Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

Personality is the pattern of enduring characteristics that 
produce consistency and individuality in a given person. Person-
ality encompasses the behaviors that make each of us unique 
and that diff erentiate us from others. Personality also leads us to 
act consistently in diff erent situations and over extended periods 
of time. 
We will consider a number of approaches to personality. For 
historical reasons, we begin with psychodynamic theories of 
personality, which emphasize the importance of the uncon-
scious. Next, we consider approaches that concentrate on 
identifying the most fundamental personality traits; theories 
that view personality as a set of learned behaviors; biological 
and evolutionary perspectives on personality; and approaches, 
known as humanistic theories, that highlight the uniquely 
human aspects of personality. We end our discussion by 
focusing on how personality is measured and how personality 
tests can be used.
personality
The pattern of enduring characteristics that produce 
consistency and individuality in a given person.
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The college student was intent on making a good fi rst impression on an attractive 
woman he had spotted across a crowded room at a party. As he walked toward her, 
he mulled over a line he had heard in an old movie the night before: “I don’t believe 
we’ve been properly introduced yet.” To his horror, what came out was a bit different. 
After threading his way through the crowded room, he fi nally reached the woman and 
blurted out, “I don’t believe we’ve been properly seduced yet.” 
Although this student’s error may seem to be merely an embarrassing slip of the 
tongue, according to some personality theorists such a mistake is not an error at all 
(Motley, 1987). Instead, psychodynamic personality theorists might argue that the error 
illustrates one way in which behavior is triggered by inner forces that are beyond 
our awareness. These hidden drives, shaped by childhood experiences, play an 
important role in energizing and directing everyday behavior.