Personality Research, Methods, and Theory (PDF)

Donald W. Fiske's professional life and collaborations are themselves a textbook in the development of the field of personality. From the field's early origins in personnel selection, rating accuracy, and psychotherapy outcomes, to its current status of theoretical and methodological maturity -- complete with mid-life crises -- the field has been fundamentally changed by Fiske's work, and the changes have influenced generations of scholars.

This festschrift is a celebration of Fiske's impact, but not merely of his impact on the history of personality research. Instead, the volume focuses on ongoing debates and issues that have been framed or influenced by Fiske's work. The festschrift's three sections are organized around three themes in Fiske's writings -- themes that also correspond to three periods in his career.

This volume examines current thinking about what can be known about personality, how constructs relevant to personality psychology are best measured, and how to approach specific research problems in personality and related fields. The contributors create an eminent cross-section of the development and current status of personality methods. In addition to Fiske's eminent contemporaries, the contributors to this volume include Fiske's former students, collaborators, and his two children, both of whom are behavioral scientists. The accomplishments of his students, colleagues, and children testifies to the range of psychologists who have benefited from his scholarly and practical wisdom.

This collection is a valuable textbook for an advanced graduate course as well as appealing as a scholarly resource. Many of the contributors are renown psychological leaders who have made available their latest original thoughts. The book concludes with an essay by Fiske offering his perspective on the central themes: behavioral and social science metatheory, methods, and strategies.