Summary:
Colin Cooper's 'Individual Differences' has been a favourite among lecturers and students of differential psychology since it was published in 1997. It is unique in its comprehensive coverage of both personality theories and the methodological issues associated with personality and psychometric testing.

This new edition has been fully revised and expanded to include recent developments in the field. There is also a new chapter on Emotional Intelligence and expanded coverage of the Big 5 model of personality and positive psychology. Cooper also discusses influential new fields such as cognitive epidemiology and a new chapter on practical applications demonstrates how what has been learned can be applied to everyday life from recruitment to predicting whether psychopaths will reoffend.

The accompanying website provides comprehensive support for both students and lecturers, including MCQs, sample exam questions, PowerPoint presentations, revision flashcards, interactive glossary, and revision summaries.

An informative and enjoyable trip through personality and psychometrics, this book is essential reading for all students wishing to gain a broad understanding of this fascinating field.

• New colour design with numerous charts and tables makes the text engaging and easy to navigate
• Pedagogical features, including chapter summaries, suggestions for more indepth reading and a comprehensive glossary, support learning
• Lively self-assessment questions for each chapter stimulate students and encourage critical thinking and deeper engagement with the subject
• Explores the applications, not only the theories, with fascinating real-life examples from the corporate to the criminal world
• MCQs, slides, sample exam questions and ideas for laboratory classes provide lecturers with comprehensive web support
• Free resources for students include revision flashcards, interactive glossary, weblinks and revision summary notes

Table of Contents:
Introduction to Individual Differences
Part I: Theories and applications
Kelly and Rogers
Freud and post-Freudians
Broad theories of personality
Emotional intelligence
Narrow personality traits
Biological and social models of personality
Structure and measurement of abilities
Ability processes
Personality and ability over the lifespan
Environmental and genetic determinants of personality
Mood and motivation
Applications of personality and ability testing
Part II: Methods
Measuring individual differences
Reliability and validity of psychological tests
Factor analysis
Performing and interpreting factor analyses
Constructing a test
Problems with tests
Conclusions

About the Author(s):
Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology, Queen’s University, Belfast

Readership:
Undergraduate, student