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<p>Introduction 1</p> <p>1 Situational Factors Overwhelm Personality When Predicting Behavior 13</p> <p>2 Personality Measures Do Not Predict Consequential Outcomes (Like Health, Wealth, and Divorce) Well Enough to Be Useful 25</p> <p>3 There is a Single Gene for a Single Personality Trait 35</p> <p>4 Evolutionary Perspectives Are Not Relevant for Personality 43</p> <p>5 People Come in Discrete Personality Types 51</p> <p>6 Personality is Too Complicated to Be Measured 59</p> <p>7 Personality Measures Can Be Faked So They Are Not Valid 69</p> <p>8 The Myers–Briggs Type Indicator is the Best Approach for Assessing Personality 77</p> <p>9 Projective Tests Are the Best Approach for Measuring Personality 85</p> <p>10 Unstructured Interviews are the Best Approach for Measuring Personality 93</p> <p>11 Most Personality Quizzes in Magazines and on Websites Provide Accurate Information About Your Personality 101</p> <p>12 Personality Traits Do Not Have Much Consistency Across the Life Span 111</p> <p>13 Personality is Completely Stable (or Set Like Plaster) After Age 30 119</p> <p>14 Traumatic Life Events Dramatically Reshape Personality 127</p> <p>15 Adolescence is the Most Significant Period of Personality Development 135</p> <p>16 Birth Order is an Important Influence on Personality 141</p> <p>17 Parenting Practices Are the Major Source of Personality Differences 149</p> <p>18 Happiness is Completely Determined by Situational Factors 157</p> <p>19 Happiness is Unrelated to Major Life Events 167</p> <p>20 Happiness Results Primarily From Person–Environment Fit 179</p> <p>21 There is a 3-to-1 Positivity-to-Negativity Ratio for Flourishing 189</p> <p>22 Personality Trait Similarity Matters for Romantic Relationships 195</p> <p>23 Spouses Are Especially Similar in Terms of Personality Traits or Spouses Have Complementary Personality Traits 203</p> <p>24 High Self-Esteem and Narcissism Are the Same Attribute 209</p> <p>25 Perceptions of National Character Reflect “Real” Group Differences 217</p> <p>26 Personality is Radically Different From Culture to Culture 225</p> <p>27 Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus (Men and Women Have Dramatically Different Personalities) 235</p> <p>28 Clinicians Can’t Treat Personality Disorders 243</p> <p>Index 257</p>

<p><b>M. Brent Donnellan</b> is Professor of Psychology at Michigan State University. He investigates research topics at the intersections of personality psychology, psychological assessment, and developmental psychology. He currently serves as the Senior Editor for the Personality section of <i>Collabra: Psychology</i> and as an Associate Editor for <i>Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science.</i> His current research efforts focus on personality trait development, the assessment of well-being and self-esteem, and methodological tools and practices to improve psychological science. <p><b>Richard E. Lucas</b> is an MSU Foundation Professor of Psychology at Michigan State University. His research focuses on the causes, consequences, and measurement of subjective well-being. Specifically, he studies the associations between personality and well-being, and he examines the extent to which people adapt to major life events and life circumstances. He is currently an associate editor for <i>Perspectives on Psychological Science</i> and <i>Collabra: Psychology</i> and incoming Editor-in-Chief for the <i>Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.</i> He is co-author of the book <i>Well-Being for Public Policy</i> (2009) and co-editor of <i>Secondary Data Analysis</i> (2010).

<p><i>Great Myths of Personality</i> teaches critical thinking skills and key concepts of personality psychology through the discussion of popular myths and misconceptions. <ul> <li>Provides a thorough look at contemporary myths and misconceptions, such as: Does birth order affect personality? Are personality tests an accurate way to measure personality? Do romantic partners need similar personalities for relationship success?</li> <li>Introduces concepts of personality psychology in an accessible and engaging manner</li> <li>Focuses on current debates and controversies in the field with references to the latest research and scientific literature</li> </ul>

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