PERSPECTIVES ON "WHY YOU ARE WHO YOU ARE"
Instructor:
Michael T. Hynan
Office: Garland
202C
Office
Hours: M:
e-mail:
hynan@uwm.edu <mailto:hynan@csd.uwm.edu>
reflector:
adler@uwm.edu <mailto:adler@uwm.edu>
Home page: www.uwm.edu/~hynan <http://www.uwm.edu/~hynan>
Text:
Personality: Selected
(Ed.), F. E.
Peacock, 1995. In addition to the Personality textbook that I will give to you,
there is an online personality text by Dr. C. G. Boeree
at:http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/perscontents.html
COURSE
DESCRIPTION: Psychologists are interested in explaining WHY people do what they
do. One of the possible explanations comes from a person’s personality. We will
examine a variety of viewpoints concerning an adult’s personality development;
including Freud, Jung, Adler, Erikson, Horney,
COURSE
GOALS:
1. You will be learning skills necessary for
success in college by A) writing papers, B) contributing to class discussion,
C) making presentations, and D) using e-mail, library, and the world wide web.
2. By studying a number of personality
theories, you will learn to conceptualize different personality theories in
terms of A) core tendencies and characteristics, B) developmental
considerations, and C) the resultant personality traits.
3. You will come to understand your own
personality traits (which are in a continual process of change) by taking
personality tests and learning your scores.
4. Using the framework of Goal 2, by
presenting in class and discussing you will learn how these theories attempt to
explain the development of A) adult personality traits in general and B) your
own personality traits in particular.
5. You will also learn the limitations of
personality variables in explaining "Why We Do What We Do" by
learning the role of research in evaluating the validity of personality
theories.
Most of the
perspectives on personality come from the thoughtful speculations of
individuals (often psychotherapists), who relied on their own introspection,
experience with patients, observations of the
world
around them, and idiosyncratic scientific methods to formulate and revise their
theories. Each theorist has also been influenced by both other theorists and
cultural perspectives. In this class we will examine the structure and dynamics
of personality in each theory. If you are taking this course
to find the best or true theory of personality (or a complete understanding of
yourself), you will be disappointed. Instead, this class can be better
described as an exploration into a world of fascinating (and sometimes
outlandish)
ideas about how people relate to themselves and to their social world. And,
hopefully, we can all learn a little more about ourselves.
In order to
relate Personality Theories to our daily lives, each participant in the class
(Michael Hynan included) will be encouraged to complete a few questionnaires
designed to measure personality traits.
Once we have
an idea of our own personality characteristics, we will be in a better position
to understand how the different theories attempt to explain why we are who we
are.
POLICIES AND
PROCEDURES: Both class attendance and
participation are ESSENTIAL to being successful in
this class. This is not a lecture class. It is a STUDENT-CENTERED CLASS where you will be doing the reading,
thinking, talking, debating, writing, and presenting. I understand that illnesses
and emergencies do come up, so I will allow each of you 2 absences from class
without penalty. After that, your grade will go down one-third a grade for each
class missed (for example, A- to B+, B to B-). Expect that I will call on each
one of you in class, asking a question or asking for comments. IT IS ALL RIGHT (AND IN FACT ENCOURAGED) IN
THIS CLASS TO SAY THINGS LIKE: "I DON’T KNOW", "GIVE ME SOME
TIME TO THINK", "LET ME LOOK SOMETHING UP", or "I’M
GUESSING HERE". EXPECT YOUR INSTRUCTOR TO USE MANY OF THESE TERMS AND SOME
OTHERS DURING OUR "STUMP THE PROF. DAYS".
TIME
COMMITMENT: As a general rule of thumb, in college you should spend at least
2-3 hrs. working outside of class for every hour spent
in class. So for this 3 credit course,
you should be spending at least 6-9 hours a week on homework. This will involve
reading, preparing for class discussions and presentations, research in the
library and www, and writing papers. You should ALWAYS come to class prepared. The
out-of-class writing assignments have many purposes other than writing
exercises. Out-of-class writing requires that you read the assignment and think
about it critically, in order to write a coherent paper.
WRITTEN
WORK: This class involves a great deal of both in-class and out-of-class
writing. All written work done out-of-class must be typed. Expect to write
something in class almost every class period. In-class writing will be
un-graded, but must be turned in to certify attendance. Most written work
outside of class will be 1 page, typed papers (250 words max.), which will
account for a significant part of your grade. Unless announced otherwise, there
is a 1 page paper assigned every WED.,
which must by turned in the following MON.
