Barton College, Wilson, NC
Edward M. Fernandes, Ph.D
.
Office:
Hines Hall 108 D
e-mail
: efernandes@barton.edu
Office Hours: see weekly schedule or
by appointment
Introduction to Personality – Psy 340
Fall 2013
Hines 105
Tuesday-Thrusday, 9:30 – 10:45 AM
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course will acquaint you with some of the major theories and perspectives on what human personalities are, how they work, and what ends they might serve. You will learn that there is no single view about what human persons are, or how they might best be understood. This course will help you understand what some of the historical issues and controversies have been, what research to date has established, and what are some of the difficulties in forming an integrated understanding of human personality. The central purpose is to equip you with the ability to think critically, evaluate the scientific evidence, and understand the influence of personality theory, not only for psychological knowledge and clinical application, but for other fields of human endeavor: literature, history, anthropology, economics, politics, education, and even philosophy and religion. At base, the study of personality must ultimately be a self-conscious pursuit, both of personal development and of human freedom, rooted in an understanding of our biological, psychological, and cultural limitations.
.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
(1)
Compare and contrast various theoretical models of Personality.
(2)
Critically evaluate and compare existing theories from an historical perspective.
(3)
Understand the different methodologies of Personality research.
(4)
Discuss how culture and history has shaped the field’s conceptualization of Personality.
(5) Compare and contrast the different theorists in the filed of Personality.
Text Books
:
Theories of Personality
Richard M. Ryckman
10th Edition ©2013
Cengage Learning
Personality Theories Workbook.
4th ed. Ashcraft.
Wadsworth/Cengage
.
Students are required to complete the assigned readings prior to the appropriate lecture.
Materials:
Additional materials will be used as part of the required course content and available through Campus Connect. The student is responsible for downloading the materials for use in this course.
ASSESSMENT OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
A combination of grades on writing assignments, tests, critical thinking, and the final examination will be used to assess academic achievement
COURSE POLICIES:
Ideal Student Behavior
Lecture attendance is required
; the student is responsible for ALL the daily class assignments. Regular attendance is HIGHLY recommended, as ALL lecture discussions, video presentations will be incorporated in the exams. Textbook readings are MANDATORY.
SLEEPING during lecture will NOT be tolerated.
Any student found to be sleeping during class will be asked to leave.
The following suggestions are provided in an effort to create an environment more conducive to learning.
T
each to others
;
this is the best way to see if you understand the material
O
ff and away with cell phones
(distracting)
- (1st = warning, 2nd = dismissal from class)
P
romptness
:
please arrive to class early
P
reparedness
:
read assigned readings prior to class
E
at outside of class
, not in class (distracting)
R
espect others
:
waiting to talk until others are finished; avoid leaving class early (if you must, please let me know at the beginning of the class period); avoid “packing-up” while the professor is still talking
S
hare your questions with the class
Tardiness
I request that students make every effort to be in class at least 2-3 minutes prior to the official starting time.
If a student is tardy, the student should enter via the back row that has been created to accommodate later arrivers and should sit somewhere in the back. The two side rows should always have seats available. Please do not walk to the front of the class and try to find a front row seat. The professor reserves the right NOT allow in a student that is more than 5 minutes late.
Attendance
I hope that you will attend every class. Because this course is very note-dependent, students who miss more than a couple of classes tend to fall at the lower end of the grade distribution (that is D’s & F’s).
If your absences in class become excessive, you will be contacted in writing to set up a conference with me. If you do not schedule an appointment, you will be withdrawn from class and a grade of "W" assigned.
Asking Questions
I encourage you to ask questions
. If you don’t understand something, please ask a question. Most of the time if you have a question someone else may have the same question.
Questions you should NOT ask
:
Do we have to know this?
Will this be on the test?
If there is something that I am presenting in class that you will not be tested over I will tell you.
Can we leave early today?
I will usually use most of the class period as it will be needed to cover the amount of material I have planned for this course. If you are looking for a course that is released early everyday this is not the course for you. Also, do not put your things away until the lecture has finished.
GRADING
:
Grade points
Quantitative value Qualitative value
|
A : 500
A - 450
|
100% - 90%
|
You’re on your way to Grad School
|
|
B + : 440
B : 434
B - : 412
|
89% - 80%
|
Grad School is still on the horizon
|
|
C + : 399
C : 370
C - : 360
|
79% - 70%
|
Good effort, you can probably do better
|
|
D +: 339
D : 318
D - : 300
|
69% - 60%
|
You gave it a shot, MUST try harder
|
Any grade below 300will be awarded an F.
