PSY 361
Personality Theory
Spring II 2008
INSTRUCTOR:
Carol M. Lewis
PHONE:
312-567-2334
EMAIL:
carolmlewis@sbcglobal.net
FAX:
ALT PHONE:
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Title
Author(s)
Copyright
Publisher
ISBN
Edition
An Introduction to Theories of Personality
Hergenhahn, B. R., and Olson, M. H.
2003
Upper Saddle River
0-13-099226-7
6th, an older or newer addition is also acceptable
This Course Requires the Purchase of a Course Packet:
YES
NO
Argosy University
COURSE SYLLABUS
PSY361
Personality Theory
Faculty Information
Faculty Name: Carol M. Lewis M.S. L.C.P.C.
Campus: Chicago, Illinois
Contact Information: Office phone: 312-567-2334
Home phone: 708-485-2417
Email: carolmlewis@sbcglobal.net
Most often I will respond to email messages and phone messages by the following day, and when possible on the same day.
Office Hours: I will be available for brief meetings in the late afternoon or early evening before each class. Meetings may be arranged by
contacting me to schedule an appointment.
Short Faculty Bio: I am Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, with a Master of Science in Psychology from the Illinois Institute of Technology. I
have been a psychotherapist for more than thirty years. In my clinical work I provide diagnostic assessment and outpatient treatment for adults of
diverse cultural background and clinical needs at Mercy Hospital Mental Health Center in Chicago. My primary research work has been the study of
psychotherapeutic processes and developmental processes in psychotherapeutic groups. My published work includes The Process of Group
Psychotherapy: Systems for Analyzing Change, APA Books, of which I am both co-editor and a contributing author. I’ve been a member of the faculty
at Argosy University for more than two years.
Course description: This course examines psychoanalytic, biological, behavioral, cognitive, trait, humanistic, and interactionist theoretical approaches to
understanding personalities. Strength and weaknesses of various approaches are noted. Where available, modern research is integrated with each theoretical
approach. Thoughtful evaluation of eight approaches is emphasized as is integration of theories to create a rich and multifaceted picture of human personality.
Practical applications to gender and cultural/ethnic differences are noted. Assignments are designed to foster student awareness and reflection concerning
personal assumptions about personality. The assignments also encourage students critical thinking skills when evaluating the eight approaches and the related
research.
Course Pre-requisites: None
Required Textbook:
Hergenhahn, B. R., & Olson., M. H. (2003). An Introduction to Theories of Personality. NJ: Upper Saddle River. ISBN: 0-13-099226-7 (6th edition)
The seventh edition is available and is also acceptable. ISBN: 0-13-194228X
You may also choose to purchase a fourth or fifth edition, they may be available at little expense. In addition to our text, I’ll identify other resources available on
the web or at the Argosy online library, including short selections from primary sources, the writings of the theorists themselves.
Technology: Pentium III CPU/ Windows 98; 128MB RAM, printer; Microsoft Office Acrobat (full version), Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 (PC) 5.0 (MAC) or
Netscape Navigator 4.08. Norton Antivirus.
Course length: 7.5 Weeks
Contact Hours: 45 Hours
Credit Value: 3.0
Program Outcomes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Cognitive Abilities
1.1. Critical Thinking - Given a psychological issue, employ skeptical inquiry and a scientific approach to respond to the issue.
1.2. Information Literacy - Given a research question related to psychology, access information from a variety of sources and select appropriate sources to
respond to the question.
Research
2.1. Understanding Research Methods – Given an article about research findings in the field of psychology from a scholarly journal, identify the research
methods used and the findings of the article.
2.2. Identifying Research Methods – Identify the appropriate statistical tools and basic research methods in psychology, including research design, data
analysis, and interpretation.
Communication Skills
3.1. Oral - Effectively present psychological concepts orally as appropriate to the audience.
3.2. Written - Effectively present psychological information, in writing, using software and style appropriate to the audience.
