Perspectives on Personality: Classic Theories and Modern Research, 6th edition

Published by Pearson (February 8, 2022) © 2016

  • Howard S. Friedman University of California, Riverside
  • Miriam W. Schustack California State University - San Marcos

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An integrated presentation of classic and contemporary theory and research fosters a thorough understanding of personality
Personality: Classic Theories and Modern Research encourages critical thinking about human nature, and helps students build the skills they need to think critically about a range of topics. In addition to learning specific content tied to the course, students will learn how to evaluate assumptions, theories, and research.
• Striving for a coherent, balanced portrait of personality, the authors lead students to view personality as having eight basic aspects—psychoanalytic, ego, biological, behaviorist, cognitive, trait, existential–humanistic–positive, and situational/interactionist. Taking an integrative, optimistic approach, the authors focus on what each approach has to offer, while also examining its limitations.
Coverage of theory and research is integrated throughout, with recent findings presented alongside the original theories. Through this integrated presentation, the authors capture the brilliant insights of classical theorists and reveal how their ideas have sometimes been realized in modern research.
Coverage of cultural and gender issues—topics traditionally neglected—is integrated throughout the authors’ narrative to help students achieve a balanced, thorough understanding of personality.
• The book strives to help students understand personality as relevant to important issues in their own lives and in society. The different perspectives on personality reflect, in part, the assumptions and values of their proponents. The authors urge students to think for themselves about what it means to be a person.
• Several concluding chapters on the practical applications of understanding individual differences reveal how personality research and theory are highly relevant to current societal thinking about gender differences, health differences, cultural differences, religion, and love and hate.
• Continuing to uphold the text’s reputation as exceptionally well written, the sixth edition remains packed with engaging prose and examples that pique, and maintain, students’ interest.
Engaging features draw students into the course and foster critical thinking
Classic to Current boxes show how classic ideas have led to current research in each perspective.
Self-Understanding boxes provide sample assessment techniques for students to try out.
Changing Personality boxes address the common question, “Can personality be changed?”
Famous Personalities boxes illustrate select concepts using well-known individuals.
Timelines of developments in personality psychology help students understand the intellectual progression of ideas and the general scientific and societal contexts in which they develop.
Sharpen Your Thinking boxes highlight current controversies to engage students and to help them learn to apply personality psychology to important questions in society.
Evaluating the Perspectives boxes describe the main strengths and weaknesses of each theoretical approach, a key component of critical thinking.
Why Does It Matter? boxes throughout the theory chapters respond directly to the implicit question of why a concept or approach is worthy of attention.
Additional learning tools—including lists of key theorists and concepts, integrative chapter conclusions, and a comprehensive glossary—reinforce textual material already geared toward critical thinking.
Revised and updated content ensures currency and relevance
UPDATED! Every chapter has been updated with findings from modern research to explain further the implications of classic personality theories for understanding what it means to be a person.
UPDATED! Throughout the book, examples and illustrations have been refreshed to reach the current generation of students. Reference citations have also been updated throughout, so that the interested student can delve easily into new developments in the field.
NEW! Fresh content throughout the sixth edition amplifies the text traditional strengths in reaching a diverse population of undergraduates, whether the diversity is of ethnicity, culture, gender, age, religion, or politics. This new content further promotes the understanding essential to individual thriving and peaceful societies.
NEW! In order to help students understand when, where, and why individuals and societies can change, the sixth edition emphasizes critical issues of determinism, learning, and choice.
Dynamic content matched to the way today's students read, think, and learn

Interactives Integrated within the narrative, interactives empower students to engage with concepts and take an active role in learning. REVEL's unique presentation of media as an intrinsic part of course content brings the hallmark features of Pearson's bestselling titles to life. REVEL's media interactives have been designed to be completed quickly, so students stay focused and on task.
Quizzing
End-of-chapter quizzing affords students opportunities to check their understanding before moving on.

Integrated Writing Tools

REVEL’s writing functionality enables educators to introduce writing — among the best ways to foster and assess critical thinking — into the course without significantly impacting their grading burden. Self-paced Journaling Prompts throughout the narrative encourage students to express their thoughts without breaking stride in their reading. Assignable Shared Writing Activities direct students to share written responses with classmates, fostering peer discussion.
A Fully Mobile Learning ExperienceREVEL enables students to read and interact with course material on the devices they use, anywhere and anytime. Responsive design allows students to access REVEL on their tablet devices and smart phones, with content displayed clearly in both portrait and landscape view.
Familiar Learning and Study Tools
Highlighting, note taking, and a glossary personalize the learning experience. Educators can add notes for students, too, including reminders or study tips.