Individual grades will not be disclosed over the phone or via email. I will post grades electronically on Campus Connect
Final Grades: Please do not beg for a better grade after final grades are posted. Final grades are, well, final, with only one exception: If a clerical error was made in the computation of a grade, then the student should bring that error to my attention and I will correct the error if indeed there is one.
Final Grades will be based on the following criteria
:
Three (3) In-Class Exams 300 points
Homework Assignments (10): 200 points
There are no exceptions to this grading scheme. No extra credit. No amount of begging, pleading, bribing, or heartfelt sorrow will change your final grade.
Exams will include ALLlecture materials, textbook readings and other assigned materials.
Exams will consist of 50 multiple choice questions, worth 2 points each.
The FINAL exam will consist of 67 multiple choice questions worth 1.5 points each.
Extra Credit
: There are no extra-credit points available unless assigned by the instructor.
Final exam
iscumulative (material from ALL chapters will be covered with emphasis on the last chapters covered in class).
ASSIGNMENT DUE DATES WILL BE POSTED ON Campus Connect
ASSIGNMENTS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED VIA DIGITAL SUBMISSION ON Campus Connect
PLEASE NOTE:
If you are experiencing difficulties with the course material, please set up an appointment with the instructor at your EARLIEST convenience…
” If your boat has sprung a leak don’t wait till the sharks are nibbling at your feet to ask for a life vest….”
And the last week of the course may be too late to seek help…..
It is suggested that you make use of all ancillary materials, including articles and links posted on Blackboard, to help you with the course material. Such materials as the Study Guide, CD-ROM, External Links, Suggested Readings, Optional Book, are valuable assets.
EXAM SCHEDULE
:
Exam 1 September 19
Exam 2 October 29
Final Exam TBA
(The instructor reserves the right to change exam dates due to unforeseen circumstances)
PLEASE NOTE:
If you are experiencing difficulties with the course material, please set up an appointment with the instructor at your EARLIEST convenience…
” If your boat has sprung a leak don’t wait till the sharks are nibbling at your feet to ask for a life vest….”
And the last week of the course may be too late to seek help…..
It is suggested that you make use of all ancillary materials, including articles and links posted on Blackboard, to help you with the course material. I will provide links on Blackboard to interesting and useful sites. The student is expected to peruse these sites and take the necessary notes.
Once again, courtesy is appreciated
:
If you wish to read, sleep, or talk during a lecture, please do so outside the lecture hall.
NO CELL
phones allowed in class
.
IMPORTANT DATES:
Last day for Dropping Courses
: Tues, Sept. 17th, 5PM
Last Day to Withdraw from a course: Tues., October 29th, 5PM
Last Day for requesting Changes in the
Final Examination
: Tues., November, 12th
Scholarly Behavior and Plagiarism
:
I hope that your focus is on learning and that you will have no reason to engage in cheating or plagiarism
Anyone caught cheating on a test or assignment, or engaging in plagiarism will receive a "0" for that assignment and will have his/her final average dropped by a letter grade. Further attempts at plagiarism will be dealt with at the COLLEGE level and the offending student may receive an F for the course or be expelled from the college. Plagiarism and “cheating” are considered grave ACADEMIC offenses.
This means….On exams and graded class work, I expect you to work independently - no copying from your other classmates. On computational homework assignments, you may compare answers with a classmate. However, DO NOT simply copy the work of another student - I have a very good record for detecting such plagiarism - it is easier to detect than you might suspect, and it is usually easier to do your own work fairly than to be Plagiarize someone else's.
Sending E-Mail
You can send me email through Blackboard. You must remember to type your name in the body of the email or I will not easily know from whom it came. If you use a mail server other than that provided to you by Barton College, you may be subject to a Spam filter. For that reason always include a subject line in this format: i.e. PSYC Course, Section "x", etc.
The salutation of your e-mail should not include such expressions as "Hey…", Hey You…", "Dude…" or any other colloquial expressions you would use with your friends or classmates.
This syllabus is subject to change and changes will be announced in class
Required Weekly Reading schedule:
Week Aug.26 – Chapters 1 and 2
Week Sep. 9 – Chapters 3 and 4
Week Sep.16 – Chapters 5 and 6
Week Sep.30 – Chapters 7 and 8
Week Oct. 14– Chapters 9 and 10
Week Oct. 21 – Chapters 11 and 12
Week Nov. 4 – Chapters 13 and 14
Week Nov.18 – Chapters 15 and 16
Week Nov. 25 – Chapters 17 and 18
PPT for the chapters will be upload on the course website on Campus Connect