Handbook Of Psychobiography

This exceptionally readable and down-to-earth handbook is destined to become the definitive guide to psychobiographical research, the application of psychological theory and research to individual lives of historical importance. It brings together for the first time the world's leading psychobiographers, writing lucidly on many of the major figures of our age - from Osama Bin Laden to Elvis Presley. The first section of the book addresses the subject of how to construct an effective psychobiography. Editor William Todd Schultz introduces the field, provides valuable definitions of good and bad psychobiography, discusses an optimal structure for biographical data. Dan McAdams explores the question of what psychobiographers might learn from current research in personality psychology. Alan Elms delivers wise advice on the tricky subject of theory choice in psychobiography. William Runyan asks why Van Gogh cut off his ear, and in the process explains how one evaluates competing interpretations of the same event in a subject's life. And Kate Isaacson describes a template for use in multiple-case psychobiography. Never before has method in psychobiography been so clearly and explicitly addressed. Those just getting started in the field will find in Section One a detailed roadmap for success. The remaining sections of the book are composed of richly engaging case studies of famous artists, psychologists, and politicians. They address compelling questions such as: What are the subjective origins of photographer Diane Arbus's obsession with freaks? In what ways did the early loss of Sylvia Plath's father affect her poetry and presage her suicide? Out of what painful life experience did James Barrie drive himself to invent Peter Pan? Why did Elvis experience such difficulty singing the song "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" What accounts for Bin Laden's radicalism, Kim Jong Il's paranoia, George W. Bush's conflict with identity? Why did Freud go so disastrously astray in his analysis of Leonardo? What made psychologist Gordon Allport's meeting with Freud so pungently significant? How did the loss of his father determine major elements of Nietzsche's philosophy? These questions and many more get answered, often in surprising and incisive fashion. Additional chapters take up the lives of Harvard operationist S.S. Stevens, Erik Erikson, Edith Wharton, Saddam Hussein, Truman Capote, Kathryn Harrison, Jack Kerouac, and others. Within each case study, tips are proffered along the way as to how psychobiography can be done more cogently, more intelligently, and more valuably.

Bringing together leading investigators, this comprehensive handbook is a one-stop reference for anyone planning or conducting research on personality. It provides up-to-date analyses of the rich array of methodological tools available today, giving particular attention to real-world theoretical and logistical challenges and how to overcome them. In chapters filled with detailed, practical examples, readers are shown step by step how to formulate a suitable research design, select and use high-quality measures, and manage the complexities of data analysis and interpretation. Coverage ranges from classic methods like self-report inventories and observational procedures to such recent innovations as neuroimaging and genetic analyses.

This volume offers insights into contemporary trends and perspectives in psychobiographical research. It applys new theoretical and methodological frameworks and presents discourses on psychobiography from transdisciplinary backgrounds and various socio-cultural contexts, displaying the new state-of-the-art, new trends and themes in psychobiography. The book outlines psychobiography’s outstanding contribution to psychology from 36 internationally reputable authors. It also presents the ideas of five outstanding psychobiographers through interview excerpts. This book is a must for researchers, lecturers and practitioners in the field of psychology and social sciences interested in the use of new psychological theories and methodologies in life-span research.

This book is a psychobiography on the life of Viktor Frankl and a unique exploration of his life from a positive psychology perspective. It uses Paul Wong’s theory of positive psychology wave 2 (PP2.0) and explores the concepts of meaning and virtue throughout Frankl's life span. The authors define virtue in terms of appreciation of beauty, gratitude, hope, humour and spirituality, and define meaning based on Paul Wong’s PURE model. They apply Irving Alexander’s primary indicators of psychological salience and W.T. Schultz’s prototypical scenes to analyse Frankl's important life events. This psychobiography presents an original contribution to theory on three levels: advancing the literature in psychobiography, developing the field of PP2.0, and providing new insights into Frankl’s life. It is a must for psychographers, positive psychologists and people interested in Frankl’s life and theoretical contributions.

A practical guide to conducting psychobiography, including the theory, methods, and ethical considerations required for research and writing.

This volume presents psychobiographical research in non-WEIRD—Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic—contexts and samples, focusing on culture, transcultural and transdisciplinary work. It creates a platform for researchers, scholars and scientists from diverse backgrounds to put forth new theoretical and methodological stances in psychobiography, thereby making the field more inclusive, diverse and equitable. The chapters in this volume investigate the role of context across the life course of non-WEIRD psychological subjects, as well as the interplay between them and their environments across the life span. They further elucidate cognitive, affective and behavioural aspects of individuals with non-WEIRD backgrounds. The volume provides a broad and at the same time in-depth perspective into psychobiography beyond the usual contexts and therefore has new and original learnings to offer across disciplines and cultures. It is a breakthrough in terms of its transcultural and transdisciplinary insights into lives lived in different contexts in the world. "Every person is in certain respects (a) like all other persons, (b) like some other persons, (c) like no other persons. This book is a challenging and fascinating exploration of extending psychobiography beyond its origins in Europe and America to women and men of different races and social and economic classes from Africa, Asia, and around the world. At its best, psychobiography can increase people's awareness of their own subjective experience and that of others, contributing to movements for social, cultural and political change." William McKinley Runyan, Professor Emeritus & Professor of the Graduate School, School of Social Welfare, U. of California Berkeley Beyond Weird is beyond needed. The book triumphantly fills the gap created by a dearth of studies of people other than Western, educated, European and American men. James William Anderson, PhD, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago.

This reference work offers comprehensive perspectives on servant leadership. Featuring a cadre of leading world-class scholars, practitioners, and contributing authors from diverse fields of inquiry, it aims to collate research on servant leadership with a particular focus on its moral and spiritual dimensions.It is divided into sections that center on topics such as character, philosophical influences, diversity and inclusion, critiques of servant leadership as well as examples of servant leaders Though first introduced in the 1970 by Robert Greenleaf, the field of servant leadership is still lacking consensus on a definition and a theoretical framework. The goal of this reference work is to begin to fill this gap by assembling the scholarship of the top scholars in this field and providing a go-to source for information on the theory and practice of servant leadership. This handbook will serve as an essential resource for researchers, scholars, and students of organizational behavior, human resource management, and business ethics, as well as consultants and business leaders interested in discovering the best leadership models to suit contemporary organizations.

This book assesses the life and success of the writer Paulo Coelho, one of the most fascinating and contemporary writers in the world, through new lenses. It applies a positive psychology perspective and contributes to using innovative theories in psychobiographical studies. This study explores the development of holistic wellness (HWM) and faith development (FDT) throughout the writer's life. It presents radical changes in spirituality, self-direction, love and faith across the life span. Further, it analyses the development of Coelho’s relationship with God and the creation of meaningfulness through his belief and writing. This study contributes to a new era of psychobiographical works within the positive psychology framework.