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PSYCH 238 (GS) Introduction to Personality Psychology (3 credits): Past and recent conceptualizations of key issues and root ideas of personality psychology.
Overview
PSYCH 238 consists of 16 individual lessons. The first lesson acquaints you with the course materials and procedures, and it is not graded. Lesson 8 is the mid-course exam and Lesson 16 is the final exam. For the remaining lessons, you will complete the following activities in this order
- Read the learning objectives for the lesson.
- Complete the reading assignment listed in the course schedule.
- Read the lesson Summary and Commentary.
- Complete the self-test to make sure you have learned the factual information from the text.
- Review the learning objectives to insure that you have achieved them.
- Complete and submit to your instructor the writing assignment for the lesson. This writing assignment will be graded.
The self-test multiple choice items are designed to quiz you on factual information from the text. Some of these items will appear on the mid-course and final exams.
The writing assignments are designed to see if you can go beyond the facts from the text by analyzing the facts, relating the textbook information to what you already know, drawing your own conclusions, and applying what you have learned to real life. Therefore the answers to the writing assignments are not spelled out for you in the text or Commentary. These writing assignments will often require creative and critical thinking skills on your part and will sometime involve activities such as observing behavior or analyzing the results of a personality test.
Objectives
As you work through this course, you will be expected to become familiar enough with personality research and the five basic approaches to personality to:
- list the questions of greatest interest to each approach;
- describe the preliminary answers to the questions asked within each approach;
- describe the position of each approach on the root ideas;
- compare and contrast the five approaches;
- evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each approach.
Materials
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.Library Resources
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
Technical Specifications
For this course we recommend the minimum World Campus technical requirements listed below:| Operating System | Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8*; Mac OS X 10.5 or higher *Windows 8 support excludes the tablet only RT version |
|---|---|
| Processor | 2 GHz or higher |
| Memory | 1 GB of RAM |
| Hard Drive Space | 20 GB free disk space |
| Browser | We recommend the latest ANGEL-supported version of Firefox or
Internet Explorer. To determine if your browser fits this criterion,
and for advice on downloading a supported version,
please refer to the following ITS knowledge base article: Supported Browsers and Recommended Computers.
Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled. Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. Due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript and caching, older versions of Internet Explorer (such as IE 6 or earlier) do not work with our courses. |
| Plug-ins | Adobe Reader [Download from Adobe]
Flash Player (v7.0 or later) [Download from Adobe] |
| Additional Software | Microsoft Office (2007 or later) |
| Internet Connection | Broadband (cable or DSL) connection required |
| Printer | Access to graphics-capable printer |
| DVD-ROM | Required |
| Sound Card, Microphone, and Speakers | Required |
| Monitor | Capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Course Requirements and Grading
Your grade in the course will be based on the total number of points earned on 14 writing assignments and two multiple-choice examinations.
How Writing Assignments are Graded
Here are the four key things the instructor looks for when grading writing assignments.
- Does the submitted writing follow the instructions for that assignment? Submitted writing must address all issues and answer all questions in the instructions to earn full credit.
- Is the submitted writing long enough? The instructions encourage you to write 2-3 paragraphs per question. Most of your answers actually do not all have to be that long, but they do have to be long enough to properly answer the question. Two or three sentences is NEVER sufficient to earn full credit.
- Was thought put into the writing assignment? Your instructor can tell whether a piece of writing was dashed off in five minutes or put together carefully after some serious thought. Thoughtful answers earn more points.
- Finally—and this is crucial—is there evidence in the submitted writing that you read and understood the reading and commentary for that topic? A good answer demonstrates understanding of the lesson material by referring appropriately to ideas from the textbook and/or commentary. An answer that looks like it could have been written without reading the textbook or commentary will not earn full credit.
What the Exams Cover
Exam questions are based on material in the textbook and in the commentaries. Some of the practice quiz questions will appear in the exams. The final exam will focus on material from the second half of the course, but because some general principles from the first half of the course continue to apply in the second half, and because understanding ideas in the second half of the course depends on knowledge from the first half, retaining knowledge from both portions of the course is necessary for doing well on the final exam.
Point Breakdown and Determination of the Final Grade
The point breakdown for graded assignments is as follows:
- 14 writing assignments at 15 points each = 210 points
- Mid-course exam, 100 questions at 1 point each = 100 points
- Final exam, 100 questions at 1 points each = 100 points
- Total points for course = 410
| Points | Grade |
| 380-410 | A |
| 369-379 | A- |
| 360-368 | B+ |
| 336-359 | B |
| 328-335 | B- |
| 320-327 | C+ |
| 287-319 | C |
| 246-286 | D |
| 0-245 | F |
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.
If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.
For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.
Course Schedule
Summer semester courses are 12 weeks in length and Fall and Spring semester courses are 15 weeks in length. Assignments will be adjusted accordingly.
| Lesson | Activity |
|---|---|
Lesson 01: Getting Started Lesson 02: The Study of the Person |
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| Lesson 03: Personality Research Methods |
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| Lesson 04: Traits, Situations, and Consistency |
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| Lesson 05: Personality Assessment |
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| Lesson 06: Using Traits to Predict and Understand |
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| Lesson 07: Genes and Evolution/Mid-Course Examination |
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| Lesson 08: Mid-Course Exam |
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| Lesson 09: Depth Psychology |
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| Lesson 10: Depth Psychology after Freud |
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| Lesson 11: Awareness and Experience |
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| Lesson 12: Environmental Influences |
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| Lesson 13: The Self |
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| Lesson 14: Personality Disorders |
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| Lesson 15: Review |
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| Lesson 16: Final Exam |
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Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.
NOTE: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please see "Graduation" on the World Campus Student Policies website.
Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and
personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and
property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all
can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment
of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and
others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .
Accommodating Disabilities
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Policies
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.
Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.