PSYC 461
Research in Personality
PSYCHOLOGY 461. Research in Personality
Two hours lecture, two hours laboratory
Prerequisite: PSYC 201, 202, 361
PSYC 461 examines scientific investigations of various aspects of human personality including development, change, and characteristics. Students will become familiar with empirical investigations of specific topics in personality research, and will be required to conduct their own research project and to submit a research report in American Psychological Association (APA) format.
I. Basic Issues in Personality
A. Personality Measurement
B. Development and Change in Personality
C. Issues of Nature vs. Nurture: The Source
D. Cross-Situational Consistency: The Person-Situation Debate
II. Topics in Personality Research may include
A. The Unconscious
B. Personal Efficacy
C. Gender Identity and Gender Schema
D. Locus of Control and Attributions
E. Self-Awareness and Self Consciousness
F. Identity, Self-Concept and Self-Esteem
G. Moral Character
H. Emotion: Content and Style
I. Aggression: Behavioral Coercion Models and Genetic Influence Models
J. Sexuality: Influences and Attitudes
K. Stress and Illness
PSYC 461 will be taught in a lecture, discussion and laboratory format. Students will be given reading assignments of experimental investigations of personality from psychological journals and will also have readings from an assigned text. Projects will be required in which the collection of data to investigate a specific hypothesis (generated from the readings and previous research findings) will occur. Analysis of data, and a complete experimental report in APA style will be required.
Having successfully completed this course, the student will be able to:
1) Identify the major areas of contemporary research in personality
2) Understand the problems of measurement in personality research
3) Design an emporical test of a hypothesis regarding some aspect of personality
4) Perform an empirical investigation of some aspect of personality which includes collecting and analyzing quantitative data
5) Write up the results of an experimental investigation in APA format.
1) Examinations. Students in PSYC 461 will have a midterm and comprehensive final exam. Exams will contribute to 40% of the students' grades.
2) Term project. Students will be graded on the written form of their term project, and will also receive a grade for an oral presentation of their project hypothesis and results. Projects will contribute to 50% of the students' grades.
3) Participation. Attendance and participation will be graded on a daily basis and will contribute to 10% of the students' grades.
Outside readings from a reading list of experimental reports in psychological journals will be assigned.
DATE ACTION APPROVED BY
September 2001 Updated and put in new format Alastair V. E. Harris