Syllabus for Psychology B15

INTRODUCTION TO PERSONALITY

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) biological trait theories; (b) behavioral and cognitive social theories; and (c) psychodynamic theories. Prerequisite: Introduction to Psychology or permission of instructor.
CALENDAR	GRADING
LECTURE NOTES
OVERVIEW OF GOAL-BASED SCENARIO	MIDTERM EXAM

June 22, 1998

Mischel, W. (1993). Orientation to personality. In Introduction to personality (5th ed.) (pp. 3-32). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace.

Horowitz, L. (1997). The concept of correlation. In D. C. Funder & D. J. Ozer (Eds.), Pieces of the personality puzzle: Readings in theory and research (pp. 41-46). New York: Norton.

June 24, 1998

Mischel, W. (1993). Trait theories: Conceptions. In Introduction to personality (5th ed.) (pp. 141-163). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace.

Mischel, W. (1993). Measuring individual differences. In Introduction to personality (5th ed.) (pp. 164-197). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace.

Mischel, W. (1993). Traits: Biological bases and behavioral expressions. In Introduction to personality (5th ed.) (pp. 198-226). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace.

June 29, 1998

Gould, S. J. (1996). The real error of Cyril Burt: Factor analysis and the reification of intelligence. In The mismeasure of man (pp. 264-350). New York: Norton.

Jensen, A. R. (1993). Why is reaction time correlated with psychometric g? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2, 53-56.

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.

July 1, 1998

Eysenck, H. J. (1990). Biological dimensions of personality. In L. A. Pervin (Ed.), Handbook of personality: Theory and research (pp. 244-276). New York: Guilford.

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

Goldberg, L. R., & Digman, J. M. (1994). Revealing structure in the data: Principles of exploratory factor analysis. In S. Strack and M. Lorr (Eds.), Differentiating normal and abnormal personality (pp. 216-242). New York: Springer.

July 6, 1998

Anderson, K. J., & Revelle, W. (1994). Impulsivity and time of day: Is rate of change in arousal a function of impulsivity? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 334-344.

Gray, J. A. (1981). A critique of Eysenck's theory of personality. In H. J. Eysenck (Ed.), A model for personality (pp. 246-277). Berlin: Springer.

Revelle, W., Humphreys, M. S., Simon, L., & Gilliland, K. (1980). The interactive effect of personality, time of day, and caffeine: A test of the arousal model. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 109, 1-31.

July 8, 1998

Mischel, W. (1993). Phenomenological conceptions. In Introduction to personality (5th ed.) (pp. 227-253). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace.

Nye, R. D. (1996). Carl Rogers and humanistic phenomenology. In Three psychologies: Perspectives from Freud, Skinner, and Rogers (pp. 84-115). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

July 13, 1998

Midterm exam due.

July 15, 1998

Mischel, W. (1993). Behavioral conceptions. In Introduction to personality (5th ed.) (pp. 285-325). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace.

Nye, R. D. (1996). B. F. Skinner and radical behaviorism. In Three psychologies: Perspectives from Freud, Skinner, and Rogers (pp. 40-83). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

July 20, 1998

Peer review of student papers.

July 22, 1998

Mischel, W. (1993). Analyzing behavior. In Introduction to personality (5th ed.) (pp. 326-347). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace.

Mischel, W. (1993). Behavior change. In Introduction to personality (5th ed.) (pp. 348-394). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace.

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

July 24, 1998

Papers due by 6 pm--place in the mailbox marked "Acton" in the basement of Swift Hall.

July 27, 1998

Mischel, W. (1993). Cognitive social conceptions. In Introduction to personality (5th ed.) (pp. 393-417). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace.

Mischel, W. (1993). Encoding, constructs, and expectancies. In Introduction to personality (5th ed.) (pp. 418-449). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace.

Mischel, W. (1993). Self-regulatory strategies and competencies. In Introduction to personality (5th ed.) (pp. 450-477). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace.

July 29, 1998

Mischel, W. (1993). Psychodynamic theories: Freud's conceptions. In Introduction to personality (5th ed.) (pp. 33-62). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace.

Nye, R. D. (1996). Sigmund Freud and psychoanalysis. In Three psychologies: Perspectives from Freud, Skinner, and Rogers (pp. 5-39). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

August 3, 1998

Mischel, W. (1993). Ego psychology and object relations. In Introduction to personality (5th ed.) (pp. 63-85). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace.

Mischel, W. (1993). Psychodynamic personality assessment. In Introduction to personality (5th ed.) (pp. 86-111). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace.

Mischel, W. (1993). Psychodynamic processes. In Introduction to personality (5th ed.) (pp. 112-140). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace.

August 5, 1998

Peer commentaries due.

Mischel, W. (1993). Personality coherence and person-situation interaction. In Introduction to personality (5th ed.) (pp. 531-571). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace.

Nye, R. D. (1996). Comparisons, contrasts, criticisms, and concluding comments. In Three psychologies: Perspectives from Freud, Skinner, and Rogers (pp. 116-141). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

August 10, 1998

Final exam.

August 12, 1998

Author responses due.

Wrap-up.

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