Personality Psychology: Understanding Yourself and Others, 3rd edition

Published by Pearson (May 24, 2026) © 2027
  • Jean M. Twenge
  • W Keith Campbell

Title overview

For courses in Personality Psychology.

A modern approach to personality that harnesses students’ curiosity about themselves and their peers

Personality Psychology: Understanding Yourself and Others presents an up-to-date overview of this fascinating subfield of psychology. Committed to teaching readers about both personality psychology and life itself, authors Jean Twenge and W. Keith Campbell address pressing questions about friendship, relationships, health, happiness and more.

The 3rd Edition offers fresh coverage of topics that will resonate with students today. These include troubling online behaviors, such as ghosting and cyberbullying, and the link between self-esteem and social status.

Hallmark features of this title

  • The authors walk students through the field via a 3-part approach.
    • Part 1 introduces the basic concepts and methodology of personality psychology.
    • Part 2 presents the foundational approaches to personality.
    • Part 3 explores personality in applied contexts, such as choosing a career and developing personal relationships.
  • Personality’s Past features spotlight critical moments in the history of personality psychology. Examples include the genesis of personality questionnaires in Chapter 2 and the groundbreaking work of Maccoby and Jacklin in The Psychology of Sex Differences in Chapter 10.
  • Timelines highlight the history of certain areas of research, providing concise overviews of classic theories and theorists.

New and updated features of this title

  • UPDATED:The authors have thoroughly updated the 3rd Edition to reflect the latest in the field of personality psychology. Extensive coverage of new studies and citations highlights the most recent and relevant research. Contemporary topics receiving fresh coverage include the following:
    • the use of artificial intelligence and machine-learning algorithms to infer personality traits
    • the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on neuroticism
    • the influence of technology and social media on positive self-views
    • vocational fit and job satisfaction
    • personality traits that predict longevity

Key features

Features of Revel for the 3rd Edition

  • More than 25 personality questionnaires enable students to learn about themselves and to better understand how they compare to others. These assignable questionnaires allow students to see how their responses compare to other students taking the same course across the country.
  • The Science of Personality mini simulations walk students through the research process step by step to help them better see and relate to the scientific process. These features detail how research is conducted, data are analyzed and conclusions are reached in the scientific community.

Table of contents

Part 1: Defining Personality and Methods of Assessment

  1. Understanding Yourself and Others
  2. Assessment and Methods

Part 2: Approaches to Understanding Personality

  1. The Big 5 Personality Traits
  2. Biological Underpinnings of Personality
  3. Self-Concept and Self-Processes
  4. Psychodynamic Approaches
  5. Motivation
  6. How Learning Shapes Behavior

Part 3: Applying Personality Psychology in the Real World

  1. Personality Across the Lifespan
  2. Gender and Personality
  3. Culture and Personality
  4. Personality in the Workplace
  5. Personality and Relationships
  6. Personality and Mental Health
  7. Personality and Physical Health

Author bios

About our authors

Jean M. Twenge, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University, is the author of more than 190 scientific publications and 8 books, including 10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World, Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents, iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy—and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood, The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement (with W. Keith Campbell), and Social Psychology (15th Edition, with David G. Myers). She frequently gives talks and seminars on generational differences based on her analyses of survey data on 43 million people. Her research has been covered in Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, USA Today, U.S. News and World Report, and The Washington Post, and she has been featured on Today, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Fox and Friends, Meet the Press, Real Time with Bill Maher, NBC Nightly News, Dateline NBC, and National Public Radio. She holds a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. in personality psychology from the University of Michigan. She posts the latest updates to her research on the Generation Tech Substack.

Keith Campbell, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at the University of Georgia, is the author of more than 200 scientific papers and several books, including The New Science of Narcissism and Professor OCEAN: A Small Tale of Personality’s Big Five. His work on personality has appeared across print media and he has made numerous media appearances, from the Today Show to the Joe Rogan Experience. He wrote the popular TED-Ed lesson on narcissism and writes a Substack called Explorations in Personality. He holds a BA from the University of California at Berkeley, a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and did his postdoctoral work at Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Campbell speaks to organizations around the globe on the topics of personality, narcissism, and cultural change.

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