The Five-Factor Model of Personality: Theoretical Perspectives

Since the 1980s, personality psychologists from a range of perspectives have found the five-factor model to be an effective tool for identifying and structuring personality attributes. Measuring individual differences in terms of degrees of extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experience, the model provides a common language for the field of personality psychology while, at the same time, it supports widely divergent approaches. How has the model evolved over time, and how has it been challenged? Are these five dimensions adequate to describe the entire range of personality traits? This timely and inclusive volume addresses these and other questions as it explores the five-factor model's theoretical underpinnings, initiating a fruitful dialogue among some of the leading figures in contemporary personality research.

Jerry S. Wiggins, Ph.D., has held teaching positions at the University of Rochester, Stanford University, the University of Illinois, and the University of British Columbia, where he is currently Professor of Psychology and coordinator of the graduate program in personality. He is internationally known for his advocacy of theory-driven methods of personality assessment and for his efforts to integrate diverse approaches to personality test construction, including the empirical, psychometric-trait, and interpersonal traditions.