Personal Intelligence

John D. Mayer, the renowned psychologist who co-developed the groundbreaking theory of emotional intelligence, now draws on decades of cognitive psychology research to introduce another paradigm-shifting idea: that in order to become our best selves, we use an even broader intelligence—which he calls personal intelligence—to understand our own personality and the personalities of the people around us. In Personal Intelligence, Mayer explains that we are naturally curious about the motivations and inner worlds of the people we interact with every day. Some of us are talented at perceiving what makes our friends, family, and coworkers tick. Some of us are less so. Mayer reveals why, and shows how the most gifted "readers" among us have developed "high personal intelligence." Mayer's theory of personal intelligence brings together a diverse set of findings—previously regarded as unrelated—that show how much variety there is in our ability to read other people's faces; to accurately weigh the choices we are presented with in relationships, work, and family life; and to judge whether our personal life goals conflict or go together well. He persuasively argues that our capacity to problem-solve in these varied areas forms a unitary skill. Illustrating his points with examples drawn from the lives of successful college athletes, police detectives, and musicians, Mayer shows how people who are high in personal intelligence (open to their inner experiences, inquisitive about people, and willing to change themselves) are able to anticipate their own desires and actions, predict the behavior of others, and—using such knowledge—motivate themselves over the long term and make better life decisions. And in outlining the many ways we can benefit from nurturing these skills, Mayer puts forward an essential message about selfhood, sociability, and contentment. Personal Intelligence is an indispensable book for anyone who wants to better comprehend how we make sense of our world.

This groundbreaking handbook of character strengths and virtues is the first progress report from a prestigious group of researchers who have undertaken the systematic classification and measurement of widely valued positive traits. They approach good character in terms of separate strengths- authenticity, persistence, kindness, gratitude, hope, humor, and so on- each of which exists in degrees.

A comprehensive, scientific examination of the popular psychological construct of emotional intelligence.

Child prodigies. Gifted and Talented Programs. Perfect 2400s on the SAT. Sometimes it feels like the world is conspiring to make the rest of us feel inadequate. Those children tapped as possessing special abilities will go on to achieve great things, while the rest of us have little chance of realizing our dreams. Right? In Ungifted, cognitive psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman -- who was relegated to special education as a child -- sets out to show that the way we interpret traditional metrics of intelligence is misguided. Kaufman explores the latest research in genetics and neuroscience, as well as evolutionary, developmental, social, positive, and cognitive psychology, to challenge the conventional wisdom about the childhood predictors of adult success. He reveals that there are many paths to greatness, and argues for a more holistic approach to achievement that takes into account each young person's personal goals, individual psychology, and developmental trajectory. In so doing, he increases our appreciation for the intelligence and diverse strengths of prodigies, savants, and late bloomers, as well as those with dyslexia, autism, schizophrenia, and ADHD. Combining original research, anecdotes, and a singular compassion, Ungifted proves that anyone -- even those without readily observable gifts at any single moment in time -- can become great.

Personal and Professional Growth for Health Care Professionals blends aspects of professional development with issues related to personal development. Personal and professional development are inextricably linked because one cannot develop as a professional devoid of the personal insights related to personality, character, cognitions, emotions, and the cultural and generational constraints. Includes use of multi-stage model of professional development: perception, judgment, motivation, prioritization, decision process, and professional implementation. Offers Case Studies, Questions, and Issues for Discussion at the end of each chapter. This is an excellent resource to prepare students for career readiness.

Provides an overview of leading scholars' approaches to understanding the nature of intelligence, its measurement, its investigation, and its development.

Adulthood: An Introduction offers a thorough foundation to learn, consolidate, and apply developmental concepts and current knowledge to the psychology of adult development. It illustrates major ideas with carefully selected research that is widely referenced and topically pertinent to development in early, middle, and late adulthood. This comprehensive text reviews the five domains of development, including biological development, cognitive development, personality development, social development, and ecological influences in development. It introduces multicultural perspectives and contexts in these discussions, as well as developmental themes such as nature and nurture, early and later experiences, and the individual’s active role. Accompanied by learning objectives and section reviews, vignettes portray numerous adult experiences, and commentaries for students offer additional information and interpretation with the students’ perspectives in mind. Designed to encourage students to think critically about topics of adulthood in both academic and applied settings, Adulthood is appropriate for undergraduate students in psychology and related disciplines, such as addiction studies, speech pathology, criminal justice, nursing, and business. Combined with a complete ancillary package, the book provides activities for individuals and groups, critical thinking questions, vignette-specific questions and responses, perspectives across disciplines, and much more. Additional resources for both students and instructors are available in the book's Support Material.