Which term refers to the enduring pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that distinguish individuals from one another?

The term that encapsulates the enduring patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that differentiate individuals is "personality." Personality encompasses a wide range of characteristics and traits that shape how an individual perceives and interacts with the world around them. It includes both stable traits, such as emotional responses and social behaviors, as well as more dynamic aspects, like how one adapts to their environment.

Personality is typically regarded as a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors, making it a holistic representation of an individual's unique way of being and relating to others. This concept is foundational in psychology as it seeks to understand the consistent patterns that define who people are across different situations and over time.

The other terms, while related, do not fully capture this enduring complexity. Character often refers more specifically to moral and ethical traits, temperament generally refers to the innate aspects of an individual's nature, which may be evident early on in life (like mood or energy levels), and identity focuses on the personal sense of self and the roles one feels in various contexts. Therefore, personality is the most comprehensive term in describing the combination of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that uniquely characterize an individual.