These out-of-class papers will be graded on a pass-fail basis. These papers
will be graded for spelling and grammar as well as content. You will also be
asked to make presentations to the class based on your written work. Class
presentations and participation will also be included in your final
grade. Early
in the semester, I anticipate that the majority of your class presentations
will be accomplished by reading from your assigned papers (although this is not
required). Later in the semester, I will expect that presentations will be
facilitated by note cards, not complete papers. We will have practice at this. Those of you that attend class regularly,
complete all written and oral assignments, and contribute comments to the
seminar may expect to receive a grade of B or better. On occasion, students
will have the opportunity to re-write papers to gain a better grade. Help with
writing is also available from the PEER
MENTORING PROGRAM LOCATED IN
One major
requirement for the class will be a paper of 5-7 pages that will present an
original case study. Each student will be asked to create an account of a
FICTIONAL individual. Each paper must include a
description of
the major personality traits of the individual. Then, from one or more
theoretical perspectives, the student must present a description of
developmental experiences that plausibly explain WHY THIS PERSON IS THE KIND OF
PERSON S/HE IS. The final submission of this paper is not subject to revision.
You will receive feedback, however, on an earlier draft of your final paper.
GRADING: I anticipate
that the final grade will be based on 1-page papers (48%), final paper (22%),
class presentations (20%), and general participation (10%). We will discuss and
negotiate the exact procedure for final grading during the first 2 weeks of the
semester.
COURSE
OUTLINE:
Sept. 7-Introductions
and Course Overview-Presenter: Michael Hynan
Assignment;
read: Definition of Personality on web page </~hynan/407/407INT.html>
and the
section from your Text (usually in Chapt. 1) on the
definition of Personality.
Sept. 12-Introductions
and Course Overview, continued.
Sept. 14-How
"Personality" fits into "Psychology"—Presenter: Michael
Hynan
Exercise:
The "Shy" Man. Assignment due Sept. 19 —1 page paper (250 words,
max.) based on Philip Chard’s article. For this paper, think of someone you
know who is as unpredictable as the person in the article. Provide an example
or two of inconsistency. Explain why you think that this person seems to have
no "personality" (i.e., consistency in behavior). What other specific
influences besides "personality" might determine this person’s
behavior? You may want to consider why people may act in certain ways (i.e.,
defensive or phony) that do not reflect their true feelings.
Sept. 19-The
formal components of a "good" personality theory: Core, Development,
and Periphery—Presenter: Michael Hynan. Exercise: Class discussion of the Chard
article and your reactions to it.
Sept. 21-The
5 factor model: Neuroticism, Extraversion, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness,
and Openness to Experience —Presenter: Michael Hynan. Read the class web notes
on the NEO-PI <NEO.html> Exercise: Taking the Neo-PI (5 factor)
questionnaire. Assignment, Due Sept. 26: Write a 1 page paper describing the personality
characteristics of any “well-known adult” (e.g., politician, musician, movie/TV
star, etc) using the 5 factor model. Imagine that this information is to be
used in a chapter in your next best seller, "Personalities of the Rich and
Famous". In your judgment, is this person average, above average, or below
average on each of the 5 factors? For each of these ratings, provide examples
(either real or fictitious) to support your evaluations. Be prepared to present
your paper to the class on Sept. 26 or 28.
Sept. 26-Feedback
and interpretation of the Neo-PI—Presenter: Michael Hynan. Then, Class
presentations of the “well-known adult” and discussion: Presenters: Class
members.
Sept. 28-Continued class presentations of the “well-known adult”. Presenters: Class members. Assignment:
Read the web notes on Freud <407FREUD.html>
and the Frick text, pp.1-15. Write a 1 page paper due Oct 3. The content of the
paper should focus on what the term "unconscious" means to you,
providing an example(s) of activities that you believe were unconsciously
motivated.
Oct. 3-Freud discussion. Assignment: Read Frick pp. 16-32.
Oct 5-Continued Freud discussion. In class writing of a
dream. Assignment, Due Oct. 10: Write a 1 page paper explaining how
Freud would account for the adult personality of the person whose personality
characteristics you described in the first paper. The paper should be a
"plausible" explanation of experiences that this person experienced
during the oral, anal, and phallic psychosexual stages. You should describe the
"fixation(s)" that theoretically caused this person’s adult
personality. Be prepared to read your paper in class on Oct. 10 or 12.
Oct. 10-Class
presentations and discussion: Presenters: Class members.
Oct 12-Class
presentations and discussion: Presenters: Class members. Assignment: Stump the prof. Find something about Freud’s theory not yet covered
in class. Write a question that either has a specific. Then write the answer to
that question. Both the question and answer should be brought to class on Oct
17. (our first stump the prof.
Day) as your writing assignment. We will spend Oct. 17 discovering just how
much Michael Hynan doesn’t know about Freud.
Oct. 17-Stump
the prof. (Freud) Assignment: Read Adler web notes </~hynan/407/407ADLER.html>
and pp.
33-59 in Frick text.
Oct 19-Class discussion of Adler. Exercise: birth order and personality
questionnaire followed by class
discussion.
