What term is used to describe the combination of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that define an individual?

The term that best describes the combination of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that define an individual is personality. Personality encompasses the unique patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that characterize a person, shaped by both genetic predispositions and environmental influences. This construct is widely studied in psychology and captures the complexity of human behavior, providing insight into how people typically react in various situations.

Character and self-concept, while related, do not fully encapsulate the breadth of individual differences that personality addresses. Character often refers more specifically to moral and ethical dimensions of an individual, whereas self-concept focuses on one's perceptions and beliefs about oneself, which may not encompass all elements of personality. Identity pertains to the broader context of how individuals see themselves within societal and cultural frameworks, including factors like race, ethnicity, gender, and personal history, but again does not directly address the intricate mix of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that make up personality. Thus, personality is the most accurate term to encapsulate this complex interplay of factors.