Randy Larsen and David Buss dynamically demonstrate how scientists approach the study of personality in Personality Psychology: Domains of Knowledge About Human Nature. Major findings, both classical and contemporary, are presented in the context of six key domains - Dispositional, Biological, Intrapsychic, Cognitive/Experimental, Social and/Culture, and Adjustment - providing a foundation for the analysis and understanding of human personality.
1. Introduction to Personality Psychology Personality Defined Three Levels of Personality Analysis A Fissure in the Field Six Domains of Knowledge About Human Nature The Role of Personality Theory Standards for Evaluating Personality Theories Is There a Grand Ultimate and True Theory of Personality? 2. Personality Assessment, Measurement, and Research Design Sources of Personality Data Evaluation of Personality Measures Research Designs in Personality Part I: The Dispositional Domain 3. Traits and Trait Taxonomies What Is a Trait? Two Basic Formulations The Act Frequency Formulation of Traits-An Illustration of the Descriptive Summary Formulation Identification of the Most Important Traits Taxonomies of Personality 4. Theoretical and Measurement Issues in Trait Psychology Theoretical Issues Measurement Issues Personality and Prediction 5. Personality Dispositions over Time: Stability, Change, and Coherence Conceptual Issues: Personality Development, Stability, Coherence, and Change Three Levels of Analysis Personality Stability Over Time Personality Change Personality Coherence Over Time: Prediction of Socially Relevant Outcomes Part II: The Biological Domain 6. Genetics and Personality The Human Genome Controversy About Genes and Personality Goals of Behavioral Genetics What Is Heritability? Behavioral Genetic Methods Major Findings From Behavioral Genetic Research Shared Versus Nonshared Environmental Influences: A Riddle Genes and the Environment Molecular Genetics Behavioral Genetics, Science, Politics, and Values 7. Physiological Approaches to Personality A Physiological Approach to Personality Physiological Measures Commonly Used in Personality Research Physiologically Based Theories of Personality 8. Evolutionary Perspectives on Personality Evolution and Natural Selection Evolutionary Psychology Human Nature Sex Differences Individual Differences The Big Five Motivation, and Evolutionarily Relevant Adaptive Problems Limitations of Evolutionary Psychology Part III: The Intrapsychic Domain 9. Psychoanalytic Approaches to Personality Sigmund Freud: A Brief Biography Fundamental Assumptions of Psychoanalytic Theory Structure of Personality Dynamics of Personality Psychosexual Stages of Personality Development Personality and Psychoanalysis Why Is Psychoanalysis Important? Evaluation of Freuds Contributions 10. Psychoanalytic Approaches: Contemporary Issues The Neo-Analytic Movement Ego Psychology Object Relations Theory 11. Motives and Personality Basic Concepts The Big Three Motives: Achievement, Power, and Intimacy Humanistic Tradition: The Motive to Self-Actualize Part IV: The Cognitive/Experiential Domain 12. Cognitive Topics in Personality Personality Revealed Through Perception Personality Revealed Through Interpretation Personality Revealed Through Goals Intelligence 13. Emotion and Personality Issues in Emotion Research Content Versus Style of Emotional Life 14. Approaches to the Self Descriptive Component of the Self: Self-Concept Evaluative Component of the Self: Self-Esteem Social Component of the Self: Social Identity Part V: The Social and Cultural Domain 15. Personality and Social Interaction Selection Evocation Manipulation: Social Influence Tactics Panning Back: An Overview of Personality and Social Interaction 16. Sex, Gender, and Personality The Science and Politics of Studying Sex and Gender Sex Differences in Personality Masculinity, Femininity, Androgyny, and Sex Roles Theories of Sex Differences 17. Culture and Personality Cultural Violations: An Illustration What Is Cultural Personality Psychology? Three Major Approaches to Culture Part VI: The Adjustment Domain 18. Stress, Coping, Adjustment, and Health Models of the Personality-Illness Connection The Concept of Stress Coping Strategies and Styles Type A Personality and Cardiovascular Disease 19. Disorders of Personality The Building Blocks of Personality Disorders The Concept of Disorder Specific Personality Disorders Prevalence of Personality Disorders Dimensional Model of Personality Disorders Causes of Personality Disorders 20. Summary and Future Directions Current Status of the Field Domains of Knowledge: Where Weve Been, Where Were Going Integration: Personality in the Twenty-First Century