Assignment: Read Jung web notes </~hynan/407/407JUNG.html>
and Frick pp. 91-103. Take the Keirsey Temperament
Sorter II :www.keirsey.com/cgi-bin/keirsey/newkts.cgi on line and get it scored for
yourself. Write a 1 page paper, due Oct 24 in the form of a personal want ad
seeking a "soul mate". First, describe the seeker (yourself or a
person you may wish to create) in Keirsey terminology
and list related personality characteristics. Then, describe the "soul
mate" in Keirsey terminology and list his/her
personality characteristics. It is OK if you get carried away with this
exercise and exceed 250 words! Be prepared to present your want ad to the class
on Oct 24 or Oct 26.
Oct. 24-Class
presentations and Jung discussion: Presenters, Class members.
Oct 26-Class
presentations and Jung discussion: Presenters, Class members. Assignment: prepare
for Stump the prof., pt. 2. By writing a 1 page
question plus answer using material from Adler and Jung. Follow the same
instructions as for questioning me on Freud. BEGIN
PREPARATION OF THE OUTLINE OF YOUR FINAL PAPER, AND GATHER 3 REFERENCES.
Oct. 31-Stump
the prof. (Jung and Adler) Assignment: Read Horney web notes </~hynan/407/407HORNE.html>
and Frick pp. 114-139.
Nov. 2-Class
discussion of Horney Exercise: Small group work.
Create and present 3 pathologically neurotic people. Assignment: Groups will be
created and each group will be assigned one of Erikson’s stages to be presented
to class on Nov 7 and 19. All of you will be assigned readings from the Erikson
web notes </~hynan/407/407ERIK.html>
and Frick pp. 140-152. In addition, each group should do extra library/web
research regarding their assigned stage. This presentation will not require a
formal 1 page
paper.
Rather, each group should turn in their informal presentation notes either
typed or handwritten.
Nov. 7-Erikson
presentations and class discussion: A) Trust vs. Mistrust, B) Autonomy vs.
Shame and Doubt. C) Initiative vs. Guilt, and D) Industry Vs.
Inferiority: Presenters, Class members. OUTLINE OF FINAL PRESENTATION PLUS
REFERENCES ARE DUE TODAY.
Nov. 9-Erikson
presentations, cont’d: E) Identity vs. Role Confusion, F) Intimacy vs.
Isolation, G) Generativity vs. Stagnation, and H) Ego
Integrity vs. Despair: Presenters, Class members. Assignment: Write a 1 page
question and answer in preparation for Stump The Prof (Horney and Erikson) on Nov. 14.
Nov. 14. -Stump
the Prof (Horney and Erikson) Assignment: Read
Skinner web notes /~hynan/407/407SKINN.html>
and Frick pp. 155-178.
Nov. 16-Class discussion of Skinner. Exercise and class demonstration: The
importance of environmental
contingencies. Assignment: Read Frick pp. 179-199. Write a 1 page paper due
Nov. 21 describing how you would change the educational environment at UWM if
you were B. F. Skinner making recommendations to the Chancellor.
Nov. 21-Class discussion of Skinner. Written evaluation of
this seminar from the perspective of B.F. Skinner. Class
discussions on how to improve learning. Assignment: Read Maslow web notes </~hynan/407/407MASLO.html>
and Frick pp. 265-292.
Nov. 23-Class discussion of Maslow. Exercise: In class assignment of writing
a paper of how you imagine your life would be if you were self-actualizing.
Assignment: COMPLETE THE DRAFT OF YOUR FINAL PAPER WHICH IS DUE NOV 30 &
Read Rogers web notes </~hynan/407/407ROGER.html>
and Frick pp. 293-314.
Nov. 28--Class discussion of
Assignment:
Finish the draft of your final paper.
Nov 30.
DRAFTS OF FINAL PAPERS ARE DUE.
Assignment:
prepare note cards for your final presentations of your Individual projects.
Dec. 5, 7,
12, and 14-Presentations of final projects using note cards (not reading your
papers).
Monday, Dec.
19—The final paper must be handed in by 3:30 p.m.
PLEASE NOTE:
THE SCHEDULE LISTED ABOVE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME
DEPENDING ON THE NEEDS OF THE CLASS AS JUDGED BY THE INSTRUCTOR. FOR
EXAMPLE, WE
MAY DROP A THEORY IN ORDER TO CONCENTRATE ON ANOTHER THEORY OR LEARN HOW TO DO
LIBRARY RESEARCH OR WEB SEARCHES.
Final grades
will be posted using code names provided during the semester. If anyone has
need for note-taking or test-taking accommodations, please feel free to come
and discuss this with me early in the semester. Also, anyone needing
accommodations for religious observances is invited to discuss this with me
early in the semester. Information on Psychology Dept. policies on
participation by students with
disabilities, accommodation for religious observances, academic conduct, complaint
procedures, grade appeal procedures, and other standing policies (e.g., sexual
harassment, incompletes) is available in the main office of Psychology, Garland
224.