Personality Traits

This essential textbook examines what personality traits are, how they influence human behaviour and the applications of personality assessment.

Part I. The Nature of Personality Traits: 1. The trait concept and personality theory; 2. Persons, situations and interactionism; 3. Personality across the life span; 4. Stable traits and transient states; 5. Alternative views of personality: challenges to trait theory; Part II. Causes of Personality Traits: 6. Genes, environments and personality traits; 7. The psychobiology of traits; 8. The social psychology of traits; Part III. Consequences and Applications: 9. Stress; 10. Traits and health; 11. Abnormal personality traits?; 12. Personality, performance and information-processing; 13. Applications of personality assessment; 14. Conclusions.