Heartland Community College
Master Course Syllabus
Division: Social and Business Sciences
Course Prefix and number: PSY 220
Course Title: Personality
DATE PREPARED: July 15, 1992
DATE REVISED: July 31, 1998; April, 2011
PCS/CIP/ID NO.: 1.1-420701
IAI NO. (if available):
EFFECTIVE DATE OF FIRST CLASS: January, 2012
CREDIT HOURS: 3
CONTACT HOURS: 3
LECTURE HOURS: 3
LABORATORY HOURS: 0
CATALOG DESCRIPTION (Include specific prerequisites):
Prerequisite: PSY 101. This course provides a critical examination of psychology’s most
influential theories as they relate to the study of personality. Theories will include but are not
restricted to trait, biological, psychoanalytic, social-behavioral, cognitive, and
humanistic. Emphasis will be placed on both the history and current applications of the theory,
as well as empirical support.
TEXTBOOK(S):
Required: Larsen, R., & Buss, D. (2010). Personality Psychology Domains of Knowledge
About Human Nature (4th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Or a comparable text that addresses at a minimum the topics listed in the Course Outline and that
provides students with the opportunity to achieve the learning outcomes for this course.
RELATIONSHIP TO ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND TRANSFER:
PSY 220 fulfills 3 hours of elective credit for the A.A. and A.S. degrees. It should transfer to
most colleges and universities as an elective course. However, since it is not part of either the
General Education Core Curriculum or a baccalaureate major program described in the Illinois
Articulation Initiative, students should check with an academic advisor for information about its
transferability to other institutions. Refer to the IAI web page at www. itransfer.org for more
information.
COURSE OBJECTIVES / LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Upon completion of this course, students will:
Learning Outcomes:
1. Compare the fundamental research
designs utilized in the study of personality
psychology, demonstrating an understanding
of the role of research in this field.
2. Investigate and demonstrate knowledge
of the development of personality across the
life span with an emphasis on stability and/or
change.
3. Analyze and evaluate the application of
various personality assessment techniques.
4. Appreciate and demonstrate a respect for
the diverse historical and emerging theories
of personality with an emphasis on
application and empirical support.
5. Appraise the complex role of emotion and
the “self” in the development of a normal
personality.
6. Assess and evaluate the differences
between normal and atypical personality
development, with an understanding of the
major personality disorders.
7. Justify and challenge existing personality
theory, proposing their own theory as it
relates to personality and the real world.
General Education Outcomes:
Range of
Assessment
Methods:
Throughout the semester, students will
achieve the following general
education outcomes
Throughout the
semester, the
following
assessment methods
may be used to
measure the course
and general
education outcomes
Critical Thinking 2- Students determine
value of multiple sources or strategies and
select those most appropriate in a given
context.
Critical Thinking 4 – Students actively
reflect on their answer, approach, or
solution and act upon those reflections to
improve the final result.
Communication 2 – Students effectively
deliver a message via various
channels/modalities.
Problem Solving 4 – Students analyze the
situation, explore different outcomes from
multiple frameworks, apply the appropriate
solution, analyze the results, and refine the
solution.
Diversity 5 – Students consistently and
characteristically approach diversity issues
in a manner that exemplifies respect for an
appreciation of difference.
Exams, essays,
quizzes, semester
projects, research
papers, reflective
writing assignments,
journals, case studies,
group work, class
presentations, in-class
assignments, and any
other assignment
deemed beneficial by
the instructor.
COURSE/LAB OUTLINE:
This outline is a brief representation of what each instructor will include while teaching this
course. Additional topics may be included, and each instructor may vary the presentation and
how much time is spent on each topic.
1. Research methods in personality theory
2. Personality development over the life span: stability and/or change
3. Personality assessment
4. Dispositional trait theory
5. Genetics and evolution
6. Psychoanalysis: historical and modern approaches
7. Humanistic theory
8. Social-behavioral learning theories
9. Cognitive theory
10. Eastern philosophy in personality theory
11. Necessary components of healthy personality development
12. Atypical personality development: personality disorders
METHOD OF EVALUATION (Tests/Exams, Grading System):
The evaluation methods will vary by instructor, but may include exams, essays, quizzes, semester
projects, research papers, reflective writing assignments, journals, case studies, group work, class
presentations, in-class assignments, and any other assignment deemed beneficial by the
instructor. The final grade will be determined based on the following grading scale.
Grading Scale
A = 100% - 90%
B = 89% - 80%
C = 79% - 70%
D = 69% - 60%
F = 59% and below
A maximum of 85% (or as little as 50%) of a student’s grade may be determined by
exams. HCC guidelines for writing across the curriculum must be met.
REQUIRED WRITING AND READING:
This course requires at minimum 35 pages of reading per week. A minimum of 10 pages of
college level writing (equivalent to 10 typed, double-spaced pages) is required in this
course. This may be accomplished through a combination of various writing requirements, such
as research papers, essay questions on exams, journals, and/or in-class writing assignments.