This course is designed to give students an introduction to personality theorists who represent psychoanalytic, lifespan, trait, humanistic, cognitive, behavioral, and social-learning approaches, while demonstrating the influence of historical events on the development of their theories. Students will explore how race, gender, and culture play a part in the study of personality and in personality assessment. Current research on select facets of personality including locus of control, sensation seeking, optimism-pessimism, learned helplessness, and positive psychology will be reviewed.
