This textbook examines major theories of personality as they apply to an understanding of our past, present and future selves. Unlike traditional personality textbooks that merely present a succession of different theories, this student-centred volume examines how theories of personality have a bearing on questions that are relevant across the lifespan. A question-and-answer format invites students to approach personality psychology with an active attitude of critical inquiry in their search for objective knowledge and self-discovery. Throughout the text, students are encouraged to evaluate each theory in terms of how much it contributes to an understanding of their own personalities and lives. An instructor's manual is available to lecturers who adopt the book for their courses on request from SAGE.
Jim McMartin is Emeritus Professor of Psychology, California State University, Northridge. He began his career as a Research Associate at the Institute for Developmental Studies in New York City. He helped to collect and analyze seminal data showing the academic benefits of pre-school experiences. The data from this well-controlled field experiment, as well as replicated findings from similar research programs across the United States, led to federal funding for the Head Start Program. He earned degrees in psychology from Fordham University (B.S.), Brooklyn College (M.A.), and the University of Minnesota (Ph.D.). He has published in such journals as the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Human Relations, Sociometry, among others, as well as invited articles for the International Encyclopedia of Psychiatry, Psychology, Psychoanalysis, and Neurology. He lives in Camarillo, California, with his wife, Rory Ann, who created the illustrations throughout this book, as faithful servants to our fine feline, Samantha, a.k.a. She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed.
PART ONE: BASIC ISSUES IN PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY Introduction What Is Personality? Using Theory and Research To Understand Personality What Are Theories of Personality and Why Are They Important? PART TWO: MY PAST SELF Genetic and Temperamental Influences Did My Personality Begin in the Womb? Cultivating Personality What Kinds of Early Childhood Experiences Affected My Personality? PART THREE: MY PRESENT SELF Identity and Self-Esteem Who Am I? Why Is It Important to Like Myself? Stress and Coping What Is Stress? How Can I Cope with It? Needs, Motives and Goals What Do I Want? Why Does It Matter? PART FOUR: MY FUTURE SELF Expectations, Plans and Self Regulation What Determines Whether I Will Persist or Give Up Trying to Reach My Goals? Continuity and Change over the Life Course In What Ways Can I Expect My Personality to Remain the Same or Change over the Course of My Life?
