Scientific Study of Personality

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Scientific Study of Personality PSYCH/504 May 20, 2013 University of Phoenix Dr. Melissa Venezia Scientific Study of Personality An individual’s personality defines his or her individual uniqueness and personal identity. Researchers use different methods to understand how personalities are created. Psychologists have their own definition on how personalities are created among individuals. Theories and ongoing research help people to understand why personalities are a crucial part of a person’s well-being. The subject of this paper pertains to the definition of personality, commonly used methods to study personality, and descriptions of each method used in studying personalities. Defining Personality Personality refers to an individual’s pattern of feeling, behaving, and thinking. These patterns make every individual unique in his or her own way. Cervone and Pervin (2010) stated, “The field of personality addresses three issues: (1) human universals, (2) individual differences, and (3) individual uniqueness” (p. 8). Most psychologists define a personality as a pattern of behavior that responds in specific ways under specific circumstances. It involves characteristic adaptations, dispositional traits, and life stories created from culture and human nature. Expectations of events and perceptions often shape thoughts, behavior, and feelings (Almlund, Duckworth, Heckman, & Kautz, 2011). Methods of Studying Personality Human personality can be difficult to define and measure. Personality assessments are different because it depends on the person. Psychologists analyze information from a variety of sources to observe what traits are related to each other and what traits are different from each other. There are three common approaches to the study of personality: (1) case studies and
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