Personality: Classic Theories and Modern Research, 7th edition
Published by Pearson (June 6, 2025) © 2026
  • Howard S. Friedman
  • Miriam W. Schustack

Title overview

For courses in Personality Psychology.

An introduction to personality that blends traditional theories with modern research

Personality: Classic Theories and Modern Research integrates the insights of time-tested theorists with the work of contemporary scholars in a manner that will captivate students. Throughout the text, authors Howard Friedman and Miriam Schustack encourage students to think critically about human nature as well as about what it means to be a person.

The 7th Edition includes updated information on positive psychology, personality change research, neuroscience, the relevance of social media, and more, offering fresh insights into the field.

Hallmark features of this title

  • The text presents integrated coverage of theory and research, with recent findings presented alongside longstanding theories. This approach conveys how the thinking about personality has evolved and reveals how the insights of classical theorists have sometimes been realized in modern research.
  • The authors encourage critical thinking about human nature and offer guidance on how to evaluate assumptions, theories, and research, in the course and beyond.
  • The text helps students understand the relevance of personality to important issues both in their own lives and in society.
  • Engaging feature boxes delve into particular topics in more depth. These include Classic to Current, Famous Personalities, Sharpen Your Thinking and more.

New and updated features of this title

  • UPDATED: The 7th Edition has been updated to reflect the latest research findings in the field, with updated reference citations throughout. In order to keep the text current and engaging, the authors have incorporated fresh examples and illustrations that will resonate with today’s media-savvy, technologically literate students. Highlights of new and updated content include the following:
    • Updated coverage of the increasing importance of personality psychology to so many aspects of contemporary life in Chapter 1
    • New material on how analysis of social media and big data is being incorporated into personality research in Chapter 2
    • Updated discussions of how researchers are using the latest developments in neuroscience to understand personality, plus new research on genomics and epigenetics, in Chapter 5
    • Fresh examples of the humanistic and existential approach to personality, with additional material on positive psychology and flourishing, in Chapter 9
    • New perspectives on, and examples of, gender differences, socio-economic status and development in Chapter 11

Table of contents

  1. What Is Personality?
  2. How Is Personality Studied and Assessed?
  3. Psychoanalytic Aspects of Personality
  4. Ego, Self and Neo-Analytic Aspects of Personality
  5. Biological and Evolutionary Aspects of Personality
  6. Behaviorist and Learning Aspects of Personality
  7. Cognitive and Social-Cognitive Aspects of Personality
  8. Trait Aspects of Personality
  9. Humanistic, Existential and Flourishing Aspects of Personality
  10. Person–Situation Interactionist Aspects of Personality
  11. Personality Trajectories: Gender, Age and Status
  12. Stress, Adjustment and Health Differences
  13. Culture, Religion and Ethnicity
  14. Love and Hate
  15. Where Will We Find Personality?

Author bios

About our authors

Howard S. Friedman is Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside, where he studies personality and health. Devoted to teaching, Professor Friedman has received UCR’s Distinguished Teaching Award; the Outstanding Teacher award from the Western Psychological Association (WPA); and the national Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award, for “inspiring students to make a difference in the community.” He was honored with the 2008 James McKeen Cattell Fellow Award from the Association for Psychological Science (APS), which recognizes a lifetime of outstanding contributions to the area of applied psychological research. Dr. Friedman is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research, and he is Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Mental Health. An honors graduate of Yale University, he received his Ph.D. from Harvard University.

Miriam W. Schustack is Professor of Psychology at California State University in San Marcos (near San Diego), where she specializes in individual differences and the use of computers in learning. She has served as a Fellow of the American Council on Education, as Academic Senate Chair, Department Chair, and as Acting Dean. Dr. Schustack was involved in the development and leadership of CSUSM’s Honors Program and in the establishment and promotion of Service Learning. An honors and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Princeton University, Dr. Schustack received her master’s from Yale and her Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University. She previously taught at Harvard University.

Loading...Loading...Loading...