University of Oregon, Spring 2003

Welcome to Psychology 471: Personality. The study of personality concerns individuality in human behavior patterns, with behavior defined broadly to include thoughts, feelings, desires, intentions, and action tendencies. Personality concerns human behavioral tendencies at a rather broad level, and the purpose of this course is to help you learn ways of thinking usefully and critically (i.e., carefully) about human behavior, through the most important concepts and findings of personality psychology. The course has two interlinked goals: promoting knowledge of personality and sharpening thinking skills. Because it tends to facilitate enhanced thinking skills, there is also some emphasis on helping to enhance your writing skills. Knowledge of personality psychology can aid one in thinking usefully and critically about human behavior patterns, which is useful not only in psychology and human services professions, but in many areas of human life.

Personality psychology is one of those "crossroads" fields with links to many, many other disciplines. Moreover, personality has been reviewed and taught in a variety of ways, and this course presents a cross-section of these diverse approaches, but with prime emphasis on the study of personality characteristics, because this area has seen the most progress and productive research over the last two decades. Biological and social antecedents of personality are emphasized about equally in this course.

The course format is primarily a series of talks (i.e., lecture), with some discussion, in-class exercises, and student presentations. You are expected to read everything that is assigned.

Your final course grade is based on the following (top of next page).

15% for short papers (4% each for the two IOQP papers, 7% for exploratory paper)

5% ...credit for turning in a suitable rough draft of research paper

20% ...grade on final version of research paper

5% ...for panel presentation (including posting summary for other panel members)

20% ...score on midterm exam

35% ...score on final exam

What follows in this section is more detail on each of these components.

IOQP papers are brief responses to readings. IOQP stands for "important or questionable points." Their purpose is to stimulate students to actively engage with readings and thus be earlier and better prepared for class (and exams). The minimum length for an IOQP paper is one (full, double-spaced) page of typed, machine-printed, or clearly handwritten text for each IOQP. Each IOQP paper must be based on the assigned readings corresponding to the due date for the IOQP paper. For each IOQP paper, you are to take two of the readings (i.e., two different chapters, or readings from two different authors) and, for each one, describe an idea or finding that you think is either (a) important or (b) questionable. If you write about an important idea or finding, you are to describe it and then give an explanation of why you think it is important. If you write about a questionable idea or finding, you are to describe it and then give an explanation of why you think it is questionable. Feel free to use personal anecdotes in IOQP papers, if they help you explain the importance or questionableness of an idea or finding. You are assigned to turn in two (2) IOQP papers. The due dates for these are provided in the syllabus (there are sevendue dates -- you need only get in an IOQP paper in on time for two of these). These papers should be in complete sentences and have at least two paragraphs. IOQP papers are graded on a "pass versus no-pass" basis. Late IOQP papers are not accepted for credit, since a late paper would defeat part of the purpose of an IOQP paper as defined above.

The two exams are similar in format, primarily based on the "big questions" with which this course is concerned (see end of syllabus). Each exam consists of a short multiple choice section (15-25% of the point total for the exam) concentrating on key concepts (definitions and examples of them), followed by a set of essay questions (75-85% of the point total for the exam). The essay questions are drawn from among the nine "big questions." In fact, they are the exact questions, except that each question is framed so as to encourage concise, to-the-point answers.

For the midterm examination, the essay questions will be two of the first four "big questions" listed at the end of this syllabus; the short multiple-choice section will be based on readings up to the midterm exam. For the final examination, the essay questions will be three of the seven questions remaining (i.e., not included on the midterm); the multiple-choice section will be based primarily on readings after the midterm exam. No dictionaries, thesauruses, calculators, or electronic devices can be used during the exams, except that translating dictionaries can be allowed for those with English fluency issues, conditional on instructor permission. What's covered in multiple-choice items? These especially emphasize material covered both in the assigned readings and in class.

The exploratory paper is intended to help you develop a more personal connection to the subject matter. You are free to choose any one from a menu of small projects or learning activities (see end of syllabus); your exploratory paper is a write-up of your experiences. It should have complete sentences, good grammar, reasonable organization, and at least 2 complete double-spaced pages of text. It is due on April 29.

The research paper is designed to improve on features of traditional term papers in advancing student learning. I have found that students learn more from the writing experience when they have the opportunity (a) to make use of feedback and (b) to present or at least be part of a presentation to an "audience." Moreover, 'feedback loops' and presentations are closer to what students encounter later in real work settings. The topic for the paper is chosen by you, within the constraints that you must choose a topic from a limited "menu," and there will be no more than six to nine different topics done by members of the whole class. Having a limited number of topics allows us to have panel presentations and to enable students to carry on dialogue about a topic and give each other useful feedback, encouraging greater depth of exploration.