Ethics/Diversity
4.1. Ethics - Identify the issues and challenges related to ethics in the field of psychology.
4.2. Diversity - Identify the issues and challenges related to diversity in the field of psychology.
Knowledge of the Field
5.1. Foundations – Recognize the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, applications, and historical trends in psychology.
Knowledge of Applied Psychology
6.1. Apply psychological principles to personal, social, and/or organizational issues.
Course Objectives:
1.
2.
Students will demonstrate the ability to critically summarize and discuss the major personality theories and be able to define the essential approaches to
human psychology that distinguish each of these perspectives (Critical Thinking, Oral). (Program Outcome(s): 1.1, 3.1, & 5)
1.1. Discuss psychoanalysis theories, neo-analytic theories, trait theories, behavioral theories, cognitive theories, humanistic/existential theories, biological
theories.
1.2. Analyze each theory type based on essential approaches to human psychology.
Students will demonstrate the ability to list, define and describe the importance of established research in theories of personality and personality
development (Critical Thinking, Research, and Communication-Written). (Program Outcome(s): 1.1, 2.2, & 3.2)
3.
4.
5.
6.
2.1. Differentiate among interviews, projective tests, and behavioral observation.
2.2. Differentiate between biological and environmental influences.
2.3. Analyze the importance of established research in theories of personality and personality development.
Students will demonstrate the ability to summarize and interpret principles of theories of personality and apply toward understanding of life experiences
(Critical Thinking, Applied). (Program Outcome(s): 1.1, 2.2, 3.1, & 6)
3.1. Discuss significant life events, personality preferences, and behavioral patterns.
3.2. Analyze developmental issues in adulthood, and how traits aid occupational choice.
Students will demonstrate a greater understanding of their own and/or others’ personality by selecting and applying one of the theories using their own
autobiography or a biography of a famous person by writing an 8-10 page paper (Written communication, Applied). (Program Outcome(s): 1.2, 3.2, & 6)
4.1. Apply various self-assessments from other course assignments to a chosen theory.
Students will demonstrate ability to compare and contrast major personality theories, recognizing ethical and cultural diversity contexts and applications
(Critical Thinking, Ethics, and Diversity). (Program Outcome(s): 3.1, 4.1, 4.2, 5, & 6)
5.1. Discuss ethical issues pertaining to major personality theories and cultural diversity in personality development.
Students will effectively present Theories of Personality in writing and oral presentation formats (Communication Written and Oral). (Program
Outcome(s): 1.1, 1.2, 3.1, 3.2, 5, & 6)
6.1. Apply concepts from major theories of personality to various scenarios and case studies.
Assignment Table: Use the following as an outline of how our studies will proceed during the course. Discussion questions listed here are just a starting
point for how we may explore the theoretical concepts as we learn them. Assignments will be further defined during the course, and most weeks will
include a choice of areas to explore using questions from the end of each chapter of our text. Each student will have a choice of what specific aspects of a
theory to write about in detail. Please note objective 4 above. We will have a paper 8-10 pages in length to write toward the end of the term. We will
discuss this together from the outset. Note some guidelines included below in the “week 8” section (we will have seven classes).
1
Topics
 What is Personality?
 How is Personality Studied and
Measured?
Readings
Hergenhahn & Olson
Chapter 1
Assignments
Discussion Questions:
1.
Do you believe that personality is more a product of biology such as
genetic makeup and natural temperament, environmental influences, or a
combination of both.
2.
As a participant of a panel discussion on the personality theory, you have
to present your perspective on how environment plays a part in the
development of personality and, specifically, how childhood experiences
relate to adult personality characteristics.
a. What points might you consider as important to share?
b. Share your views on how cultural influences shape personality.
3.
Every personality theory addresses the concept of behavioral change to
some degree.
a. Do you believe personality is adaptable to deliberate or accidental
change or is it fixed and remains relatively unchanged throughout
life?
Assignments:
1.
