Managing Personality is grounded in the conviction thatscientifi c understanding of personality requires measurementin order to describe phenomena in an objective,systematic fashion and to test theories. Many have arguedthat science progresses with improvements in instrumentationand methodology. The critical issue in the study ofpersonality is being sure that each concept or theoreticalterm is measurable, with procedures that can be specifi edand observed. This book is concerned with tactics andstrategies for improving the relationships between ideasand observations.

By contributing to advances in personality measurement,this book seeks to further the science of personality.Fiske is convinced of the importance of developing concepts,variables, and dimensions applicable to all people,rather than the personality of an individual person. Althoughcase studies of personality is necessary for eff ortsto help individuals in the clinic, fi nding and measuringcommon personality attributes is more important to thedevelopment of a science of personality.

Managing Personality was written for two groups ofpeople. It is intended to present the status quo to thosewho want a synthesis of personality measurement as itexists. Such people may have some general interest inthe field or may be interested in it because they intend towork in such related areas as clinical practice. The secondaudience includes students of personality who are concernedwith evaluating the measurement of personality,and especially people who are conducting such researchor are preparing themselves for such work.

Donald W. Fiske was professor emeritusof psychology at the University ofChicago. He was also a fellow of theAmerican Association for the Advancementof Science and president of theMidwestern Psychological Association.He is the author or editor of numerousbooks including Face-to-Face Interactions:Research, Methods, and Theory, Interaction Structure andStrategy, Measuring the Concepts of Personality, and Metatheoryin Social Science.