1863-1930) |
Jacques Lacan (1901-1981) |
|
Anna Freud (1895-1982) |
Jean Piaget (1896-1980) |
|
Lillian Gilbreth (1878-1972) |
Carl Rogers (1902-1987) |
Articles in Encyclopedias and overviews in the Biography Resource Center (available at terminals in the Branch Libraries and from NYPL's E-Resources Page with a Library card) may also be useful.