Levels of Personality

An updated edition of a much-acclaimed textbook providing a critical introduction to personality for psychology students.

Mark Cook (Author)

9781107605404, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 6 December 2012

483 pages, 44 b/w illus. 51 tables
24.7 x 18.9 x 2.2 cm, 1.03 kg

'Cook's writing style is engaging and fluid … there is a truly excellent level of evaluation of key theories that will encourage students to critically analyse theories and evidence in great depth.' David Bowles, Sheffield Hallam University

A completely revised and updated edition of a much-acclaimed textbook providing a critical introduction to human personality for psychology students. Levels of Personality carefully avoids the traditional 'catalogue of theories' approach. Instead it relates theories to each other within a conceptual framework of different levels of behaviour, moving inwards and downwards from 'surface level' explanations. Analytic case studies then apply these levels of understanding to areas of special interest such as aggression and sexuality. The author adopts a deep analytical and critical approach and questions whether personality theory and research have really addressed important questions, or produced useful answers. This new edition incorporates two new chapters on personality disorders and on personality in the workplace, as well as improved pedagogical features including statistics boxes, assessment boxes, relevant websites and key references for each chapter.

1. Gideon's army: the study of individual differences
Part I. The Surface: 2. A rather dull person: personality as traits and factors
3. Working for the Peace Corps: criticisms of traits and factors
Part II. Below the Surface 1: The Biological Line: 4. Brave new world: learning and habit models
5. Eysenck's demon: biological accounts of personality
Part III. Below the Surface 2: The Phenomenal Line: 6. Tumbleweed or boulder? The phenomenal approach to personality
7. I didn't get where I am today by reading stuff like this: explaining personality by the self-concept
Part IV. Below the Surface 3: The Motivational Line: 8. The ancient Greek export drive: motives and instincts
9. The man who collects Bradshaws: psychodynamic accounts of personality
Part V. Examples: 10. The school bully: aspects of aggression
11. Does peace prevent homosexuality? Theories of sexual orientation
12. Bouncing back: resilience
13. Is Hitler mad? Personality disorders
14. Square pegs and round holes: personality in the workplace
15. The line ahead: the future of personality research.

Subject Areas: The self, ego, identity, personality [JMS], Social, group or collective psychology [JMH], Psychology [JM]