Recognizing the importance of empirical research to support theoretical claims in contemporary psychology, the anthology Readings on Personality Theories: The Research Behind the Claims introduces readers to original research articles corresponding to each of the major twentieth-century personality theorists. The selected readings familiarize students with prominent, representative research investigations and directly address claims made by these theorists.

The eight sections of the anthology address topics such as birth order, dream theory, subjective perception, and the psychosocial stages of adolescent and young adult development. Students also learn about the hierarchy of needs, positive psychology, client-centered therapy, introversion and extroversion, and self-efficacy. These topics are explored through research into the work of seminal thinkers in the field including Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, Rollo May, and Albert Bandura.

Readings on Personality Theories solves a common problem in undergraduate psychology classes by compiling the studies and research to complement content in the primary text. Featuring thoughtful, perceptive articles that support and enhance standard textbooks, it is well-suited to courses in introductory, clinical, and social psychology.