Mar 28, 2024  
Academic Catalog 2017-2018 
    
Academic Catalog 2017-2018 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

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PSY-704 Theories of Personality

4 semester credits
The goal of this class is to develop an understanding of the conceptual and empirical bases of key theories of personality. The multitude of personality theories has been organized into five main approaches: cognitive-behavioral, humanistic-existential, narrative, psychoanalytic, and psychometric/descriptive. Each approach or school shares a set of basic assumptions about what people are like, their motives, course of development, and sources of change. Central to this course is your understanding of the shared issues across theories as well points of commonality and uniqueness.
Delivery Method: Distance/Electronically Mediated
Grading Default: Letter
Note: Elective
Learning Outcome(s):  

  1. Be able to articulate the core assumptions of major schools of personality: cognitive-behavioral, existential-humanistic, psychoanalytic, and psychometric/descriptive approaches such as trait theories and the five-factor model.
  2. Recognize and discuss the similarities and differences across personality theories and consider the benefits and limitations of integrative approaches.
  3. Recognize and provide support for the strengths and limitations of a given theory when it comes to addressing the full range of human diversity.
  4. Be able to critically report upon and evaluate the empirical support for constructs from specific approaches to personality.



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