1. Historical overview of personality psychology; 2. From illness models to wellness models of human nature; 3. Developmental perspectives on personality: from youth-based to lifespan models; 4. The biological substrate of personality; 5. Trait theories and the psychology of individual differences; 6. The puzzle of the self; 7. Culture and personality; 8. Gendered personality; 9. Emotions and rationality: a definition of the human; 10. Taking the measure of the human: benefits and inherent limitations of personality measures; 11. Personality change: means and possibilities; 12. Disordered personality: evolution of nosological systems; 13. Eight appendices: at the margins of personality psychology.
This book presents personality psychology, incorporating historical perspectives and how past developments have led to progressions within science and research.
Frank Dumont (retired) was Full Professor in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Director of the PhD program in his field at McGill University. He was the co-editor of Six Therapists and One Client (2000) and a co-editor of Corsini's The Dictionary of Psychology (1999). He gratefully acknowledges that much of this book on personality psychology was researched and drafted while he was Visiting Fellow at Wolfson College, Cambridge University (2005-2006).
Review of the hardback: 'I found this a thrilling book. I am full
of admiration for the scope of Dumont's learning, leaping as he
does across two millennia, and shifting effortlessly from
literature to theology to science. It is a really stunning
intellectual tour de force and must reading for anyone interested
in the genesis of personality and its disorders.' Edward Shorter,
Hannah Professor of the History of Medicine and Professor of
Psychiatry, University of Toronto
Review of the hardback: 'This erudite but surprisingly readable
account of scholars' attempts over centuries to understand the
essence of human individuality plumbs the depths of what it means
to be human, and does so with an amazing awareness of the breadth
of writings relevant to the subject. Professor Dumont documents the
rise of a scientific approach to the study of personality, the
contributions of statistics, of the mental health industry, of
trait theory, and of sophisticated test-construction methodology,
but does not neglect the cultural, political, economic, and
scientific context of these developments - even discussing such
topics as play in middle and later adulthood, food preparation
practices, illness and wellness models of personality, 'positive
psychology', and the role of religious practices. The creative
originality, thoughtfulness, breadth, superb writing, and
meticulous scholarship of this book make it a significant
contribution to the psychology of personality, the history of
psychology, and indeed to intellectual history in general.' Michael
Wertheimer, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, University of
Colorado at Boulder
 |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
