The purpose of this course is to examine the fundamental issues and questions addressed by the field of personality psychology, including: What is personality, and how do we best characterize personality differences? What are the psychological processes and mechanisms that explain personality? How does personality develop and change over time? How does personality shape the course of a person’s life? What constitutes a “healthy” personality? This course will explore these questions by considering evidence from several major theoretical approaches to personality (e.g., trait, social-cognitive, motivational, developmental, narrative) and important topics in personality psychology (relationships, culture, mental and physical health etc.), and it will encourage students to develop a critical and dynamic understanding of human personality that is situated within its biological, social, and cultural contexts.
- Teacher: Jennifer Lilgendahl