Personality psychology is a branch of psychology that studies personality and its variation among individuals. It aims to show how people are individually different due to psychological forces. Personality is a dynamic and organized set of characteristics possessed by an individual that uniquely influences their environment, cognition, emotions, motivations, and behaviors in various situations. Personality also pertains to the pattern of thoughts, feelings, social adjustments, and behaviors persistently exhibited over time that strongly influences ones expectations, self-perceptions, values, and attitudes. Personality also predicts human reactions to other people, problems, and stress.
The study of personality has a broad and varied history in psychology, with an abundance of theoretical approaches. Various theories explain the structure and development of personality in different ways, but all agree that personality helps determine behavior. Personality psychologists conduct scientific research on personality, teach about personality (usually at the college and university level), and participate in the broader discipline of psychology. They study the nature and definition of personality as well as its development, structure and trait constructs, dynamic processes, variations (with emphasis on enduring and stable individual differences), and maladaptive forms. By exploring forces within the person (such as traits, attitudes, and goals) as well as forces within the situation (such as social norms and incentives), personality psychologists seek to unravel the mysteries of individual and social life in areas as wide-ranging as prejudice, romantic attraction, persuasion, friendship, helping, aggression, conformity, and group interaction.