2
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Psychoanalytic Perspective
Freud, the Unconscious, and
Divisions of the Mind
Ego-Defense Mechanisms
Psychosexual Stages of
Development
Hergenhahn & Olson
Chapter 2
Final Project
You and your friend Tom are trying to understand the components of your
personalities, but don’t know where to begin. Sometimes, the best place to
start is by citing major life events and examining their importance.
a. List at least ten of the most significant events in your life, starting
from your earliest memories and ending with the present.
b. Write a short paragraph on each event, summarizing its meaning for
you and how it has been significant in forming your personality.
Discussion Questions:
1.
Sigmund Freud is perhaps the best-known theorist, but is probably also the
most-misunderstood personality theorist the world has known.
a. What do you consider Freud’s most significant contribution to the
discipline of psychology?
b. Discuss ways that you think his contributions have been
misrepresented.
c. Substantiate your answer by using examples.
2.
Freud’s theory greatly emphasizes the role of unconscious processes and
how they govern human behavior.
Share your observations of ways in which human behavior is potentially
motivated by processes that are not under conscious control.
3.
Defense mechanisms are among Freud’s most interesting and enduring
concepts. Some of the most common ones include:

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Repression
Displacement
Denial
Projection
Reaction formation
Rationalization
Regression
Choose any two defense mechanisms and provide real-life examples of
how you have effectively used them to reduce or remove anxiety.
Assignments:
We will use exercise chosen from a list at the end of each chapter of
Hergenhahn and Olson for our assignments, you will see as we proceed
that these provide a degree of choice for each class member in learning the
important points of each theory.
3
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

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
Neo-Analytic Perspective
Jung and Freud on Human Nature
Adler on Inferiority, Superiority,
and the Unconscious
Horney on Neurosis and Feminine
Psychology
Erikson’s Stages of Personality
Development
Hergenhahn & Olson
Chapter 3
Chapter 6
Discussion Questions:
1.
One of Jung’s many contributions to our understanding of psychology is
the concept of persona or public self. Assume that Jung is correct in that
we have both a public and a private self.
a. Choose one example of someone, perhaps yourself, and discuss how
the public persona differs from the private self.
b. Does your cultural background influence how your public and private
personas are displayed?
2.
Like Freud, Jung viewed dreams as one of the most important sources of
information about the unconscious mind. Conversely, Jung interpreted
dreams differently than Freud. Freud believed that dreams reveal hidden or
repressed anxiety or motivations. Jung believed that the content of dreams
is what it appears to be at face value.
Which of these two perspectives on dreams do you find more accurate?
Provide one example from your dreams to support your view.
3.
Eric Erikson was best known for his eight stages of personality
development. The last stage is ego integrity versus despair.
a. Summarize your understanding of this stage in your own words.
b. Substantiate your answer with an example of someone who has
experienced the ego integrity stage late in life and another example of
someone whose experience is indicative of despair.
Assignments: The following assignment is one that may be chosen, in addition
to others available to choose from in our text, details to follow in class.
Take this opportunity to analyze your stage of adult development by using
Erikson’s eight-stage model of personality development.
4
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
Trait Perspective
Allport’s Concept of Trait
Cattell’s Analysis of Traits
Eysenck’s Analysis of Traits
The Big Five
Hergenhahn & Olson
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Your analysis should include:
a. The stage in question with a summary of the main task or crisis,
using Erikson’s terms, faced in that stage, stated in your own
words.
b. A statement of why you believe this stage best represents your
current life situation.
c. An assessment of whether you are succeeding in accomplishing
the task, resolving the crisis, or not. Provide life examples to
substantiate your answer.
d. A concluding paragraph that speculates about the necessary
action you must take before moving on to the next stage.
Discussion Questions:
1.
Freud viewed the need for religion as a weakness and a sign of neurosis.
Allport believed that religious orientation is often indicative of a healthy
adult personality.
a. In your opinion, what part should religion play, if any, in personality
development?
b. Discuss why you support or oppose the presence of religion as a vital
component of personality development.
c. In your discussion, do not share specific religious beliefs or judge any
religion as being more or less influential on personality development.
Understand that the role of religion in personality development is
more a matter of devotion to religion than a specific belief system.
Assignments: The exercise below is one of several possible.
