By Ross Thompson, University of California, Davis.Childhood social and personality development emerges through the interaction of social influences, biological maturation, and the child’s representations of the social world and the self. This interaction is illustrated in a discussion of the influence of significant relationships, the development of social understanding, the growth of personality, and the development of social and emotional competence in childhood.

By Marissa L. Diener, University of Utah. This module focuses on parenthood as a developmental task of adulthood. Parents take on new roles as their children develop, transforming their identity as a parent as the developmental demands of their children change. The main influences on parenting, parent characteristics, child characteristics, and contextual factors, are described.

Psychology is designed to meet scope and sequence requirements for the single-semester introduction to psychology course. The book offers a comprehensive treatment of core concepts, grounded in both classic studies and current and emerging research. The text also includes coverage of the DSM-5 in examinations of psychological disorders. Psychology incorporates discussions that reflect the diversity within the discipline, as well as the diversity of cultures and communities across the globe.Senior Contributing AuthorsRose M. Spielman, Formerly of Quinnipiac UniversityContributing AuthorsKathryn Dumper, Bainbridge State CollegeWilliam Jenkins, Mercer UniversityArlene Lacombe, Saint Joseph's UniversityMarilyn Lovett, Livingstone CollegeMarion Perlmutter, University of Michigan

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Describe the stages of prenatal development and recognize the importance of prenatal careDiscuss physical, cognitive, and emotional development that occurs from infancy through childhoodDiscuss physical, cognitive, and emotional development that occurs during adolescenceDiscuss physical, cognitive, and emotional development that occurs in adulthood

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Discuss the findings of the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart as they relate to personality and geneticsDiscuss temperament and describe the three infant temperaments identified by Thomas and ChessDiscuss the evolutionary perspective on personality development

What type of personality do you have? What factors can influence our personality? In this session, we will study different types of personalities, the ways in which we measure personality, and how cognition and learning can contribute to make us unique individuals.