Psychology dictionaries help to clarify terminology by providing definitions of terms. These can also be a good source of potential keywords for searches in the catalog or databases.

• APA Dictionary of Psychology.
  Publisher: Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2007.
  Location: MAIN Reference
  Call Number: 150.3 A639
• The Cambridge Dictionary of Psychology.
  Publisher: Leiden: Cambridge University Press, 2009.
  Online Access: click for full text
• A Dictionary of Psychology.
  Publisher: Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.
  Online: via click for full text
• The Penguin Dictionary of Psychology. 3rd. ed.
  Publisher: New York: Penguin Books, 2001.
  Location: MAIN Core
  Call Number: 150.321 R291p 2001
  Online: via click for full text
• A Dictionary of Slang Drug Terms, Trade Names, and Pharmacological Effects and Uses. 1997 ed.
  Publisher: Austin: Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, 1997.
  Call number: MAIN Reference (Non-circulating) 362.29 J67d

Psychology encyclopedias provide background information on key concepts, theories and measures to help you better understand the field. Encyclopedia articles typically provide references to further readings where you can find additional detailed information on your topic.

• The Concise Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology and Behavioral Science.
  Publisher: Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2005.
  Online: via Credo Reference
• Elsevier's Dictionary of Psychological Theories.
  Publisher: Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2008.
  Location: MAIN Reference
  Call Number: 150.3 E49
  Online: via Credo Reference
• Encyclopedia of Applied Psychology.
  Publisher: San Diego, CA: Elsevier, 2004.
  Location: MAIN Reference
  Call Number: L 158.03 E56
  Online: via Credo Reference
• Encyclopedia of Psychological Assessment.
  Publisher: Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2003.
  Location: MAIN Reference
  Call Number: 150.28703 E56
  Online: via Sage Knowledge
• International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences.
  Publisher: Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2001.
  Location: MAIN Reference
  Call Number: 300.3 I61
  Online: via Gale Virtual Reference Library
• Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol & Addictive Behavior. 3rd ed.
  Publisher: Detroit, Mich.: Macmillan Reference USA, 2009.
  Online Access: Gale Virtual Reference Libary
• Encyclopedia of Substance Abuse Prevention.
  Publisher: Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications, 2009.
  Online Access: Gale Virtual Reference Library

Handbooks in psychology are quick sources of facts and can supplement encyclopedia articles by providing detailed summaries of broad topics in the field.

• Addiction Recovery Tools : A Practical Handbook.
  Publisher: Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications, 2001.
  Call number: MAIN Library 362.2918 A224
• Handbook of Addictive Disorders a Practical Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment.
  Publisher: Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2004.
  Online Access: click for full text
• The Substance Abuse Handbook.
  Publisher: Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2007.
  Online Access: click for full text
• The Cambridge Handbook of Psychology and Economic Behaviour.
  Publisher: Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008.
  Call number: MAIN Library 330.019 C178
  Online Access: click for full text