Course Information
- 12 Oct 2026 (Mon)
Course Overview
Introduction
Personality is an abstract concept which integrates the many aspects that characterize what the person is like. It refers virtually everything about a person - mental, emotional, social, and physical. Some aspects of personality are unobservable, such as thoughts, memories, and dreams, whereas others are observable, such as overt actions. To most theorists, personality also includes aspects that are concealed from yourself, or unconscious, as well as those that are conscious and well within your awareness.
This course introduces major perspectives of personality theories as well as presents current controversial issues about personality. Upon completion of the course, students will learn about not only with the total functioning of the individual but also with individual differences between people.
What You’ll Learn
Course Outline
1. Overview of Personality Psychology
- Issue:Is Personality Stable Across the Life Span?
2. The Psychodynamic Perspective
- Issue:Should Freud's Theories Be Abandoned as Useless?
3. The Humanistic Perspective
- Issue:Can We Make Ourselves Happier?
- Issue:Does Money Lead to Happiness?
4. The Trait Perspective
- Issue:Is the Five-Factor Model an Adequate Theory of Personality?
- Issue:Is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) a Valid Tool for Career Selection?
5. The Behaviorist-Cognitive Perspective
- Issue:Is Our Self-Esteem Dependent on Others' Views of Us?
- Issue:Does Birth Order Influence Our Personalities?