ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces major models of personality such as the five-factor model and highlights the manner in which researchers have sought to identify the biological architecture underlying the most frequently studied personality traits. It provides an overview of personality disorders and biological factors influencing the development of these disorders. Though much of the research in this area is atheoretical, the chapter highlights the manner in which evolutionary pressures have influenced the development of personality and personality disorders. Personality disorders can be conceptualised as maladaptive forms of the personality traits displayed, to varying degrees, by each member of the general population. Narcissism is a personality trait that is normally distributed throughout the population. Finally, the chapter outlines the ways in which personality impacts on biology in relation to physical and mental health.
