01 / Reading Guide
Reading Guide
Citation
Gaines, S. O., Jr. (2019). Personality Psychology: The Basics. Routledge.
Chapter Summary
The book has eight chapters in about 242 pages. Routledge describes it as a jargon-free, accessible overview of why not everyone thinks, feels, speaks or acts the same way in the same situation. It says the book offers a brief history of the area and a range of perspectives on personality, including psychodynamic, behaviourist, humanistic and cognitive approaches, looks at influential theories and related research within each major school of thought, and illustrates the theories with case studies. The author concludes by outlining the future of the area in relation to cutting-edge research and potential trends. The publisher adds that the content follows British Psychological Society guidelines for Individual Differences. The structure is therefore one introductory chapter, six chapters organised by perspective, and a closing chapter.
Chapter 1: An introduction to personality psychology
The opening chapter introduces the subject and, according to the publisher, gives a brief history of the area. It is where the question of why people differ is set out before the perspectives begin.
Chapter 2: Psychodynamic perspectives on personality
The first of the perspective chapters covers psychodynamic approaches, the first school in the publisher's list.
Chapter 3: Behaviourist perspectives on personality
This chapter presents the behaviourist perspective, the second school in the publisher's list.
Chapter 4: Humanistic and existential perspectives on personality
The fourth chapter combines humanistic and existential perspectives. The contents list pairs the two in a single chapter, and the publisher's description names humanistic approaches among those covered.
Chapter 5: Trait perspectives on personality
Chapter 5 is on trait perspectives, the approach that describes personality through stable dimensions on which individuals differ. Trait approaches are not among the four schools named in the publisher's summary, but they have a chapter of their own.
Chapter 6: Cognitive perspectives on personality
The sixth chapter covers cognitive perspectives, the fourth school the publisher names.
Chapter 7: Biological and evolutionary perspectives on personality
Chapter 7 moves to biological and evolutionary explanations of why people differ, a perspective that the publisher's description does not mention separately but that has its own chapter.
Chapter 8: Concluding thoughts on personality psychology
The final chapter draws the book together. The publisher says the author concludes by outlining the future of the area in relation to cutting-edge research and potential future trends.
Key Concepts
Chapter 1: Introduction
- Personality psychology: the study of why individuals differ in how they think, feel, speak and act in the same situation.
Chapters 2–4: Psychodynamic, behaviourist and humanistic-existential perspectives
- Psychodynamic perspectives: Chapter 2.
- Behaviourist perspectives: Chapter 3.
- Humanistic and existential perspectives: Chapter 4.
Chapters 5–7: Trait, cognitive, and biological-evolutionary perspectives
- Trait perspectives: Chapter 5.
- Cognitive perspectives: Chapter 6.
- Biological and evolutionary perspectives: Chapter 7.
Chapter 8: Future directions
- Future of personality psychology: cutting-edge research and potential trends, as the publisher describes it.
Critical Analysis
Strengths
- A clear map of the schools. Seven of the eight chapters are named for an approach or the subject itself, so a student can quickly see how psychodynamic, behaviourist, humanistic, trait, cognitive and biological views differ.
- Case studies. The publisher says the theories are illustrated with case studies, which helps tie abstract ideas to individual lives.
- Fitted to a syllabus. The text is written, according to Routledge, in line with British Psychological Society guidelines for Individual Differences content, which makes it a practical match for a UK-style module.
- Short and unjargoned. At eight chapters and about 242 pages, with a jargon-free style per the publisher, it is feasible to read in full before a course begins.
Limitations
- Introductory depth. The Basics format means each perspective gets roughly one chapter; readers wanting detailed empirical evidence or measurement issues will need a longer textbook.
- One perspective per chapter. Organising by school presents perspectives side by side, whereas some textbooks integrate findings by topic or domain, so comparisons across schools are left to the reader.
- Limited advertised study aids. The publisher's description mentions case studies and a BPS match but does not list review questions, glossaries or online resources.
Where It Fits in the Course
This is one of two beginner books in the personality list. Daniel Nettle's Personality: What Makes You the Way You Are is built around the Big Five model and what genetics, brain research and evolution say about it, so it concentrates on the trait approach. Gaines's book is wider in theoretical range, covering psychoanalytic, behaviourist, humanistic, trait, cognitive and biological perspectives, and is the better choice for a general course that needs the full range of schools.
The next step up is a full textbook: Funder's The Personality Puzzle is organised around the major approaches with an emphasis on research methods and measurement, and Larsen and Buss's Personality Psychology: Domains of Knowledge About Human Nature is organised by six domains of knowledge with weight on evolutionary, genetic and cross-cultural research. Matthews, Deary and Whiteman's Personality Traits is a research-based account of traits, and Jung's Psychological Types is a primary work by one of the founders of depth psychology.
How to Use This Book
The book is for students taking a first personality or individual-differences course, especially under a British Psychological Society-style syllabus, and for general readers. No previous study of psychology is required.
A practical plan:
- Read Chapter 1 first, then take Chapters 2 to 7 in order. Each is built the same way: one perspective, its influential theories and related research.
- Compare as you go. After each perspective, write two or three lines on what it says explains individual differences and what it leaves out; by Chapter 7 these notes are a comparison table.
- Use Chapter 8 to look forward, then pick a longer text on the perspective that interests you most.
- Dip in by need: if a course covers only trait theory, read Chapter 5 with Nettle's book; if it begins with Freud, begin with Chapter 2 and pair it with a primary source.