Book excerpt: Originally published in 1977, the aim of this volume was to demonstrate in a concrete way the relevance of some of the most important individual variables for various domains of social behaviour. Eminent researchers at the time contributed original chapters that provided an up-to-date perspective on theory and research on important and widely used personality constructs. This volume should serve as a text for advanced level students seeking a historical introduction to specific personality variables and a survey of theory and research on the most widely used personality dimensions of the time.