Psychology

Course Description:

The course is an introduction to the ways in which psychologists approach the study of personality.Personality refers to consistencies in people's thoughts, feelings, and behavior over time and across situations. Topics will include methods of personality research and an overview of the primary theoretical perspectives in the field. The course will consist of two lectures per week.

Required Textbook:

Pervin, L. A., John, O. P. (2004). Personality: Theory and research (9tth ed.). Wiley. [ISBN: 0-471-

14994-2]

Course Requirements and Grading:

Exams:      There will be a midterm and a final exam. Exam questions (multiple choice and short essay) will be based on material from the lectures and readings. The final will be cumulative.

Paper:       A 6-8 page (double-spaced) paper is required.

Grading:     The midterm, final, and paper will be weighted equally. You may receive up to 6 extra credit points for participating in the Department of Psychologys subject pool. You will receive 1 extra credit point for every hour you participate in an experiment. Note. Sign up for experiments over the Internet at: http://www.experimetrix.com/ucdavis. Please see the Experimetrix handout for instructions on how to sign up for experiments.

Possible Course Topics:

Introduction and Overview                  Research Methods and Assessment

Psychoanalytic Theory                     Psychodynamic Perspective: Narcissism

Phenomenological Theories              Phenomenological Perspective: The Self

Trait Approaches                              Behavioral Genetics

Evolutionary Perspective                   Learning Perspective

Cognitive Perspective                       Social Cognitive Approach

Information Processing Approach      Contemporary Issues: Relationships, Achievement, Aggression

                                                      Overview