A theory of personality development, called the Big Five, has generated
considerable interest among trait theorists in recent years. It has been used
and modified in a number of ways to measure different aspects of
personality.
In this exercise, apply the following five factors to your career choice:
a. Introverted/Extroverted
Do you prefer an occupation where you are continually engaging with
people or do you prefer to work alone or with minimal contact with
others?
b. Leader/Follower
Do you have a strong urge to be in control of situations and give
direction to others or would you rather support someone in a
c.
d.
e.
5
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


Behaviorist Perspective
Skinner’s Operant Conditioning and
Walden Two
Hull’s Internal Drives
Dollard and Miller’s Drive Conflict
Hergenhahn & Olson
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
leadership role and have less overall responsibility for providing
direction to others?
Variety/Focus
Do you thrive on variety and change or do you work best when able to
focus on one task, sometimes for long periods?
Assertive/Reticent
Do you see yourself as assertive, going after what you want, or are
you more likely to let circumstances determine the outcome of a given
event for you?
Imaginative/Conventional
Do you regularly have new ideas and suggestions on how to improve
things or do you prefer to focus on tasks that you know you do well?
For each of the above questions, choose between the two options. Then,
rate — low, medium, high —that selection.
a. Reflect on your responses to write a summary based on the following:
b. Explain your responses and rationale for each of the above questions.
Provide a life example for each category.
c. Describe the type of job you think will ideally fit your personality
traits as evidenced from the five categories. Provide a rationale.
d. What you’ve learned about yourself from the assignment.
Discussion Questions:
1.
A parent finds that her eight-year-old son constantly complains when she
asks him to do simple chores like making his bed and picking up his
clothes. She has found that if she rewards him after completing the task, he
is more likely to comply the next time she asks.
a. What do you see as positive or negative about this type of
reinforcement?
b. What will you do differently if you were the parent?
c. Discuss this scenario by using operant conditioning techniques.
2.
Calvin is a first-year student who has been given a four-year football
scholarship at his university. During his first season, he was expected to be
one of the team’s best performers, but he repeatedly injured his knee. This
caused him to miss 7 of the past 10 games. With only one more game left
in the season, he has been told that he probably won’t play. After hearing
this, he kicked in the plate glass window of the school’s gymnasium, and
was arrested for destruction of school property.
Dollard and Miller have developed a theory that attempts to explain
Calvin’s behavior. This is the frustration-aggression theory, which states
that when people are prevented from attaining a goal, the frustration that
results increases the probability of an aggressive response.
a. Do you think that Calvin’s behavior is adequately explained by this
hypothesis?
b. If so, can you provide another example to support this hypothesis?
c. If you don’t believe this theory is valid, provide an alternative
explanation and an example to support this view.
Assignments:
1.
6




Cognitive Perspective
Lewin’s Field Theory
Bandura’s Social Learning Theory
and Self-Efficacy
Kelly’s Personal Construct Theory
Hergenhahn & Olsen
Chapter 11
Chapter 13
Final Project
Jake is attempting to teach his three-year-old son Robbie to stay away
from the neighbor’s dog. When Robbie obeys his father, he gets a piece of
candy. When he disobeys and tries to pet the dog, his father spanks him.
These concepts of reinforcement and punishment are powerful shaping
agents.
a. Using Skinner’s concept of reinforcement, consider what aspects of
your personality can be attributed to reinforcement or punishment.
b. Using the list of significant events created for the Week 1 Final
Project assignment; assess which of these events have been shaped by
reinforcement or punishment.
c. Write a short paragraph for each relevant event, describing the type of
reinforcement or punishment, by whom, and for how long. Provide at
least one life example for each paragraph.
Discussion Questions:
1.
Paul is a freshman at high school. He has always wanted to participate in
sports, but, because of his small stature and slight build, never thought he
could compete. His gym teacher, Mr. Robbins, befriended him and, over
time, encouraged him to try out for the cross-country team that he coaches.
