The Science of Personality, 2/e is an undergraduate text that presents the field of personality as it exists today, rather than the grand theories of personality that have dominated personality texts since the 1960s. Major theories current in the field are discussed in relation to relevantresearch. Focusing on current research, each chapter begins with an overview followed by a list of questions devised to stimulate interest and to aid in relating research to broader issues. Boxed inserts feature a researcher whose work is covered in the chapter along with a personal statementregarding the development, contemporary significance and future direction of his or her work.

Drawing on state-of-the-art personality and developmental research, this book presents a new and broadly integrative theory of how people come to be who they are over the life course. Preeminent researcher Dan P. McAdams traces the development of three distinct layers of personality--the social actor who expresses emotional and behavioral traits, the motivated agent who pursues goals and values, and the autobiographical author who constructs a personal story. Highly readable and accessible to scholars and students at all levels, the book uses rich portraits of the lives of famous people to illustrate theoretical concepts and empirical findings. See also the Handbook of Personality Development, edited by Dan P. McAdams, Rebecca L. Shiner, and Jennifer L. Tackett.

From cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Christian Jarrett, a fascinating book exploring the science of personality and how we can change ourselves for the better. What if you could exploit the plasticity of personality to change yourself in specific ways? Would you choose to become less neurotic? More self-disciplined? Less shy? Until now, we’ve been told that we’re stuck with the personality we were born with: The introvert will never break out of their shell, the narcissist will be forever trapped gazing into the mirror. In Be Who You Want, Dr. Christian Jarrett takes us on a thrilling journey, as he not only explores the ways that life changes us, but shows how we can deliberately shape our personalities to influence the course of our lives. Dr. Jarrett draws on the latest research to provide evidence-based ways to change each of the main five personality traits, including how to become more emotionally stable, extraverted, and open-minded. Dr. Jarrett features compelling stories of people who have achieved profound personality change such as a gang-leader turned youth role model, a drug addict turned ultra-runner, and a cripplingly shy teenager turned Hollywood mega-star. He also delves into the upsides of the so-called Dark Triad of personality traits—narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy—and how we might exploit their advantages without ourselves going over to the dark side. Filled with quizzes and interactive exercises to help us better understand the various aspects of our personalities, life stories, and passions, Be Who You Want will appeal to anyone who has ever felt constrained by how they've been characterized and wants to pursue lasting change.

How does your personality shape your life and what, if anything, can you do about it? Are you hardwired for happiness, or born to brood? Do you think you're in charge of your future, or do you surf the waves of unknowable fate? Would you be happier, or just less socially adept, if you were less concerned about what other people thought of you? And what about your "Type A" spouse: is he or she destined to have a heart attack, or just drive you to drink? In the past few decades, new scientific research has transformed old ideas about the nature of human personality. Neuroscientists, biologists, and psychological scientists have reexamined the theories of Freud and Jung as well as the humanistic psychologies of the 1960s, upending the simplistic categorizations of personality "types," and developing new tools and methods for exploring who we are. Renowned professor and pioneering research psychologist Brian R. Little has been at the leading edge of this new science. In this wise and witty book he shares a wealth of new data and provocative insights about who we are, why we act the way we do, what we can -- and can't -- change, and how we can best thrive in light of our "nature." Me, Myself, and Us explores questions that are rooted in the origins of human consciousness but are as commonplace as yesterday's breakfast conversation, such as whether our personality traits are "set" by age thirty or whether our brains and selves are more plastic. He considers what our personalities portend for our health and success, and the extent to which our well-being depends on the personal projects we pursue. Through stories, studies, personal experiences, and entertaining interactive assessments, Me, Myself, and Us provides a lively, thought-provoking, and ultimately optimistic look at the possibilities and perils of being uniquely ourselves, while illuminating the selves of the familiar strangers we encounter, work with, and love.

This book presents personality from the perspective of existing research. It provides an overview of personality research and demonstrates the relationship between research and real individuals. Readers are encouraged to explore the relationship between the research and their own personalities. It also introduces primary source literature in personality psychology by covering the content, methods, and issues in the journals with minimal jargon. Personality Psychology: The Science of Individuality presents content on its own merits rather than forcing it to fit existing theories. Readers avoid the sometimes inaccurate connections to historical theories found in other books on personality. The book also includes discussions often neglected in other books, such as entire separate chapters on intelligence and cognitive style, the unconscious, and evolutionary personality psychology. Readers will learn important areas in enough depth to appreciate the issues and complexities. The book always attempts to make clear why a particular study is important. This may facilitate the readers' ability to study the subject further. Chapter Two includes a short personality questionnaire designed to measure the Big 5 factors. Since discussions of methodology refer back to the Big 5 factors throughout the book, readers benefit by having a personal involvement through their scores on the questionnaire. It may also help to make some of the material personally relevant. A valuable book for any reader interested in understanding the existing research into personality, or who wishes to understand more about his or her own personality.

This definitive volume lays the foundations for an interdisciplinary science of personality. Leading investigators present novel insights and findings from molecular genetics, child and life-span developmental psychology, neuroscience, dynamical systems theory, evolutionary psychology, and social cognition, as well as personality psychology itself, illuminating--and often reformulating--fundamental questions about the nature of personhood. The book sheds new light on the nature and origins of personality and individual differences, and challenges many traditional assumptions. It also points toward compelling new directions for future work in the field.

The field of personology or personality is enjoying great growth, spurred by findings from behavior genetics, evolutionary psychology, rethinking of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders definition of personality disorders, and advances in test construction and psychometrics . This book traces the development of the field, written by those who were the pioneers of personality assessment. Sixteen autobiographical chapters written by the pioneers of personality assessment trace the development of the field. With accompanying photos and a concise bibliography from each contributor, this one-of-a-kind compilation of the past, present, and future of personology provide a unique insider's view of the discipline.