A Personality Framework for the Unification of Psychology

Abstract

We describe the Personality Systems Framework for organizing the discipline of psychology ( J. D. Mayer, 2005 , A tale of two visions: Can a new view of personality help integrate psychology? American Psychologist, Vol. 60, 294–307). The framework consists of a broad outline of topics that psychologists already research, along with a map of psychology's location in relation to other systems of scientific study and a map of its inner psychological functions, such as “energy development” and “knowledge guidance,” which organize interrelated areas of research. The Systems Framework uncovers an organization that already is in partial use by psychologists, elucidates it, and uses an expanded version of the approach to better organize the field's major topics. Examples of how the Personality Systems Framework can be applied to education, research, and translational work are provided.