Abstract
This paper introduces and partly summarizes the different contributions of this volume. After a brief introduction of the biological and social approaches to personality, we argue that an integrative framework is to be preferred over competing approaches. A common framework is outlined for the joint study of biological and social determinants of individuality. The basis for this framework is sought in the (more distal or more proximal) relationships between several determinants of individuality on the one hand, and personality as appearing in daily life on the other. Different levels of explanation are forwarded, each delivering a specific contribution to personality as a whole. To study personality within this framework, specific conceptual units and specific measures are required at different levels of inquiry. Also, the definition of personality traits needs revision to include distal elements in addition to the commonly used proximal elements. Finally, some attention is paid to major research strategies within this framework, as well as some of the the problems to be faced.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Abramson, L.Y., Seligman, M.E.P., and Teasdale, J.D. (1978). Learned helplessness in humans: Critique and reformulation. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 87 49–74.
Allport, G.W. (1958). What units shall we employ? In: G. Lindzey (Ed) The assessment of motives. New York: Rinehart, pp. 239–260.
Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84, 191–21
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Brody, N. (1988) Personality: In Search of Individuality. New York: Academic Press.
Buss, D.M. (1991). Evolutionary personality psychology. Annual Review of Psychology, 42, 459–491.
Buss, D.M. and Cantor, N. (Eds)(1989). Personality psychology. Recent trends and emerging directions. New York: Springer Verlag.
Cronbach, L.J. (1957). The two disciplines of scientific psychology. American Psychologist, 12, 671–684
Deary, I.J. and Matthews, G. (in press) Personality traits are alive and well. The Psychologist.
Dobzhansky T., Ayala, F.J., Stebbins, G.L. and Valentine, J.W. (1977). Evolution. San Francisco: Freeman.
Emler, N. (1990) A social psychology of reputation. In W. Stroebe and M. Hewstone (Eds), European Review of Social Psychology (Vol. 1, 171–194). Chichester: Wiley.
Emmons, R.A. (1986). Personal strivings: An approach to personality and subjective well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 1058–1068
Eysenck, H.J. (Ed.)(1981). A model for personality. Berlin: Springer Verlag.
Eysenck, H.J. and Rachman, S. (1965). Causes and cures of neurosis. London: Rutledge & Kegan Paul.
Hall, C.S. and Lindzey, G. (1970). Theories of personality. (Second edition). New York: Wiley.
Hampson, S. (1988) The Construction of Personality: An Introduction (Second Edition). London: Routledge.
Hettema, P.J. and Kenrick, D.T. (1989). Biosocial interaction and individual adaptation. In: P.J. Hettema (Ed). Personality and environment. Assessment of human adaptation. Chichester: Wiley, pp. 3–29.
Hettema, P.J. and Kenrick, D.T. (1992) Models of person-situation interactions. In: G.V. Caprara and G.L. Van Heck (Eds.) Modern personality psychology. Critical reviews and new directions. New York: Harvester-Wheatsheaf, pp. 393–417.
Hockey, G.R., Gaillard, A.W., and Coles, M.G. (Eds)(1986) Energetics and human information processing. Dordrecht: Martinus Nijhof.
Howe, M.J.A (1988) Intelligence as an explanation. British Journal of Psychology, 79, 349–360
Kenrick, D.T. (1987). Gender, genes, and the social environment: A biosocial interactonist perspective. In: P.C. Shaver and C. Hendrick (Eds). Review of personality and social psychology. Newbury Park CA: Sage.
Kenrick, D.T., Montello, D.R., and MacFarlane, S. (1985). Personality: social learning, social cognition, or sociobiology? In: R. Hogan and W.H. Jones (Eds.) Perspectives in personality. Volume I. Greenwich, Co: JAI Press, pp. 201–234.
Magnusson, D. (1990). Personality development from an interactional perspective. In: L. Pervin (Ed.) Handbook of personality theory and research. New York: Guilford, pp. 194–22
Mischel W. 1973 Toward a cognitive social learning reconceptualization of personality. Psychological Review 80 252–283
Plomin, R. (1986) Behavior genetic methods. Journal of Personality, 54, 226–261.
Plomin R., DeFries, J.C., and Loehlin, J.C. (1977). Genotype-environment interaction and correlation in the analysis of human behavior. Psychological Bulletin, 84, 309–322.
Seligman, M.E.P. and Maier, S.F. (1967). Failure to escape traumatic shock. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 74, 1–9.
Simon H.A. 1992. What is an “Explanation” of behavior-Psychological Science 3 150–161
Sternberg, R.J. (1990) Metaphors of Mind: Conceptions of the Nature of Intelligence. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Wallace, J. (1966) An abilities conception of personality: Some implications for personality measurement. American Psychologist, 21, 132–138.
Wright, J.C. and Mischel, W. (1987) A conditional approach to dispositional constructs: The local predictability of social behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 35, 1159–1177.
Zuckerman, M. (1979) Sensation seeking: Beyond the optimal level of arousal. Hillsdale NJ: Erlbaum.
Zuckerman, M. (1991) Psychobiology of Personality. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Hettema, J., Deary, I.J. (1993). Biological and Social Approaches to Individuality: Towards a Common Paradigm. In: Hettema, J., Deary, I.J. (eds) Foundations of Personality. NATO ASI Series, vol 72. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1660-2_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1660-2_1
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-4725-8
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-1660-2
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive