Syllabus for Psychology 260

PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY

G. Scott Acton
Department of Psychology
Northwestern University
acton@northwestern.edu

 
This course is a survey of theory and research on personality. Topics considered include (a) evaluation of the scientific status of theories such as psychoanalysis; (b) various approaches to the nature / nurture controversy, such as behaviorism, evolutionary psychology, and behavior genetics; and (c) questions regarding the proper number of dimensions of personality and intelligence. Prerequisite: Introduction to Psychology or permission of instructor.
 

PROSPECTUS

GRADING

CALENDAR

 LECTURE NOTES 

ALTERNATIVE REPRESENTATIONS

 

August 31, 1999

Brody, N., & Ehrlichman, H. (1998). Personality and personality psychology. In Personality psychology: The science of individuality (pp. 1-10). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

 

September 2, 1999

Personality on the World Wide Web

 

September 3, 1999

"This Is Me" Paper Due

 


September 7, 1999

Stevenson, L. (1987). Rival theories. In Seven theories of human nature (2nd ed., pp. 3-12). New York: Oxford University Press.

Stevenson, L. (1987). The criticism of theories. In Seven theories of human nature (2nd ed., pp. 13-26). New York: Oxford University Press.

 

September 9, 1999

Web Design (Optional)

 


September 14, 1999

Stevenson, L. (1987). Freud: Psychoanalysis. In Seven theories of human nature (2nd ed., pp. 69-88). New York: Oxford University Press.

Popper, K. R. (1969). Science: Conjectures and refutations. In Conjectures and refutations: The growth of scientific knowledge (3rd ed., pp. 33-65). London: Routledge.

 

September 16, 1999

Brody, N., & Ehrlichman, H. (1998). Unconscious processes. In Personality psychology: The science of individuality (pp. 227-253). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

 


September 21, 1999

Stevenson, L. (1987). Skinner: The conditioning of behavior. In Seven theories of human nature (2nd ed., pp. 119-132). New York: Oxford University Press.

 

September 23, 1999

Skinner, B. F. (1984). Selection by consequences. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 7, 477-510.

 


September 28, 1999

Stevenson, L. (1987). Lorenz: Innate aggression. In Seven theories of human nature (2nd ed., pp. 119-132). New York: Oxford University Press.

 

September 30, 1999

Brody, N., & Ehrlichman, H. (1998). Personality and evolution. In Personality psychology: The science of individuality (pp. 152-176). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

 


October 5, 1999

Brody, N., & Ehrlichman, H. (1998). Personality measurement. In Personality psychology: The science of individuality (pp. 11-31). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Brody, N., & Ehrlichman, H. (1998). Genetic and environmental influences. In Personality psychology: The science of individuality (pp. 85-110). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

 

October 7, 1999

Turkheimer, E. (1998). Heritability and biological explanation. Psychological Review, 105, 782-791.

 


October 12, 1999

Brody, N., & Ehrlichman, H. (1998). Our thoughts, our feelings, our selves. In Personality psychology: The science of individuality (pp. 276-329). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Brody, N., & Ehrlichman, H. (1998). Motives and goals. In Personality psychology: The science of individuality (pp. 177-226). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

 

October 14, 1999

Midterm Exam

 


October 19, 1999

Brody, N., & Ehrlichman, H. (1998). Cognitive form. In Personality psychology: The science of individuality (pp. 254-275). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

 

October 21, 1999

Neisser, U., Boodoo, G., Bouchard, T. J., Jr., Boykin, A. W., Brody, N., Ceci, S. J., Halpern, D. F., Loehlin, J. C., Perloff, R., Sternberg, R. J., & Urbina, S. (1996). Intelligence: Knowns and unknowns. American Psychologist, 51, 77-101.

 


October 26, 1999

Peer Review of Rough Draft

 

October 28, 1999

Group Project: Creativity

Group Project: Productivity

 

October 29, 1999

Rough Draft Due

 


November 2, 1999

Brody, N., & Ehrlichman, H. (1998). From words to traits: The nature of dispositions. In Personality psychology: The science of individuality (pp. 32-57). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Group Project: Criminality

 

November 4, 1999

Brody, N., & Ehrlichman, H. (1998). The big five: Are we finished? In Personality psychology: The science of individuality (pp. 58-84). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

 


November 9, 1999

Peer Review of Final Draft

 

November 11, 1999

Group Project: Emotion

Group Project: Culture

 

November 12, 1999

Final Draft Due

 


November 16, 1999

Brody, N., & Ehrlichman, H. (1998). Personality and the brain. In Personality psychology: The science of individuality (pp. 111-151). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

 

November 18, 1999

Eysenck, H. J. (1991). Dimensions of personality: 16, 5, or 3?--Criteria for a taxonomic paradigm. Personality and Individual Differences, 12, 773-790.

 


November 23, 1999

Peer Commentary Assignments Received

 

November 25, 1999

No Class--Thanksgiving Break

 


November 30, 1999

Revelle, W. (1995). Personality processes. Annual Review of Psychology, 46, 295-328.

 

December 2, 1999

Brody, N., & Ehrlichman, H. (1998). Conclusion: Personality in the twenty-first century. In Personality psychology: The science of individuality (pp. 375-382). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

 

December 3, 1999

Peer Commentaries Due

 


December 7, 1999

Review for Exam

Group Project: Relationships

 

December 9, 1999

Review for Exam

Group Project: Treatment

 


December 14, 1999

Final Exam

 

December 17, 1999

Author Responses Due

 


Last modified February 1999
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