PSY
3223: Theories of Personality
Spring,
2008
Instructor: Dr.
David Dietrich
Office: 207E Varnell-Jones Hall
Phone: (w)425-3445
(h)664-9904
e-mail: dietrich@lambuth.edu
Text: Engler, B. (2006). Theories
of Personality. (7th
Ed.).
Houghton Mifflin Company.
Course
Description:
Through this
course you will become familiar with a number of competing theories of
personality. These theories exhibit the
attempts of various psychologists to explain such issues as how personalities develop, how personalities affect behavior, how behavior
affects personalities, why some people are very successful, why some people
develop mental problems, and just exactly what makes up personality. In other words, many of the questions that
drew you into the study of psychology may be addressed in this course.
This is not a
strict lecture course. Because we are
dealing with concepts that lend themselves to discussion and application, I
hope to approach these topics in a unique way.
This means that class will not solely be a time in which I lecture to
you from the text. Class time will
consist of two primary formats. In one
format, I will clarify or supplement your reading from the text. In the second, you will utilize the material
that you have read in order to complete discussions and activities in class. Because class will be a time in which you
actively use material from the text, you must be
responsible for completing the assigned reading prior to the class time. I have found that the students who struggle
in this class often do not keep up with the reading and study at the last
minute for exams. If you take this
approach, your grade will probably reflect this minimal effort. You also should
be prepared to take an active role during class. It is assumed that you have progressed enough
as a student to become an active, independent learner who does not rely on a
professor to lecture over every detail of a chapter, but who is comfortable
asking questions during class.
Objectives: By the end of the semester you should be
able to:
j Describe, understand and be able to
apply the major theories of personality, including those of Freud, Adler, Jung,
Erikson, Horney, Allport, Cattell, Skinner, Kelly,
Rogers, Maslow and Zen Buddhism.
j Examine critically theories of
personality, going beyond rote memorization of concepts to a deeper
understanding.
j Develop your own preferences for the
origins of personality, the elements of personality, and the stability of
personality.
j Explore your own personality using the
theories covered in class, in the hopes of both deepening your understanding of
the theory (by relating the theoretical concepts to something relevant to you -
you), and of giving yourself some insight into what influences have helped to
shape who you are.
j Participate productively in small
group and whole class discussion, thus encouraging you to improve your ability
to express yourself verbally, and improve your ability to challenge your
thoughts and those of others.
j Further develop your writing skills
through the completion of reflective assignments.
Evaluation:
Your progress in
learning the material in this course will be measured through five
examinations, completion of three writing assignments, and an assessment of
your class participation.
The examinations will consist of
multiple-choice questions, which assess your ability to apply the concepts discussed in class and your text. The examinations reflect to a great extent
the group work we will complete during class, as both require you to look at a
case and analyze it using a specific theory of personality. The better you work in your small groups
during class, the better you will learn the material for the examinations. In the past, students who made the most of
their group time performed at a higher level on the examinations. Rote memorization of key concepts will not be
sufficient on these exams. You will find
that you must learn to apply what we are studying.
You will also be
required to turn in three papers
during the semester. In each paper you will analyze yourself, or someone else,
using one of the theories covered in
class. You must analyze yourself in at least two of the papers. You will
turn in only one paper when an exam is given. You cannot turn in multiple papers at one
time. The paper must use one of the
theories covered on that particular exam.
The paper must be turned in at the beginning of the class on the day of
each exam. Late papers will be dropped 10 points for each day late. Turning your paper in after class on the
day it is due is considered to be one day late and you will be dropped one
letter grade. For example, our first exam is scheduled to cover both Freud
and Jung. For your first paper, you may
choose the theory of either Freud, or Jung to examine your own personality, or
you could choose not to use either of these theories and complete your papers
later. You choose which theories to use for your papers. If you
choose to wait until the end of the semester to complete your final paper, it
is due on Monday, April 28 by 11:30 a.m. Each paper should be typed,
double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, with one inch margins,
using APA style for any citations, and at minimum five pages in length.
The purpose of writing these papers is to
deepen your understanding of the theory in question, thus helping you to prepare for the exam, and, to encourage you
to look at yourself in more depth. Your
paper should include a thorough discussion of the basic concepts of the theory
you choose, and examples from your life, or the life of the person who is the
focus of your paper, that support your analysis of your subject. Any statement you make in which you analyze
your subject should be backed up with an example. (If you say, in the first paper that you often use defense
mechanisms, state which ones and give examples of times when you did use
these.) You will be graded on the depth of your understanding of the theory, as
evidenced by your ability to apply these concepts to your own life, and your writing ability (punctuation,
grammar, clarity of your writing).
