MODULE TWO
 
 

SECTION FOUR:

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What TYPE of person are you?  Did the terrorists of 9/11 share in common certain personality traits?  Can the FBI/CIA type potential criminals?  Are personalities similar for people from Vienna, Vietnam and Venice if they were to live in Cleveland?  Why are boxing rings square? What does “proprium” mean?  These questions are part of the focus of the TRAIT perspective on personality.
 

Outcomes/Objectives


After completing this Section, the student should be able to:
1. Apply the definition of a “trait.”

2. Identify, at least three trait theorists

3. Define and apply the definition of “factor analysis.”

4. Recognize all five factors of the Big Five Personality Factors of personality.

5. Contrast the relationship between gender and achievement.

6. Compare and contrast the Type B and Type A personalities.

7. Compare and contrast optimism with pessimisms
 

Learning Activities

TEXTBOOK: Read Chapters 7  “The Trait Approach…” and  8  “The Trait Approach: Relevant Research”

P-T WORKBOOK:  Review Case Studies 25-26

EXPERIENCE #4: Self Assessment
http://cac.psu.edu/~j5j/test/ipipneo120.htm
The "NEO Personality Inventory":
http://users.wmin.ac.uk/~buchant/wwwffi/
Big Five Personality Test (Free)

INTERNET SITES:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/mytheory/freud/
A game, readers try to guess the identities of three major personality theorists.  PBS
http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/allport.html
Summary of Allport's work
 

SECTION FIVE:

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Are babies born a “blank slate?”  Can a person inherit a “quick temper?”  What is “behavior genomics?”  Were Venus and Serena Williams born athletes?  Is it Nature vs. Nurture or is it Nature and Nurture?  What is the Bell Curve as related to intelligence?  These questions are part of the focus of the BIOLOGICAL approach to personality
 

Outcomes/Objectives

After completing this Section, the student should be able to:
1. Compare behaviorism with biological influences on personality.

2. Identify the most prominent biological personality theorist.

3. Evaluate “Evolutionary Personality Psychology.”

4. Apply the term “temperament” to differentiate children.

5. Define “Cerebral Asymmetry.”

6. Evaluate the role of genetics on personality development.

7. Compare and contrast the terms “extroversion” and “introversion.”
 

Learning Activities

TEXTBOOK:  Read Chapters 9 “The Biological Approach…”  and 10 “The Biological Approach: Relevant Research”

P-THEORIES WORKBOOK:  Review Case Studies 27-28

INTERNET SITES:
http://www.personalityresearch.org/bg.html
Research in behavior genetics has shown that almost all personality traits have both biological and environmental bases. One such trait is Intelligence.
http://freespace.virgin.net/darrin.evans/
This official home page of the late Hans Eysenck--- maintained by his son.
 

SECTION SIX:

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How many Psychologists does it take to change a light bulb?*  Is today the first day of the rest of your life?  Is there such a thing as Free Will?  How do the names Friedrich Nietzsche and Jean-Paul Sartre relate to the names Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers?
These questions are part of the focus of HUMANISTIC and EXISTENTIAL approaches to personality.
*Answer: Just one, but the light bulb has to want to change
 

Outcomes/Objectives

After completing this Section, the student should be able to:
1. Assess the influence of Rogers and Maslow on Humanistic Personality Theory.

2. Define the essence of Rogers’ perspective on Humanistic Personality Theory.

3. Identify and distinguish among Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

4. Define “Self-Actualization.”

5. Identify the “Q-Sort Technique.”

6. Differentiate the strengths and weaknesses of the humanistic perspective.

7. Assess “Self-Disclosure” as a technique.
 

Learning Activities


TEXTBOOK:  Read Chapter 11  “The Humanistic Approach…” and Chapter 12  “The Humanistic Approach: Relevant Research”

P-THEORIES WORKBOOK:  Review Case Studies 15-18

INTERNET SITES:
http://www.ship.edu/%7Ecgboeree/buddhapsych.html
The relevance of Buddhism to western psychotherapy, especially existential therapy

http://ahpweb.org/aboutahp/whatis.html

Humanistic Psychology
 

Assignment:  CASE STUDY

Select any one of the Case Studies (numbers 13 -18) from the Personality Theories Workbook and answer the “Applications Questions.”  Submit your answers in the form of a 1-page paper before the end-date for Module Two.
 

SELF TEST for Module TWO

Below are 10 test items that can be used for a preview and review of the material in this section.

    1. "If asked why Susan hugged Mark, we say it is because Susan is affectionate; however, if asked how we know Susan is affectionate, we say it is because she hugged Mark."  This example is used to criticize which approach to personality?
    1. Trait
    2. Humanistic
    3.
Psychoanalytic
    4.
Behavioral/Social Learning

2. A researcher compared the speeches of U. S. presidents to determine the presidents' needs for Achievement. The researchers' research was influenced by which personality theorist's work?
    1. Allport
    2. Cattell
    3.
Jung
    4.
Murray

3. Susan often becomes upset over daily stresses.  More than most people, she experiences such emotions as sadness, anger and anxiety.  This description of Susan is best accounted for by which of the Big Five factors?
    1. Agreeableness
    2. Extroversion
    3.
Openness
    4.
Neuroticism

4. Compared to 50 or so years ago, personality psychologists today generally are more likely to acknowledge that:
    1. the personalities of the new borns resemble a "blank slate."
    2. personality cannot be separated from our biology.
    3. all people have similar biological functioning, such as nearly identical brain-wave activity.
    4. differences in adult personality are the results of different learning histories.

5. Which of the following is an example of a "supertrait" in Eysenck's theory?
    1. sociability
    2. impulsiveness
    3. optimism
    4. psychoticism

6. The twin studies method is used by researchers to get around which methodological problem?
    1. Biased samples
    2. A confound between genetic and environmental influences.
    3. Questions about generalizability
    4. Validity of measures

7. According to evolutionary  personality theory, men and women base their choice of romantic partners in on concerns for "parental investment."  This means we:
    1. prefer partners from families in which both parents were actively involved with their children.
    2. consider what the parents of our potential partners are like, because personality is partly inherited from one's parents.
    3. select mates who are likely to contribute to successful reproduction and child rising.
    4. want the parents of our spouses to be involved in the rearing of our children.

8. The Humanistic approach to personality is most similar to:
    1. Behaviorism
    2. Existentialism
    3.
Socialism
    4.
Communism

9. "A hungry man is not a free man."  Who best reflects this approach to personality?
    1. Freud
    2. Rogers
    3.
Maslow
    4.
Bush

10.  Based on research finding reported on in your textbook, which of the following is most likely the first topic of conversation between two people who have just met?
    1. Movies
    2. Politics
    3.
Sex
    4.
Embarrassing moments

Answers: (1) 1, (2) 4, (3) 4, (4) 2, (5) 4, (6) 2, (7) 3, (8) 2, (9) 3, (10) 1

Note: If you missed two or more of the above questions, further review is suggested.