TopicThreadsPostsLast Post
Personality Theories: There are a variety of ways to view the development and function of personality. Ch. 14 of your text covers material on the major theories of personality, including Freud’s Psychoanalytic approach, Adler’s approach (derived from but split from Freud’s idea with regard to the source of motivation), behavioral or learning theories, humanistic viewpoints and the Big 5 Trait approach. I will remind students here that the study of the human personality is broad and complex, and this area of psychology is represented by a vast amount of research – all of which cannot be adequately presented in an introductory course of study. For students who major in psychology, an entire semester class (or more than one class) would be spent on personality theories alone. The intention of an introductory course is to provide you with exposure to the general ideas where personality and personality testing are concerned. Please ask questions as needed so the material can be adequately clarified.
I. First, discuss your responses to the theoretical presentations as they are given in the text, and in conjunction with the DETERMINING YOUR SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY document. This brief questionnaire is self scored, and serves as a very basic guide of which theory you might gravitate toward in reflection of the statements provided. Which theory(theories) would you be more or less likely to endorse, and why? Explain.
II. Watch Inside Out: The Enduring Self : Discuss key points from the film that you find important to understanding personality. Compare and contrast any information from the film with information from Chapter 14 of the text.
III. For added interest, and in reflection of the Big 5 Trait model, you can take an online version of the Big Five Personality Test . Do the results you received reflect how you view your own personality? What are the advantages and disadvantages of viewing personality from the 5 Factor Model perspective? (sharing the results of your assessment is not required or necessary; you can share the results at your own discretion)
You must start a thread before you can read and reply to other threads
Chapter 15 discusses aspects of abnormal behavior and how it is identified and measured, as well as various psychological diagnoses and their treatments. Watch Psychopathology (30 min) as an adjunct to the text material. Discuss ideas from the film and text that catch your interest. What do you think about the different psychological diagnoses and treatments presented in the text? What questions do you have?
This is a good opportunity to ask questions about specific diagnoses and treatment models. As is the case with the personality material, this chapter is only intended to give a general overview of this area of psychology. Please ask questions as you find helpful, or to get clarifications on items from the final test study guide.
TopicThreadsPostsLast Post
Must post first.
Controversies about Consciousness: Much controversy exists around the idea of consiousness, how it is defined, and discrepancies between animal and human consciousness. For this discussion, give consideration to the following:
1) How would you define the concept of “consciousness”? Do you think there is such a thing, apart from the physiological activity of the brain? Why or why not? (Consider revisiting the material on the mind-brain problem, first encountered in Chapter 1 – how might this concept apply here?) How does one define where consciousness ends and unconsciousness begins (or vice versa)? Where does sleep fit into the realm of conscious/unconsciousness (e.g., when you sleep, are you conscious or unconsious)?
2) Watch both of the following Ch. 10 Films:
You must start a thread before you can read and reply to other threads
Must post first.
Chapter 11 covers an array of topics related to the study of motivated behaviors.
You must start a thread before you can read and reply to other threads
Must post first.
Watch Stress: Portait of a Killer
After viewing, respond to the following:
You must start a thread before you can read and reply to other threads
Must post first.
Chapter 13 of your text discusses a number of topics from the field of Social Psychology. Overall, social psychologists are interested in studying how the power of the group or situation influences behavior, rather than focusing on the individual characteristics of a person. Social psychologists emphasize that behavior is a function of both the individual and the environment or situation. These ideas contrast with the usual focus of study, which often emphasizes the individual and her/his internal personality traits. For this discussion, watch the films from the links provided below as an adjunct to the textbook material, as well as review the relevant concepts in the text, and respond to the questions/ideas that follow.
*Note: The Stanford Prison Experiment contains footage from an actual study that in today’s time would be considered unethical. Some of the material can be sensitive. Students are encouraged to read pp. 442-448 before viewing the videos.
Obeying or Resisting Authority: Obeying or Resisting Authority (35 min)
Stanford Prison Experiment (30 min): Stanford Prison Experiment
