Personality and Individual Differences
PSY 313 401
Spring 2006
Dr. Mary Beth McGavran
Class Time: W 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Office: 112 Kastle Hall
Class Location: 114 CB
Phone: 257-3779
Email: mdiener@uky.edu
Office Hours: Tuesdays 2:30 – 3:30, drop in, or by appointment
Text:
Friedman, H.S. & Schustack, M.W. (2003). Personality: Classic Theories and
Modern Research (2nd edition). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Website for class: http://www.uky.edu/Classes/PSY/313-001/
You can access the slides used in class, your grades, and links of interest via the
website.
Goals for the course:
1. Learn about major theoretical approaches to personality.
2. Learn about current research in the area of personality.
3. Improve your ability to think analytically about theories and research in personality.
Course Requirements:
1) Class/lectures: It is to your benefit to come to class, although attendance is not
required. Class time will be used for lectures and activities related to the material. Some
lectures will cover material not in the book. Even when the material overlaps with the
text, one way to improve your learning is to be exposed to the same material in different
ways (e.g. through hearing and reading). Class time will also include activities and
discussions which are designed to help you think about the material and actively integrate
it. THEREFORE, IT IS TO YOUR BENEFIT TO ATTEND CLASS REGULARLY.
If you miss class, it is your responsibility to get the notes from someone in class. The
instructor is not obligated to cover material for a student who misses class. You can
access the slides used in class via the website.
2) Exams: You will have 3 exams. Each exam is worth 50 points. The test questions will
be multiple-choice and true/false. You are responsible for all information presented in
class and in the required chapters from the text. Exams are not comprehensive. Exams
will be graded using the following scale: A = 90% and above; B = 80% - 89.99%; C =
70% - 79.99%; D = 60% - 69.99%, and E = anything lower than 60%. I may
occasionally curve an exam; if used, the curve will help, rather than hurt, students.
**IMPORTANT NOTE: With respect to exams, there are two types of absences:
excused and unexcused. An excused absence, as defined by the University Bulletin, is an
absence due to one of five reasons: (1) illness of student or close family member; (2)
death of family member; (3) attendance on a sponsored University trip; (4) major
religious holiday; and (5) extreme personal emergency which the instructor finds
reasonable cause for non-attendance. In order for your absence to be considered
excused for an exam, you must notify me before the exam starts that you will be
missing the exam. You may leave me a message on my office answering machine, put a
note in my mailbox in room 111A of Kastle Hall, or put a note under my door. I will
require written documentation to verify the reason for your absence.
Students with an excused absence will take a make-up exam within one week of
their return to class. Although I will try to be flexible in scheduling make-up exams, this
is a large class without a T.A. If many students need to take a make-up exam, I may
dictate the time of the make-up exam rather than allowing each student to choose a time.
Alternatively, it may be possible in some cases to have the other exams weighted more
heavily toward the final grade.
Students with unexcused absences for an exam, which includes absences for
which appropriate documentation is not provided, will receive a zero for that exam.
4) Final Exam (Optional): The comprehensive final exam is optional. If you are satisfied
with your grade as it stands after the 3rd exam, you do NOT need to take the final exam.
Alternatively, you can choose to take the final exam, which will be comprehensive. You
will then have 4 exam grades and you can drop your lowest exam grade.
5) Extra Credit: You may have the opportunity to earn up to 5 extra credit points. These
points may be earned through full participation in the in-class assignments. These
assignments will consist of your responses and reactions to questions that are posed
during class time. The activities are designed to help you actively process the
information covered in the course. If an activity or brief written assignment is announced
as qualifying for extra credit, it will be worth 1 point. You will not be able to exceed 5
extra credit points. These extra credit in-class assignments are extra and cannot be
made up.
6) Academic Honesty and Integrity: I expect all students to exercise academic honesty in
their written work and on exams. Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated. Cheating
on exams includes the use of cheat sheets, copying, talking during the exam, looking at
another student's exam, etc. As a reminder, the minimum penalty for either of these
academic offenses is an AE@ in the course, with suspension and dismissal from the
University also possibilities.
Grading:
A = 135 – 150
B = 120 - 134
C = 105 - 119
D = 90 - 104
E = 89 or lower
Being one point away from the next higher grade is a very sad situation, but I will not
change the grading scale or “add” points for a student at the end of the semester. I highly
recommend that you keep track of your points as the semester progresses so that you can
assess your grade on an ongoing basis. This tracking will allow you to determine
whether or not it will be beneficial to take the final exam, and it will prevent any
surprises at the end of the semester. I have included space below to help you in this
endeavor. I also recommend that you talk to me early in the semester if you are having
trouble in the class. Little can be changed as the end of the semester approaches.
My points:
Exam #1 ____/50
Exam #2 ____/50
Exam #3 ____/50
Final Exam _____/50 (lowest exam score will be dropped if final exam is taken)
Some in-class assignments may be offered as extra credit. If announced as extra credit,
they will be counted as1 point each. You may earn a maximum of 5 points extra credit.
You may find it helpful to record extra credit points in the space below. You can also
check your extra credit points through the website.
Course Schedule:
Date
Topic
I. Personality: Theories and methods
II. Trait Theories
01/11/06
intro. to personality, theories
01/18/06
research methods, begin trait theories
01/25/06
no class—I will be at a conference
02/01/06
Five Factor Model, relevant research
02/08/06
exam #1 (Chs. 1, 2, and 8)
III. Psychodynamic Theories
IV. Biological Theories
02/15/06
psychodynamic theories
02/22/06
attachment theory & research, temperament
03/01/06
inheritance, evolution, BIS/BAS, hormones
03/08/06
exam #2 (Chs. 3, 4, and 5)
V. Phenomenological (Humanistic) Theories
VI. Learning Theories
VII. Cognitive and Social-Cognitive Theories
03/22/06
Rogers, Maslow, Q-sort
03/29/06
classical and operant conditioning
04/05/06
cognitive and social-cognitive theories
04/12/06
issues, applications, integration
04/19/04
exam #3 (Chs. 6, 7, 9, and 10)
VIII. Integration and Wrap-up
04/26/04
review and integration
05/03/04
optional final exam - will be comprehensive
Wednesday May 3rd at 5:30 p.m. in same classroom
Reading
Ch. 1
Ch. 2 and 8
Ch. 8
Ch. 3 and 4
Ch. 5
Ch.9
Ch. 6
Ch. 7 and 10
Ch. 7 and 10