Perspectives on Personality

Written in an infromal, conversational style, Carver and Sheier engage students by helping them understand how various perspectives of the field of personality can apply to their own lives. For sophomore-level undergraduate Personality courses. This book describes a range of viewpoints that are used by personality psychologists today. Each perspective on personality is presented in a pair of chapters, introduced by a prologue. The prologue provides an overview of that perspective's orienting assumptions and core themes. By starting with these orienting assumptions, you'll be placed right inside the thought processes of the theorists, as you go on to read the chapters themselves. Each chapter concludes with a discussion of current problems within that theoretical viewpoint and the authors' analysis about its future prospects. The result is a book that is engaging and enjoyable as well as informative.

Charles S. Carver and Michael F. Scheier met in graduate school at the University of Texas at Austin, where they both earned Ph.D. degrees in personality psychology. After graduation, they took jobs at the University of Miami and Carnegie Mellon University, respectively, where they have remained throughout their careers. They’ve collaborated for over three and a half decades in work that spans personality, social, motivational, clinical, and health psychology. In 1998, they received awards for Outstanding Scientific Contribution (Senior Level) from the Division of Health Psychology of the American Psychological Association. In 2007, they received the Donald T. Campbell Award for Distinguished Contributions to Social Psychology from APA’s Division of Personality and Social Psychology. Mike was the 2003—2004 President of APA’s Division of Health Psychology and currently serves as Department Head at CMU. Along with seven editions of Perspectives on Personality, the authors have published two books on self-regulation (the more recent titled On the Self-Regulation of Behavior, in 1998) and over 310 articles and chapters. Mike is an avid outdoorsman, hunter, and fisherman. Chuck keeps intending to take up painting but getting distracted by things that need fixing.

IN THIS SECTION:

1.) BRIEF

2.) COMPREHENSIVE

BRIEF TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Chapter 1: What Is Personality Psychology?

Chapter 2: Methods in the Study of Personality

Chapter 3: Issues in Personality Assessment

Chapter 4: The Trait Perspective

Chapter 5: The Motive Perspective

Chapter 6: Genetics, Evolution, and Personality

Chapter 7: Biological Processes and Personality

Chapter 8: The Psychoanalytic Perspective

Chapter 9: Psychosocial Theories

Chapter 10: The Learning Perspective

Chapter 11: Self-Actualization and Self-Determination

Chapter 12: The Cognitive Perspective

Chapter 13: The Self-Regulation Perspective

Chapter 14: Personality in Perspective: Overlap and Integration

COMPREHENSIVE TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Chapter 1: What Is Personality Psychology?

Defining Personality

Theory in Personality Psychology

Perspectives on Personality

Organization within Chapters

Chapter 2: Methods in the Study of Personality

Gathering Information

Establishing Relationships among Variables

Chapter 3: Issues in Personality Assessment

Sources of Information

Reliability of Measurement

Validity of Measurement

Two Rationales behind the Development of Assessment Devices

Better Assessment: A Never-Ending Search

Chapter 4: The Trait Perspective

Types and Traits

What Traits Matter?

The Five-Factor Model: The Basic Dimensions of Personality?

Reflections of the Five Factors in Behavior

Relations to Earlier Trait Models

Other Variations

Traits, Situations, and Interactionism

Interactionism becomes a New Trait View: Context-Dependent Expression of Personality

Assessment

Problems in Behavior, and Behavior Change

Trait Psychology: Problems and Prospects

Chapter 5: The Motive Perspective

Basic Theoretical Elements

Needs, Motives, and Personality

Studies of Specific Dispositional Motives

Implicit and Self-Attributed Motives

Approach and Avoidance Motives

Motives and the Five Factor Trait Model

Personology and the Study of Narratives

Assessment

Problems in Behavior, and Behavior Change

Motive Theories: Problems and Prospects

Chapter 6: Genetics, Evolution, and Personality

Determining Genetic Influence on Personality

What Personality Qualities are Genetically Influenced?

New Approaches to Genetics and Personality

Environmental Effects

Evolution and Human Behavior

Assessment

Problems in Behavior, and Behavior Change

Genetics and Evolution: Problems and Prospects

Chapter 7: Biological Processes and Personality

Early Ideas: Eysenck’s Views on Brain Functions

Incentive Approach System

Behavioral Avoidance, or Withdrawal System

Relating Approach and Avoidance Systems to Traits or Temperaments

A Third Dimension: Sensation Seeking, Constraint, and Effortful Control

Hormones and Personality

Assessment

Problems in Behavior, and Behavior Change

Biological Processes and Personality: Problems and Prospects

Chapter 8: The Psychoanalytic Perspective

Basic Themes

The Topographical Model of Mind

Aspects of Personality: The Structural Model

Motivation: The Drives of Personality

Anxiety and Mechanisms of Defense

Psychosexual Development

Exposing the Unconscious

Assessment: Projective Techniques

Problems in Behavior, and Behavior Change

The Psychoanalytic Perspective: Problems and Prospects

Chapter 9: Psychosocial Theories

Object Relations Theories

Attachment Theory and Personality

Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development

Assessment

Problems in Behavior, and Behavior Change

Psychosocial Theories: Problems and Prospects

Chapter 10: The Learning Perspective

Classical Conditioning

Instrumental Conditioning

Social and Cognitive Variations

Observational Learning

Modeling of Aggression and the Issue of Media Violence

Assessment

Problems in Behavior, and Behavior Change

The Learning Prospective: Problems and Prospects

Chapter 11: Self-Actualization and Self-Determination

Self-Actualization

Self-Determination

The Self and Processes of Defense

Self-Actualization and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Motives

Existential Psychology: Being and Death

Assessment

Problems in Behavior, and Behavior Change

Self-Actualization and Self-Determination: Problems and Prospects

Chapter 12: The Cognitive Perspective

Representing Your Experience of the World

Activation of Memories

Connectionist Views of Mental Organization

Broader Views on Cognition and Personality

Assessment

Problems in Behavior, and Behavior Change

The Cognitive Perspective: Problems and Prospects

Chapter 13: The Self-Regulation Perspective

From Cognition to Behavior

Self-Regulation and Feedback Control

Further Themes in Self-Regulation

Assessment

Problems in Behavior, and Behavior Change

The Self-Regulation Perspective: Problems and Prospects

Chapter 14: Personality in Perspective: Overlap and Integration

Similarities among Perspectives

Recurrent Themes, Viewed from Different Angles

Combining Perspectives

Which Theory is Best?

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Perspectives on Personality

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials