Designed for students from a wide range of backgrounds, this text takes a chronological and interdisciplinary approach to human development. With its focus on context and culture, the 8/E illustrates that the status of human development is inextricably embedded in a study of complex and changing cultures.

A standard introductory textbook focusing on the scientific roots of the field while emphasizing its practical value and relevance to society. The first edition was published in 1989. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Self-esteem is essential for psychological survival. It is an emotional sine qua non - without some measure of self-worth, life can be enormously painful, with many basic needs going unmet. One of the main factors differentiating humans from other animals is the awareness of self: the ability to form an identity and then attach a value to it. In other words, you have the capacity to define who you are and then decide if you like that identity or not. The problem of self-esteem is this human capacity for judgment. It's one thing to dislike certain colors, noises, shapes, or sensations. But when you reject parts of yourself, you greatly damage the psychological structures that literally keep you alive. Judging and rejecting yourself causes enormous pain. And in the same way that you would favor and protect a physical wound, you find yourself avoiding anything that might aggravate the pain of self-rejection in any way. You take fewer social, academic, or career risks. You make it more difficult for yourself to meet people, interview for a job, or push hard for something where you might not succeed. You limit your ability to open yourself with others, express your sexuality, be the center of attention, hear criticism, ask for help, or solve problems....This book is about stopping the judgments. It's about healing the old wounds of hurt and self-rejection. How you perceive and feel about yourself can change. And when those perceptions and feelings change, the ripple effect will touch every part of your life with a gradually expanding sense of freedom. ---- Self-Esteem.

En este texto se ofrece una visión equilibrada y actualizada que puede responder hoy, a la luz de la investigación científica, a la cuestión acerca de qué es eso que denominamos personalidad. A este respecto, nuestra propuesta es la siguiente: la personalidad engloba todas aquellas características, atributos y procesos psicosociobiológicos, cuya interrelación e integración posibilita identificar a cada persona como individuo único y diferente de los demás. El lector va a encontrar, en el tratamiento de los contenidos abordados en cada capítulo, abundante y actualizada referencia al sustrato de investigación científica en el que se apoyan los argumentos teóricos sobre los que se está debatiendo en cada caso.