Superior assignability and tracking tools that help educators make sure students are completing their reading and understanding core concepts
Assignment CalendarREVEL allows educators to indicate precisely which readings must be completed on which dates. This clear, detailed schedule helps students stay on task by eliminating any ambiguity as to which material will be covered during each class. And when students know what is expected of them, they're better motivated to keep up.
Performance Dashboard
REVEL lets educators monitor class assignment completion as well as individual student achievement. It offers actionable information that helps educators intersect with their students in meaningful ways, such as points earned on quizzes and tests and time on task. Of particular note, the trending column reveals whether students' grades are improving or declining – which helps educators identify students who might need help to stay on track.

I. New and Updated Features
Revised and updated content ensures currency and relevance

UPDATED! Every chapter has been updated with findings from modern research to explain further the implications of classic personality theories for understanding what it means to be a person.
UPDATED! Throughout the book, examples and illustrations have been refreshed to reach the current generation of students. Reference citations have also been updated throughout, so that the interested student can delve easily into new developments in the field.
• Fresh content throughout the sixth edition amplifies the text traditional strengths in reaching a diverse population of undergraduates, whether the diversity is of ethnicity, culture, gender, age, religion, or politics. This new content further promotes the understanding essential to individual thriving and peaceful societies.
• In order to help students understand when, where, and why individuals and societies can change, the sixth edition emphasizes critical issues of determinism, learning, and choice.


II. Chapter-by-Chapter Changes

Chapter 1 includes the example of imposter (and murderer) Clark Rockefeller to illustrate the increasing importance of self and identity issues in personality psychology.
Chapter 2 features added material on Internet analysis of social media and big data as a new method in personality research. The discussion of the narrative approach to assessment has also been strengthened.
Chapter 3 offers additional modern-day examples that follow in the path laid out by the psychoanalysts.
Chapter 4 includes updated neo-analytic work and adds material on identity and the self.
Chapter 5 features updated coverage of the relevance of progress in neuroscience for understanding personality, and includes new research on epigenetics.
Chapter 6 includes sharpened examples of the behaviorist and learning aspects of personality.
Chapter 7 offers clarified and updated cognitive and social-cognitive approaches to personality.
Chapter 8 includes updated material on the cross-cultural generality of traits and current-day understanding of traits.
Chapter 9 gives new examples of the humanistic and existential approach to personality, and features added material on the maturity principle and on post-traumatic growth. It also includes new material on positive psychology and flourishing, and on hedonic adaptation.
Chapter 10 includes additional material on the influence of peers on personality, and material on delay of gratification and on situation selection.
Chapter 11 features new findings about gender differences, both hormonal and societal.
Chapter 12 includes additional material on distress and health, and updated findings from The Longevity Project on personality, well-being, and health. In addition, the chapter features new material on the self-healing personality.
Chapter 13 offers additional material on culture and personality (and the emicetic distinction) and updated research on biculturalism.
Chapter 14 includes updated material on honor and aggression, and on personality and love.
Chapter 15 includes updated discussions of future developments and enhanced discussion of how understanding what it means to be a person has implications for our lives and our societies. However, the chapter reiterates that the prime motivation of the eminent scholars and accomplished researchers of personality is the love of understanding what make us individuals and why we each do what we do.

1. What Is Personality?
2. How Is Personality Studied and Assessed?
3. Psychoanalytic Aspects of Personality
4. Neo-Analytic and Ego Aspects of Personality
5. Biological Aspects of Personality
6. Behaviorist and Learning Aspects of Personality
7. Cognitive and Social-Cognitive Aspects of Personality
8. Trait Aspects of Personality
9. Humanistic, Existential, and Positive Aspects of Personality
10. Person-Situation Interactionist Aspects of Personality
11. Male-Female Differences
12. Stress, Adjustment, and Health Differences
13. Culture, Religion, and Ethnicity
14. Love and Hate
15. Where Will We Find Personality?

Howard S. Friedman is Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside, where he studies personality and health. Devoted to teaching, Professor Friedman has received UCR's Distinguished Teaching Award; the Outstanding Teacher award from the Western Psychological Association (WPA); and most recently, the Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award, for "inspiring students to make a difference in the community." He was honored with the 2007-2008 James McKeen Cattell Fellow Award from the Association for Psychological Science (APS), which recognizes a lifetime of outstanding contributions to the area of applied psychological research. Dr. Friedman is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research, and he is Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Mental Health. An honors graduate of Yale University, he received his Ph.D. from Harvard University.

Miriam W. Schustack is Professor and Chair of Psychology at California State University in San Marcos (near San Diego), where she currently specializes in individual differences and the use of computers in learning. She has served as a Fellow of the American Council on Education, as Academic Senate Chair, and as Acting Dean. Dr. Schustack was involved in the development and leadership of CSUSM's Honors Program, and also in the establishment and promotion of Service Learning. An honors and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Princeton University, Dr. Schustack received her master's from Yale and her Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University. She previously taught at Harvard University.

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