This successful text puts “personality” back into the personality course, integrating the classic insights of the personality theorists with modern research in a manner that will fascinate and captive students.

Organized around eight basic aspects of personality—psychoanalytic, ego, biological, behaviorist, cognitive, trait, humanistic, and situational/interactionist—the text both explains the classic theories and also explores how the information applies to the student reader. The text presents a balanced, critical, yet optimistic approach.

Personality encourages critical thinking about human nature. While holding the highest scientific standards, the text uses unique and provocative pedagogical devices (see below) to capture students' interest and bring the field of personality to life. It has been hailed as the best-written and most relevant personality textbook in the field.