Personality Theory / Edition 2

by Douglas P. Crowne

Overview

Personality Theory provides an accessible and engaging introduction to the the major theoretical perspectives involved in the study of personality by focusing on the theorists and their works side-by-side.

Personal histories explore the personal and professional influences on the development of each theorist's work and help us to understand their theories in an historical context. Crowne encourages students to think critically by assessing the theorist's strengths and weaknesses, while reminding readers of what remains valuable and groundbreaking in their work.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195430202
Publisher:	Oxford University Press, USA
Publication date:	08/10/2009
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	648
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Douglas P. Crowne is Professor Emeritus from the University of Waterloo and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association.

Table of Contents

1. The Scientific Study of Personality

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Gary B Kaniuk, Psy.D.(Cermak Health Services)
Description: Based on his 30 years of teaching personality theory and the influence of notable theorists such as Julian Rotter, George Kelly, and Harry Stack Sullivan, the author provides this basic book for undergraduate psychology students. The first edition was published in 2006.
Purpose: The author's aim with this second edition "has been to make the book a more complete account of the many theories that make up the story of personality, to make its organization more accessible, and to make it more readable and (my earnest hope) more enjoyable."
Audience: Undergraduate psychology students are the intended audience. The author, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Waterloo, was a colleague of Julian Rotter and George Kelly.
Features: An overview of personality theory begins the book. It then introduces the various theories within eight major traditions, including psychodynamic, trait, existential, humanistic, learning theory, and behavioral genetics. All of the chapters are uniformly organized with these sections: Five Points to Keep in Mind; Introduction; Description (including how biographical events influenced the concepts); Research; In Perspective; Summary; To Test Your Understanding; and Suggestions for Further Reading. Other nice features that provide clarity and make the book come alive include numerous pictures, illustrations, figures/tables, and boxes on Theory in Perspective/Theory in the Making. The inside front cover contains a color-coded Personality Theory by Paradigm chart, an appendix describes heritability from monozygotic and dizygotic twin correlations, and a glossary defines terms.
Assessment: The author has been teaching undergraduate students for over 30 years, so it is not surprising that this book is so good. Students will get a good foundation in personality theory with it. It compares favorably to Beneath the Mask: An Introduction to Theories of Personality, 8th edition, Sollod et al. (Guilford, 2009). The second edition is justified because of the additional information and reorganization of the book for better clarity.

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