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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2018/2019

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences : Psychology

Undergraduate Course: Human Personality (PSYL10105)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences CollegeCollege of Humanities and Social Science
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits10 ECTS Credits5
SummaryThe course will give an overview of the major topics in current personality research. Historical personality theories will not be covered. The main but not exclusive focus will be on the trait approach to personality.
The course will start by introducing the major theoretical concepts and positions in current personality psychology. It will then move on to the assessment of personality traits, their evolutionary, biological and genetic underpinnings and development, their cross-cultural patterns and role in predicting major life-outcomes. The final lecture will be about non-trait personality conceptualizations as well as some other phenomena related to personality.
Course description Not entered
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Students MUST have passed: Psychology 2A (PSYL08011) AND Psychology 2B (PSYL08012)
Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements Research Methods and Statistics (PPLS08001) is recommended.
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesVisiting students should have at least 3 Psychology courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). We will only consider University/College level courses
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Main concepts and theoretical positions in current personality psychology
  2. Major findings in personality genetics and biology and their theoretical relevance
  3. Major findings pertaining to personality trait development
  4. Major findings regarding the predictive validity of personality traits
  5. Some alternative conceptualizations of personality beside the trait approach
Reading List
The main textbook

Matthews, G., Deary, I.J. & Whiteman, M.C. (2009). Personality Traits. 3rd Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Additional and/or background reading

Funder, D. C. (1991). Global Traits: A Neo-Allportian Approach to Personality. Psychological Science, 2, 31¿39.

Caspi, A., & Roberts, B. W. (2001). Personality Development across the Life Course: The Argument for Change and Continuity. Psychological Inquiry, 12, 49¿66.

Roberts, B. W., Kuncel, N. R., Shiner, R., Caspi, A., & Goldberg, L. R. (2007). The Power of Personality. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2, 313¿345.

Cervone, D. (2005). Personality Architecture: Within-Person Structures and Processes. Annual review of psychology, 56, 423¿452.

Cramer, A. O. J., van der Sluis, S., Noordhof, A., Wichers, M., Geschwind, N., Aggen, S. H., ¿ Borsboom, D. (2012). Dimensions of Normal Personality as Networks in Search of Equilibrium: You Can¿t Like Parties if You Don¿t Like People. European Journal of Personality, 26, 414¿431.
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserDr Rene Mottus
Tel: (0131 6)50 3410
Email: rene.mottus@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Stephanie Fong
Tel: (0131 6)51 3733
Email: S.Fong@ed.ac.uk
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