The integrative challenge in personality science: Personal projects as units of analysis

Personality science pursues the rather paradoxical project of specializing in comprehensiveness. But with rapid increases in the breadth and depth of research in the field, the need for integration poses a clear challenge. The choice of unit of analysis is critical to this challenge. Personal projects, extended sets of personally salient action in context, are one example of integrative units of analysis. I review a social ecological framework for personality in which personal projects are pivotal units. I then examine twelve methodological criteria that have guided the development of research on personal projects and that stand in contrast to more traditional ways of assessing personality. I conclude by answering critical comments from a not totally hypothetical Reviewer C.