Blackwell Reference Online

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The study of personality, known as personality psychology, is concerned with the intrinsic human qualities that lead to differences among individuals in their characteristic patterns of behavior. The scope of personality psychology is broader than the study of individual differences because it encompasses the whole person and the interface between the person and the world. As a result, personality is arguably one of the broadest fields within psychology in terms of the range of phenomena to be studied and the number of guiding theories from which to choose.Personality is one of many words in psychology that has popular, nontechnical meanings that are close but not identical to its scientific definition. For example, in everyday language we may describe someone as having “A lot of personality,” or “A strong personality.” Such a description would lead one to expect a person who is more likely to shape the environment than be shaped by it. Indeed, the nontechnical use of the term personality often simplifies the concept to its most essential element: Personality is seen as an explanation for an individual's behavior that emphasizes the person as opposed to the situation (see also attribution theories).Within the field of personality psychology there is a tremendous diversity of theoretical conceptions (Pervin, 1990). Personality theories are concerned with structure, process, and development: ... log in or subscribe to read full text