This influential work examines how enduring dispositions or traits affect the process of aging and shape each individual's life course. From two well-known authorities in the field, the volume is grounded in a growing body of empirical evidence. Critically reviewing different theories of personality and adult development, the authors explain the logic behind the scientific assessment of personality, present a comprehensive model of trait structure, and examine patterns of trait stability and change after age 30, incorporating data from ongoing cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Written...

In the upcoming fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the major innovation for the personality disorders will likely be a shift from the classic syndrome-based approach to a dimensional description approach. This book explains how personality disorders can be understood from the perspective of the Five-Factor Model (FFM), the most heavily researched and empirically supported dimensional model of general personality structure. Since the second edition of this authoritative text was published in 2002, the research...