Personality Across Disciplines: An Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Review

Personality is a central construct for understanding human behavior, identity, and social functioning, yet it remains conceptually diverse and theoretically contested. Over the past century, personality has been examined through multiple disciplinary lenses, including psychology, sociology, neuroscience, anthropology, and philosophy. Each discipline offers distinct assumptions regarding the origins, structure, and expression of personality, resulting in both rich insights and conceptual fragmentation. In response to this complexity, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches have gained increasing prominence, seeking to integrate biological, psychological, social, cultural, and philosophical perspectives while addressing real-world challenges. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of contemporary personality research by examining conceptual definitions, historical developments, major theoretical traditions, and methodological approaches across disciplines. Particular attention is given to dominant personality theories including psychoanalytic, trait, behavioral, humanistic, biological, and sociocultural models and to empirically robust trait frameworks such as the Big Five and HEXACO models. The review further explores advances in neuroscience, genetics, and digital methodologies, alongside cross-cultural and anthropological findings that challenge claims of universality. Beyond theory, the paper highlights the applied relevance of personality research in health, education, and organizational contexts, emphasizing ethical, cultural, and practical considerations in assessment and intervention. By adopting a transdisciplinary perspective, this review argues that personality should be understood as a dynamic, context-sensitive system shaped by interactions among biological dispositions, social environments, cultural meanings, and individual agency. The paper concludes by outlining emerging trends and future directions, underscoring the need for integrative frameworks that can enhance both scientific understanding and societal well-being.