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Theory & Psychology
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The Physics and Chemistry of Personality

Robert R. McCrae

NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING, NIH, DHHS, RRMcCrae{at}gmail.com

Physics and chemistry, two basic natural sciences, are today seamlessly integrated, but for much of their history they were separate enterprises with distinct methods and goals. Physicists have consistently sought simplicity and mathematical rigor, whereas chemists seem to have been fascinated by the challenges of complexity. Parallels between these two sciences and the two major branches of contemporary personality psychology are described in an attempt to put in perspective the daunting enterprise of constructing a unified science of human nature.

Key Words: Five-Factor Model • philosophy of science • processes • social-cognitive approaches • traits

Theory & Psychology, Vol. 19, No. 5, 670-687 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0959354309341928
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