Paul decided to try out and ended up making the team. Not only did he
gradually become the school’s best runner, but his confidence also grew in
ways he never imaged possible when he entered high school. At his
graduation, Paul was one of three students asked to speak at
commencement. In his speech, he publicly thanked Mr. Robbins for being
such an important influence in helping get his life on track.
An important concept in the cognitive perspective, and illustrated in the
above example, is modeling.
a.
b.
c.
2.
Describe a person who has acted as an influential model in your life.
What important values did you learn from this person?
Discuss the concepts of observational learning as it applies to your
example.
George Kelly developed personal construct theory. According to this
theory, each person’s behavior is guided by his or her interpretation of the
surrounding environment and the expectations they carry. Present at least
one example of a personal construct you have created to help organize
your world.
3. The social cognitive theory states that human behavior is self-regulated.
In other words, each person evaluates his/her own behavior by a
performance standard. If the behavior meets or exceeds the standard,
intrinsic reinforcement is experienced and that behavior is likely to be
repeated. If the behavior does not meet the standard, intrinsic punishment
is experienced, which leads to a greater tendency for that behavior to not
be repeated.
Provide an example of intrinsic reinforcement and one of intrinsic
punishment, showing how the theory relates to both.
7
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

Humanistic/Existential Perspective
Rogers’ Client-Centered Therapy
Maslow’s Self-Actualization
May’s Existentialism
Hergenhahn & Olson
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Assignments:
We will choose from exercises pertinent to essential concepts for each theorist,
and explore one of Bandura’s classic studies in social learning theory.
Discussion Questions:
1.An important concept of the Rogerian therapy is unconditional positive
regard. Rogers described this as extending warmth, love, sympathy, care,
respect, and acceptance. Imagine that you are a psychologist working with
hard-core sex offenders, elderly patients with dementia, or children who
are mentally challenged.
a. Realistically, do you think it is possible to extend unconditional
positive regard to clients with these problems in a psychotherapy
context? Why or why not?
b. How do you think people practicing the Rogerian therapy would
approach unconditional positive regard with these clients?
Assignments:
1.
Self-Actualization in Action
Rogers and Maslow both use the term self-actualization but apply the
concept somewhat differently.
Rogers says that the human organism has an underlying actualization
tendency, which aims to develop all his or her capacities in ways that
maintain or enhance the growth of that person. It can be seen as a push to
experience self in a way that is consistent with a person’s conscious view
of self.
Maslow states that the need for self-actualization is the desire to become
increasingly what one is, which means to become everything that one is
capable of becoming.
Although both, Rogers and Maslow initially sound similar, there are
important differences in their approaches.
Compare and contrast each theorist’s use of the term self-actualization.
Provide examples to substantiate your analysis.
8
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Biological Perspective
Darwin’s Theory of Evolution
Wilson’s Sociobiology
Cultural and Ethnic Differences in
Personality
Hergenhahn & Olsen
Chapter 12
Chapter 17
Discussion Questions:
1.
Which theory covered in the course has made the greatest impression on
your thinking of human personality?
What features of this theory did you find more influential?
2.
Many people who have studied personality theories have observed that
most, if not all, theorists develop their personality concepts based on their
own life experiences.
Do you believe that it is possible for a person to develop a personality
theory that is not influenced by that person’s life experiences? Why or
why not?
Assignments:
1.
Culture and Personality
Culture is a significant shaping agent in personality. A person’s ethnic
background, family rituals, religious training, special holidays, and
celebrations are only a few of the ways culture influences the development
of personality.
a. Describe at least three ways in which your cultural background has
influenced the development of your personality.
b. Assess how your personality would have been different had you not
experienced these influences?
2.
Final Project
a.
b.
In this final exercise, analyze aspects of your self-assessment from the
preceding Final Project assignments, and apply them to the theory of
your choice.
Working from the vantage point of that personality theory, address the
following points:
i) How will you describe your personality? What characteristics or
traits best describe what you know yourself to be?
ii) What is the major force responsible for the origin and
development of your personality, including the biological,
temperamental, environmental, and other aspects?
iii) What does your chosen theory have to say about the types of
behavior that you want to change? Is it possible to change
behavior? If so, how is this accomplished? Cite at least one
behavior that you want to change and show how your chosen
theory will approach that process of change.
iv) What have you learned about your personality due to this course?
