ABSTRACT
Personality refers to important and relatively stable aspects of behavior. Consider a young woman whose personality includes the trait of “painfully shy.” She will behave shyly in many different situations, and over a significant period of time. There are likely to be exceptions: She may be more outgoing with her family or a close friend, or at her own birthday party. But she will often have difficulty dealing with other people, which will continue for months or even years and will have a significant effect on her general well-being.
