Elements of Personality

The fascinating field of personality psychology not only helps us understand human behavior and mental life, but also provides an important lens to understanding ourselves in ways we never did before. In his concise and timely textbook, Dr. Robert F. Bornstein provides a fresh and appealing approach to personality theory and research that embeds personality in the broader intellectual landscape of psychology today. Elements of Personality focuses on the four major theoretical approaches to understanding personality: psychodynamic, behavioral and cognitive-behavioral, trait/interpersonal, and humanistic/existential. The author provides detailed coverage of these four major viewpoints and ignores the extraneous mini-theories covered in other textbooks. The result is a textbook that offers complex material in an accessible, student-friendly way. Chapters build upon one another, showing how these four perspectives differ alongside various points of convergence. Further drawing on the theme of connections, Dr. Bornstein integrates feature boxes to illustrate how the study of personality intersects with work in related psychological subfields (social, cognitive, developmental, and neuropsychology), disciplines outside of psychology, and with aspects of students own lives. Rich and relevant examples cover contemporary topics such as social media and online self, personality and politics, friendship formation and maintenance, self-actualization and activism, and more. The book closes by integrating ideas and findings into a holistic understanding of the psychology of personality, with an eye firmly aimed toward the future of personality theory and research. To help with comprehension and retention of the material and provide flexibility for the professor, each chapter ends with a review of key concepts and principles, critical thinking and discussion questions, key terms, and additional readings and resources. For instructors: a companion website is available containing PowerPoint slides, a testbank with multiple-choice and essay questions, sample syllabi, tables and figures files, and more.