PSYCHOLOGY 324-002: Personality Theory SPRING 2014
Instructor: Todd B. Kashdan, Ph.D.
Day: Tuesday and Thursday
Office: 2048 David King Hall
Time: 10:30-11:45
Phone: 703-993-9486
Place: Innovation Hall 208
Office Hours: 10am on Monday or request appointment
Website: toddkashdan.com
This course is designed to give students an overview of current research and debate in the field of
personality psychology. This is a survey course, which provides a wide-ranging overview of current topics
in personality psychology. Expect cutting edge theory and research in relation to evolution, culture,
genetics, emotion, self, health and well-being, and personality disorders, while providing a solid
foundation in the traditional areas of trait psychology, assessment, development, goals, and motives.
Assigned Readings and Lectures: Class participation is critical. By participating in class, you are
engaged in the learning process, assessing the ideas presented, and shaping the focus of the class.
Class becomes more dynamic, interesting and rewarding when students actively share their ideas,
objections, critiques, and questions. You are expected to come to class having read the assigned material
and be prepared to make comments, raise questions, and offer opinions on the comments of others.
Quality is far more important than quantity. Although I will lecture, a large portion of time will be devoted
to discussion. I will periodically check to see whether articles have been read. Failure to read them will
affect your grade. We will read from one text (with other readings listed below): Personality Psychology:
Domains of Knowledge about Human Nature (2013, 5th Edition) by Randy J. Larsen & David M. Buss.
Exams
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Exams take place in the same room and at the same time as lecture.
We do NOT have a cumulative final exam in this course.
You will have four tests throughout the semester. To give you an opportunity to learn how tests
are conducted in this class, the exams will increase in value from 40 points to 50 points (exams 1
and 2 will be worth 40 points; exams 3 and 4 will be worth 50 points). The exams will use a
multiple choice or short answer format and will take place during the same time and place that
class is normally held (see above for specific dates).
Each examination will cover lectures and reading assignments for the period immediately prior to
the examination, and no overall comprehensive examination will be given. You are responsible
for all of the relevant material covered in the assigned reading as well as the lecture material,
unless otherwise noted.
Students often ask: “Is it more important that I read the book or study the lecture notes?” Our
answer: “No. It is equally important that you read and study your lecture notes.”
If you are planning to miss an exam for a valid reason, you need to contact the instructor in
advance and will need to provide written documentation that explains your absence at the conflict
exam (see below for more information).
If you miss an exam without a valid excuse, you must contact the instructor within 1 week to
have the opportunity to take a single make-up exam with a 20% penalty. If you fail to contact the
instructor within 1 week of missing the exam, you will not be allowed take the make-up exam.
Conflict Exam
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For those who missed a regularly scheduled exam(s) with or without a valid excuse, a conflict
exam time will be scheduled during finals week during the scheduled final exam period.
Only those students who present an officially documented written excuse (i.e. Dean’s
letters, court order, valid medical documentations, etc.) and who notified the instructor in
the appropriate time frame (1 week) will be allowed to make up an exam without penalty.
Students who do not have a valid excuse (e.g., oversleep) or arrive late (e.g., after someone has
already turned in an exam) will still be allowed to take the conflict exam, but will receive a 20%
deduction in the exam score.
The conflict exam is the only way you will be able to make up an exam that you may have
missed, and it will be given only during finals week during the scheduled final exam period. The
make-up exam given during the conflict exam may be of any format the instructor chooses,
including short answer, essay format, multiple choice, or some combination therein.
Listserv: All students should join the class listserv to obtain course related information and participate in
dialogue about the course. Similar to class discussions, quality is important (not quantity). Despite the
medium, it is still an academic environment (e.g., be mindful of what and how you post, whether you want
to send it to 50 people or backchannel). Spam and solicitations, ad hominem attacks, disclosure of
personal emails without permission, unrelated topics, etc. are not acceptable (unless prior approval from
me). Failure to consistently follow guidelines will lead to removal from the listserv. Information about
subscribing, posting messages, reading archives, etc. is available at the website:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/personkashdan
You should receive regular emails and not the digest feature (as the digest feature will prevent you from
getting attachments). Your emails should be sent to the email account you check most regularly.
Grades: Your grade will be determined by the average of your exam scores. This will count for 80% of
your grade. 20% of your grade will be based on attendance and class contributions. You are expected to
attend every lecture and be an active participant in class. Grades are not rounded up; you must
achieve the full number of points to obtain your grade.
Penalty for not reading the Psych 324 Syllabus: If at any time, a student asks a question that can be
answered by reading the syllabus, the instructor has the option of penalizing the student 2 points for each
question asked.
DEMONSTRATED MASTERY GRADING SYSTEM: Extra credit assignments and quality of participation
(in class and on the listserv) will be looked at favorably when there are questions concerning whether test
grades adequately reflect a student's knowledge of the material, or when an average falls just below a
grade cut-off. Please do not ask me to alter your grades, as I will immediately refrain from acknowledging
your request. This process was created as a consequence of watching many of my students and
colleagues over the years perform poorly on tests despite class engagement, general mastery of the
material, and intense efforts above and beyond the call of duty. Please respect the positive potentiality of
this process by not asking me for preferential treatment. Deserving individuals will be acknowledged.
