ABSTRACT
The field of personality theory differs from other fields of psychology primarily in its perspective. Multivariate researchers display a great variety of positions on theoretical issues, but they share a common interest in the information that cannot be obtained through a segmental examination of one-to-one relationships. They may study the total personality, psychopathology, thought processes, the physiology of emotion, or learning, but in any area of investigation they tend to be concerned with complex issues and to stress the importance of an understanding of overall organization. With its emphasis on objectivity, the behaviorist movement has fostered refinements in research methodology, encouraged greater clarity and precision in theoretical work, and fostered a tremendous amount of research in the area of learning. Theorists of the latter type, however, seek the order that can only be obtained through deliberate control, analysis, or selective attention to more specific components or aspects of the phenomena they study.