Grading Criteria
Grading Scale
Grading requirements
A
100 -93
A-
92 – 90
B+
89 – 88
B
87 – 83
B-
82 – 80
C+
79 – 78
C
77 – 73
C-
72 – 70
D+
69 – 68
D
67 – 63
D-
62 – 60
F
59 and below
Attendance/participation
Weekly Assignments
Final paper
Optional
Optional
25%
20%
35%
10%
10%
100%
Library:
All resources in Argosy University’s online collection are available through the Internet. The campus librarian will provide students with links, user IDs, and
passwords.
Library Resources: Argosy University’s core online collection features nearly 21,000 full-text journals and 23,000 electronic books and other content covering
all academic subject areas including Business & Economics, Career & General Education, Computers, Engineering & Applied Science, Humanities, Science,
Medicine & Allied Health, and Social & Behavior Sciences. Many titles are directly accessible through the Online Public Access Catalog at
http://library.argosy.edu. Detailed descriptions of online resources are located at http://library.argosy.edu/misc/onlinedblist.html.
In addition to online resources, Argosy University’s onsite collections contain a wealth of subject-specific research materials searchable in the Online Public
Access Catalog. Catalog searching is easily limited to individual campus collections. Alternatively, students can search combined collections of all Argosy
University Libraries. Students are encouraged to seek research and reference assistance from campus librarians.
Information Literacy: Argosy University’s Information Literacy Tutorial was developed to teach students fundamental and transferable research skills. The
tutorial consists of five modules where students learn to select sources appropriate for academic-level research, search periodical indexes and search engines, and
evaluate and cite information. In the tutorial, students study concepts and practice them through interactions. At the conclusion of each module, they can test their
comprehension and receive immediate feedback. Each module takes less than 20 minutes to complete. Please view the tutorial at http://library.argosy.edu/infolit/
Academic Policies
Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism: In an effort to foster a spirit of honesty and integrity during the learning process, Argosy University requires that the
submission of all course assignments represent the original work produced by that student. All sources must be documented through normal scholarly
references/citations and all work must be submitted using the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5 th Edition (2001). Washington
DC: American Psychological Association (APA) format. Please refer to Appendix A in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5 th
Edition for thesis and paper format. Students are encouraged to purchase this manual (required in some courses) and become familiar with its content as well as
consult the Argosy University catalog for further information regarding academic dishonesty and plagiarism.
Scholarly writing: The faculty at Argosy University is dedicated to providing a learning environment that supports scholarly and ethical writing, free from
academic dishonesty and plagiarism. This includes the proper and appropriate referencing of all sources. You may be asked to submit your course assignments
through “Turnitin,” (www.turnitin.com), an online resource established to help educators develop writing/research skills and detect potential cases of academic
dishonesty. Turnitin compares submitted papers to billions of pages of content and provides a comparison report to your instructor. This comparison detects
papers that share common information and duplicative language.
Americans with Disabilities Act Policy
It is the policy of Argosy University to make reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA). If a student with disabilities needs accommodations, the student must notify the Director of Student Services. Procedures for
documenting student disability and the development of reasonable accommodations will be provided to the student upon request.
Students will be notified by the Director of Student Services when each request for accommodation is approved or denied in writing via a designated form. To
receive accommodation in class, it is the student’s responsibility to present the form (at his or her discretion) to the instructor. In an effort to protect student
privacy, the Department of Student Services will not discuss the accommodation needs of any student with instructors. Faculty may not make accommodations
for individuals who have not been approved in this manner.
The Argosy University Statement Regarding Diversity
Argosy University prepares students to serve populations with diverse social, ethnic, economic, and educational experiences. Both
the academic and training curricula are designed to provide an environment in which students can develop the skills and attitudes
essential to working with people from a wide range of backgrounds.