The grading scale is as follows for the average score for the five exams (including the final, which
is equivalent to 1.5 exams):
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
C-
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
93-100
90-92
87-89
83-86
80-82
77-79
73-76
70-72
D+
D
F
= 67-69
= 60-66
= less than 60
Last Day to Add Classes- January 27, 2015
Last Day to Drop (33% tuition penalty)- February 10, 2015
Last Day to Drop (67% tuition penalty)- February 20, 2015
Additional Course Policies
Students with Special Concerns
If you are a student with a disability and you need academic accommodations please see me and contact
the Disability Resource Center (DRC) at 703-993-2474. All academic accommodations must be arranged
through that office.
Statement of Academic Integrity
In accordance with University guidelines, I will take vigorous action against students who engage in
cheating, misrepresentation, or other dishonest practices. Penalties for students found guilty of academic
dishonesty will be determined on a case by case basis, in accordance with university guidelines. If you
have any concerns about matters of academic dishonesty please see me immediately.
Readings
To obtain articles, go to e-journals at GMU (the electronic library) and write in the title of the journal article, find
the article, and download the PDF file. You will need to purchase the class textbook.
Dates, Topics, and Reading Assignments
Date
Topic
1/20
Intro and orientation
1/22
1/29
Overview of personality
psychology
Research design and
evaluation
Personality assessment
Larsen & Buss
(L&B) Chapter 1
L&B Chapter 2;
online readings
L&B Chapter 2
2/3
Personality traits
L&B Chapter 3
&4
2/5
L&B Chapter 8
2/10
Evolutionary perspectives on
personality
Behavior genetics
2/12
Exam 1
2/17
Evolution of individual
differences
Personality Development
1/27
2/19
2/24
Personality Development
continued
Reading
Assignment
Notes
Review Syllabus
L&B Chapter 6
L&B Chapter 8
L&B Chapter 5
2/26
Sex, Gender, and Personality
L&B Chapter 16
3/3
Personality and Politics
TBD
3/5
Exam 2
SPRING BREAK
MARCH 9-15
Date
Topic
3/17
Self and self-regulation
3/19
Self and self-regulation,
continued
Personal strivings and projects
3/24
3/26
3/31
4/2
4/7
4/9
4/14
4/16
4/21
4/23
4/28
4/30
TBA
Reading
Assignment
L&B Chapter 14,
Leary article
Inzlicht article
L&B Chapter 11,
Little article
Personal strivings and projects, McKnight article
continued
Personality Strengths
Noftle chapter,
Sheldon article
Personality Strengths,
Biswas-Diener
continued
article
Happiness & Well-Being
Diener article
Exam 3
Personality in the Social
World
Personality in the Social
World, continued
Stress, Coping, & Health
Personality & Dynamic
Systems
Looking Ahead
Exam 4
Conflict Exam
Notes
Film: “This Emotional
Life”
L&B Chapter 15
Fitzsimmons &
DeWall articles
L&B Chapter 18
Cervone & Fleeson
articles
TBA
Supplemental Reading List
Biswas-Diener, R., Kashdan, T.B., & Minhas, G. (2011). A dynamic approach to psychological
strength development and intervention. Journal of Positive Psychology, 6, 106-118.
Cervone, D. & Shoda, Y. (1999). Beyond traits in the study of personality coherence. Current
Directions in Psychological Science, 8, 27-32.
DeWall, C. N., Deckman, T., Pond, R. S., & Bonser, I. (2011). Belongingness as a core
personality trait: How social exclusion influences social functioning and personality expression.
Journal of Personality, 79, 1281-1314.
Diener, E., Oishi, S., & Lucas, R. E. (2003). Personality, culture, and subjective well-being:
Emotional and cognitive evaluations of life. Annual Review of Psychology, 54, 403-425.
Fitzsimons, G. M., & Finkel, E. J. (2010). Interpersonal influences on self-regulation. Current
Directions in Psychological Science, 19, 101-105.
Fleeson, W. (2004). Moving personality beyond the person-situation debate: The challenge and
opportunity of within-person variability. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13, 83-87.
Inzlicht, M., & Schmeichel, B. J. (2012). What Is Ego Depletion? Toward a Mechanistic
Revision of the Resource Model of Self-Control. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7, 450463.
Leary, M. R., & Allen, A. B. (2011). Personality and Persona: Personality Processes in Self‐
Presentation. Journal of Personality, 79, 1191-1218.
Little, B.R. (in press). The integrative challenge in personality science: Personal projects as units
of analysis. Journal of Research in Personality
McKnight, P.E., & Kashdan, T.B. (2009). Purpose in life as a system that creates and sustains
health and well-being: An integrative, testable theory. Review of General Psychology, 13, 242251.
Noftle, E. E., Schnitker, S.A., & Robins, R. W. (2011). Character and personality: Connections
between positive psychology and personality psychology. In K.M. Sheldon, T.B. Kashdan, &
M.F. Steger (Eds.), Designing the future of positive psychology: Taking stock and moving
forward (pp. 207-227).Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.