Cover -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication Page -- Table of Contents -- List of figures -- List of tables -- List of boxes -- Preface -- Part 1 Introduction to the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development -- Chapter 1 How the Longitudinal Study Began -- 1.1 A historical context for the study of aggression -- 1.2 Positive behavior in an impulse control model and the goals of the study -- 1.3 Research conditions in Finland and in the longitudinal study -- Chapter 2 The Execution of the Longitudinal Study -- 2.1 The research sample and the major waves of data collection -- 2.2 Attrition and the representativeness of the sample -- 2.3 Additional data collections -- 2.4 Assessment methods -- 2.5 Data analysis -- Chapter 3 Reflections on the Research Process -- 3.1 The evaluation of choices -- 3.2 Recommendations for launching a longitudinal study -- 3.3 What is development? -- Part 2 The development of personality and psychological functioning -- Chapter 4 Theoretical Frameworks for the Study of Socioemotional Development -- 4.1 From cognitive control of impulses to self-control -- 4.2 Updated framework -- 4.3 Three layers of personality for organizing research findings -- Chapter 5 The Person as Social Actor -- 5.1 Questions to be answered -- 5.2 Socioemotional behavior in childhood and adolescence -- 5.3 Children grow and adult styles of life emerge -- 5.4 Maturation, adjustment, or growth in adult personality -- 5.5 Childhood socioemotional behaviors as predictors of adult personality characteristics -- Chapter 6 The Person as Motivated Agent -- 6.1 The transition to adulthood -- 6.2 The length and timing of one's education -- 6.3 Goals and values -- Chapter 7 The Person as Autobiographical Author and an "Experiencer" of Life -- 7.1 A holistic approach to personality -- 7.2 Self-reflections