Contents
CHAPTER 1 Facts and Theories of Adult Development 1
The Pendulum of Opinion on Personality Stability 3
In Search of a Phenomenon 6A Note on Psychotherapy 9When Does Adulthood Begin? 10
Other Views: Theories of Change 11
CHAPTER 2 A Trait Approach to Personality 20
Perspectives on Human Nature 21
Basic Principles of Trait Psychology 24
How Many T raits? Which Ones? 29
The Quest for a Unified System 32Natural Languages and the Five-Factor Model 34
CHAPTER 3 Measuring Personality 37
From Concepts to Data 37Self-Reports and Observer Ratings 40
A Questionnaire Measure:
The NEO Personality Inventory 45
Facets of N, E, and O 47
Facets of A and C 50Making Distinctions 51
The Comprehensiveness of the Five-Factor Model 52
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