Most research-paper topics are in the form of a question. Based on your interest-survey responses, you will be assigned to one of these topics. Choosing topics (from a menu of topic areas) will be done in the first two weeks of the term. There is no joint or group product and no group grade either for papers or presentations; you write your own paper. Indeed, because papers on one topic are evaluated simultaneously you ought to make certain that, if you are influenced by the thoughts of other students, you acknowledge that contribution accurately and openly (see note on "plagiarism" below).

Gracián wrote in 1647 that "good things, when short, are twice as good." The aim is to create (gradually, through careful revision) a paper that packs a lot of valuable thinking into a relatively brief space. The final version of the research paper should meet the following requirements:

* The paper should be typed, readable, free of gross spelling and typographic errors, well-organized and focused

* At least 3 full double-spaced pages in length (filling a third page completely, no fonts over 12 point), not counting your reference list

* At a maximum, it should not exceed 8 full double-spaced pages in length, not counting reference list

* The citations and reference list should be in APA style; for help see UO Libraries' Citation Style Guide (http://libweb.uoregon.edu/guides/citing/)

* There should be a minimum of two references (not including the course texts) consulted, although for most topics it is helpful to consult far more than two references; at least two references must be from journals or else be chapters in edited books: Such references are distinguishable because they will be cited with a page number range (e.g., pp. 419-434) in on-line indexes. Internet sites (except for on-line journals) do not make reliable sources and do not count toward these minimum two references.

* Submit with the final version of your paper a photocopy of the full-length article or chapter (not whole book, if it's a chapter) that you considered most useful for your paper

* It will help your paper if you avoid overgeneralizing and oversimplifying, and consider that research evidence can have alternative interpretations.

Remember that the main point of the paper is to provide a fair presentation of evidence and arguments about how best to answer the question. Consider incorporating the following four sentences (directly or indirectly).

Why is this question important?

What's the evidence (or reasons) indicating the answer should be 'yes'?

What's the evidence (or reasons) indicating the answer should be 'no'?

Based on the preceding evidence (or reasons) what overall conclusions can be drawn?

These sentences will help you focus your paper. The sentences can easily be used separately as headings or with each sentence being the first sentence in a separate paragraph (though all the questions except the first question are likely to require more than one paragraph).

In order to give you more useful and specific feedback on your project, your thinking, and your writing, you are expected to turn in a rough draft of this paper, due May 15. Turn in asecond copy of the rough draft along with your original. The rough draft can be of any length, and can even be in outline form. However, it must use complete sentences, for the sake of clarity, and I strongly encourage you to write up a full draft of over 3 pages in length as the rough draft: The more complete the draft, the more useful feedback you can get, and that helps you do a better final version (which is bound to affect your grade on it).

On the research paper, there is not likely to be "just one right answer." You are encouraged to think complexly about the topic, employing multiple perspectives, developing some of these perspectives by creative processes. It may be important to pay attention to assumptions you (or others) make, or to how terms are defined. On the more mundane side, do not include binders or covers on the papers when you turn them in, and no title page is necessary. The title can be simply the assigned topic question, though you're free to invent another title.

Versions of the research paper (whether rough draft or final version) turned in late lose 10% of their points for each weekday they are not turned in (starting with the due date). Exploratory papers turned in late lose 5% for each weekday. With some course requirements, alternative arrangements may be possible with an authoritative excuse if presented in advance of an absence.

The panel presentation is a chance for you to demonstrate what you've learned and accomplished, and to learn from your classmates. Panel presentations will be scheduled in the last three weeks of the term (they will be mixed with instructor presentations on each of these dates). The panel presentation (typically 10 to 15 minutes) can be organized in any way panel members choose. After the rough drafts are turned in, an e-mail list (or equivalent) will be set up for each panel, and members of the panel will be expected to post one message to it containing a summary of the main points (going both ways, yes and no) in their paper. How much dialogue (electronically or in person) panel members want to engage in after that point is up to them. As for the presentation itself, the only expectation for each participant is to give a kind of "sound bite" summary of their paper lasting about a minute (in the range of 30 to 90 seconds). In order to get full credit for the panel presentation, you need only (a) post your summary to other members, (b) do your minute-or-so summary as part of the presentation. I do give award-winner extra credit to several (usually about 3) class members who, in my view, do the best job of making the panel presentations more educational, edifying, and enlightening for the audience in the classroom. An award-winning job includes both (a) communicating clearly and (b) making it easy for other members of the panel to have their say and communicate clearly (of course this is not the same as merely being entertaining, loud, verbose, or dominating the presentation). See the extra sheet (after the syllabus) for suggestions concerning these one-minute presentations.