Class
participation will be assessed on two levels: one, your presence in class; and,
two, your ability to work within small groups and independently to ask
questions, supply answers and opinions, and show an interest in the
course. A daily sign-in sheet will be
passed around at the beginning of class.
The instructor will note your work in small groups and during lectures
to assess your level of participation.
Consistent tardiness will reduce your participation grade. Using, checking, or answering your cell phone
will also affect your participation grade.
· Your grade will come from the
following sources:
Five exams = 60%
Writing
assignments = 30%
Class
participation = 10%
· The following percentages will
determine your final grade:
90 - 100 = A 80
- 89 = B 70 - 79 = C 60 - 69 = D below 60
Academic Honesty:
Cheating and
plagiarism are not tolerated in this course.
If you cheat on an exam or assignment, you will be given a "0"
for that assignment. If you cheat on a
second exam or assignment, you will fail the course and your name will be given
to the Academic Dean. Cheating and
plagiarism are defined in the student handbook.
These definitions will be followed in this course.
Making up missed
work:
Make-up exams will
be given only in extreme circumstances (severe illness, family emergency) and
documentation of your absence will be required.
Thus if you are sick, a doctor must write a note indicating that your illness
was severe enough to prevent your attendance.
Failure to provide proper documentation will result in denial of the
make-up exam. Falsification of this
documentation will result in a "O" on the
exam and your name may be turned in to the Academic Dean for further
disciplinary action. Make-up exams will
generally be of a different nature than the original exam, changing in format,
content, and/or length. If you are an
athlete or a member of a university-sponsored club or group, check your
schedule at the beginning of the semester to note any conflicts with exams in
this course. If you are missing an exam
for a school sponsored activity, you must inform me of this before the exam,
and schedule the make-up for as soon as possible after the scheduled date.
Special
accommodations:
If you have a
documented learning disability, or other handicapping condition, which will
affect your performance in this course, notify me by the end of the first week of the semester so that appropriate
accommodations can be made.
Free tutoring is available
through the university if you are having difficulty with this course. See me for more information. I am always willing to answer any questions,
help clarify any concepts, or clear up any misunderstandings you may have about
course content. If you are having trouble at any point in the semester, call
me, drop by, or e-mail me.
Letters of
Recommendation:
Many psychology
majors plan on attending graduate school.
Most graduate programs require letters of recommendation from
professors. Others plan on finding a job
immediately after graduation. Those students often need a letter of
recommendation also. If you are planning
on asking me to write a letter of recommendation for you, it may be helpful for
you to know the things I consider when writing such a letter. I take into account:
j your academic
performance
j the nature of
the questions you raise in class and the answers you give
j the apparent
effort you put into your studies
j your attitude
and motivation, including attendance, tardiness, and persistence
j your ability
to take constructive criticism and learn from your mistakes
j the quality
of your writing
j your level of
responsibility and dependability (as seen in class and out of class)
j your ability
and willingness to take part in out-of-class activities in
psychology (Psych Club, Psi
Chi)
Course Schedule:
Date Topic
Jan. 15 Introduction to the course None
Jan. 17 Freudian Theory Ch.
2
Jan. 22 Psychobiography/Freudian Theory
Jan. 24 Jungian Theory Ch.
3
Jan. 29 Psychobiography/Jungian Theory
Jan. 31 Adlerian
Theory Ch.
4
Feb. 5 Psychobiography/Adlerian Theory
Feb. 7 Exam One
Feb. 12 Horney’s
Theory Ch.
5
Feb. 14 Psychobiography/Horney’s Theory
Feb 19 Erikson's
Theory Ch.
6
Feb. 21 Psychobiography/Erikson's Theory
Feb. 26 Object Relations theory Ch.
7
Feb. 28 Second Exam/
Mar. 4 Allport's
Theory Ch.
10
Mar. 6 No Class – SEPA
Mar. 10-14 Spring Break
Mar. 18 Cattell's
Theory Ch.
11
Mar. 20 Psychobiography
Mar. 25 Third Exam
Mar. 27 Biological Theories
Apr. 1 Biological Theories
Apr. 3 Skinner's theory Ch.
8
Apr. 8 Dollard
and Miller Ch.
8
Apr. 10 Fourth Exam
Apr. 15 Bandura's
Theory Ch.
9
Apr. 17 Bandura/Psychobiography
Apr. 22 Zen Buddhism Ch.
17
Apr. 24 Zen Buddhism Ch.
17