Personality: Theory and Research

By Lawrence A. Pervin, Daniel Cervone, Oliver P. John

Book Overview

Personality: Theory and Research, 9th Edition introduces the primary theoretical perspectives that guide contemporary research on personality and individual differences, while also reviewing a wide range of contemporary scientific findings on personality. Throughout the text, emphasis is placed on how theory and research inform one another. Rich case material shows how the theoretical conceptions yield insight into the lives of individual persons. In keeping with the long tradition of this text, the new edition treats each theoretical approach objectively and even-handedly, encouraging readers to weigh the evidence and to formulate their own conclusions. Revisions in the new edition are designed to presents this complex scientific field in an highly engaging, accessible, and readable manner.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0471149942
• ISBN13: 9780471149941
• Release Date: March 2004
• Publisher: Wiley
• Length: 640 Pages
• Weight: 3.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.2" x 1.2" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

review of seller and textbook 'Theories of Personality'

Seller was not able to send item immediately but got in touch to inform me of situation and sent the textbook soon after. The book was in excellent condition.

Pleasant & Poignant

Bought this textbook for my Psychology Class, and it was not only useful for studying, but it's interesting and easyon the eyes. You wont be wasting your money. It's especially nice to have as a way to understand the people you love or hate, and when you need a bed stand read before bedtime.

An Integrated Approach to Personality.

This extraordinarily well-written book encompasses an integrated approach to personality and its complexity. Needless to say, the field of personality is extremely intricate and dynamic. However, Pervin manages to provide a comprehensive yet lucid account of the most important approaches to personality. The strength of this book is that it integrates all the major perspectives. What is more, every chapter features key words, summaries and most importantly contributions and criticisms of each theory. The book is well structured and written in a way that captures the reader's attention. Thus, it is interesting, informative and extremely useful. Moreover, every theory gives its explanation to psychopathology and its possible causes. It should however be pointed out that this book is intended primarily for academic purposes. Nevertheless, I strongly recommend this book to all people who want to gain an insight into psychology at its best! After all, I think it is momentous to gain an insight into why some people develop maladaptive behavioral patterns and show systematic errors in thinking. Finally, this book attempts to answer the most difficult question pertaining to this dynamic field, namely: what factors contribute to the development of personality? Pervin clearly shows that interplay between biological and environmental determinants is necessary to provide an adequate explanation of personality. In my view, a theory that fails to intertwine both biological predispositions and environmental determinants with respect to personality is a flawed theory. Furthermore, a theory that cannot be disproved is a poor theory. In conclusion, this is truly an excellent book that integrates both descriptive and explanatory elements.