Psychology of Personality (215-0-20)
Instructors
Dan P McAdams
Meeting Info
Swift Hall 107: Tues, Thurs 2:00PM - 3:20PM
Overview of class
The course is an intensive introduction to the scientific study of personality psychology, examining the most important individual differences in human social and emotional functioning and their implications for overall adaptation to life. Blending classic conceptions of personality with current research, the course considers the study of persons from three different standpoints: the person as (1) social actor, endowed with dispositional traits; (2) motivated agent, constructing values and goals; and (3) autobiographical author, creating an integrative, culturally shaped story to make sense of life. An important component of the course is applying the main ideas of personality psychology to the interpretation of a single case - the life of a famous person from the 20th century, chosen from a list of about 20 famous people.
Registration Requirements
Recommended prerequisite: Psych 110
Evaluation Method
There will be two in-class midterm exams and one final exam.
Class Materials (Required)
McAdams, D. P., & Dunlop, W. L. (2022). The person: A new introduction to personality psychology (6th Ed.). New York: Wiley. ISBN 9781119705062 (PBK) In addition, a number of required articles will be posted on Canvas.
Class Attributes
Social and Behavioral Science Foundational Discipl
Social & Behavioral Sciences Distro Area
Attendance at 1st class mandatory
Prerequisites apply, see description