Your final grade in the course will be based on the total of your points from IOQPs, exams, papers, presentation participation, and exams. A range is 90% or better, B range is 80% to 90%,C range 70% to 80%, D range 60% to 70%, Fs are less than 60%. '+' and '-' are added to grades if they fall in the top 1/3 or bottom 1/3, respectively, of A, B, C, and D range.

There will be special requirements for graduate students taking the course as Psychology 571. 571 students will meet at additional times outside the class time, either in-person or electronically. 571 students are expected to attend an in-person graduate student meeting with the instructor early in the quarter (typically in about the third week of the term).

I take academic integrity seriously. Insuring the "validity" of grades requires seeing that they reflect honest work and learning rather than cheating. Cheating is defined as providing or accepting information on an exam, plagiarism or copying anyone's written work. Students caught cheating will be given an "F" for the course, and UO's student conduct coordinator will be informed. The instructor retains the right to assign seats for tests, to change individual's seating for test security purposes, to require and check ID for admission to tests. "Plagiarism" is basically a form of theft: putting your name on work that is (in any part) not yours, where you have not fully identified the source from which you borrowed. Even taking someone else's ideas or paraphrasing their expression, without acknowledgment, is plagiarism. Be aware that the instructor is knowledgeable about computer-age plagiarizing techniques and how to diagnose their use. "Your responsibility, when you put your name on a piece of work, is simply to distinguish between what is yours and what is not, and to credit those who in any way have contributed" (quote is from Nancy Cotton of Wake Forest U.).

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April 1 Syllabus; overview of the course; preparatory activities

Assignment: Funder chs. 1-3; Funder & Ozer (F/O) pp. 3-14 (McAdams)...some of this material may be familiar to you from Psychology 302 and 303, but some will be new

April 3 Research methods in the study of personality

Assignment: Funder chs. 4-6; F/O pp. 54-67 (Gosling et al.)

April 8** Issues in assessing personality dispositions

April 10 Issues in assessing personality dispositions (continued)

Assignment: F/O pp. pp. 73-76 (Allport); Funder ch. 7; F/O pp. 120-131 (Costa & McCrae), F/O pp. 272-276 (Jung)

April 15** Personality dispositions, structure and assessment

April 17-22 Personality dispositions, structure and assessment

Assignment: Funder ch. 9; F/O pp. 162-166 (Bouchard) and pp. 167-170 (Plomin)

April 24** Genetic and environmental influences on personality

April 29 Genetic and environmental influences on personality (continued)

EXPLORATORY PAPER is due April 29

Assignment: Funder ch. 8; F/O pp. 142-148 (Dabbs)

May 1** Molecular genetics of personality; personality, physiology, and the brain

May 6 Personality, physiology, and the brain (continued)

May 8 MID-TERM EXAMINATION

Assignment: Funder ch. 10 - 12; F/O pp. 227-235 (Freud)

May 13** Motives and goals

May 15 Motives and goals (continued)

ROUGH DRAFT of research paper due May 15

Assignment: Funder ch. 14; F/O pp. 365-377 (Markus & Kitayama) and pp. 378-393 (Triandis)

May 20 Personality and culture

Assignment: Funder, ch. 15 and ch. 16; F/O pp. 439-447 (Rotter)

May 22** Behaviorism, social learning, personality change (maybe some panel presentations)

May 27 Behaviorism, social learning, and personality change (and some panel presentations)

Assignment: Funder ch. 17 and ch. 18

May 29** Cognitive approaches; psychotherapy and personality; some panel presentations

June 3 Cognitive approaches (continued) with some panel presentations

June 5 Applications: health, work, other topics; some panel presentations

FINAL VERSION of research paper is due June 5 at beginning of class period

(except that those presenting on 6/05 have alternate due date of 4 pm on 6/06/2003)

June 11, Wednesday, 1:00 pm ....FINAL EXAM

** Indicates days on which IOQP papers due (seven due dates - you need only turn papers in on two dates)