Week 10 (October 29 - November 4)

Module D - Why do people do the things they do?

Welcome to my very favorite learning module!  This module was created because this is one of the most commonly asked questions by introductory psychology students.  In this learning module you will explore some of the factors that influence the attitudes that we hold as well as the behaviors that we engage in.  You'll learn about the influence of internal and external factors and how they work together and result in the behaviors and actions that we engage in.  How could somebody inflict pain on another person?  Why do kids bully each other?  Why do I get to work on-time?  These are some of the questions that you will be better equipped to answer at the end of this module.

This lesson presents students with a variety of theories which attempt to explain how our personalities are formed.  In this module you get to learn about famous psychologists such as Sigmund Freud, whose psychoanalytic theory you will explore in great detail in Objectives 13 - 18.  Freud's theory was of significant impact on the field of psychology because it was the first theory to study unconscious processes and their influence on the human experience.  For many Freud's theory is not grounded in scientific method and is therefore undeniably flawed however there are those who employed a more scientific approach to studying those unconscious motivations, the neo-Freudians, which you get to learn about in Objective 19. 

Beyond Freud and the unconscious arose what is called the Third Force, or the Humanistic perspective and as you continue in your studies of personality will get to read more about Carl Rogers and the tenets of his humanistic theory in Objectives 20 - 21.  What made the humanists differ from the previous primary perspectives (psychoanalytic and behavioral) was that the humanists emphasized an innate drive toward human potential which presented a much more optimistic view of human nature than did the previous perspectives.  You'll get to explore another humanist named Abraham Maslowe in Lesson 4.

Objective 22 explores social cognitive theory, specifically Albert Bandura's theory of personality development.  You may recall reading about Bandura in Lesson 1 as you explored the social cognitive perspective on learning; Bandura  proposed that awareness of our capabilities, what he called "self-efficacy" will influence our ability to rise to the occasion when called upon.

As you wrap up the theories of personality you will compare different trait theories which divert from previous theories which focused on similarities between people, and instead focus on the characteristics of individuals which make us unique.  In Objective 23 you will explore these theories which suggest that there are a variety of dimensions to personality which can be qualitatively measured and assessed.  In addition you will further explore how personality is assessed by evaluating contemporary assessment tools in Objectives 24 and 25.  For interested students you can further explore these personality assessments online by visiting the Meyers-Briggs Personality Assessment , About the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Assessment, About the Thematic Apperception Test, Assessing the MMPI-2 and its' Validity Scales, Trait Theory and its' Applications, and Evaluating the Rorschach Test.  Students can also visit some online tests that are similar to (but not the exact same) as the actual personality tests discussed in this chapter. 

By the end of this lesson you will have a thorough understanding of these psychological theories which attempt to explain and measure personality.  Here are some optional links to online personality assessments:

• The Big Five

• The Jung-Briggs Typology

• The Kersey Temperament Sorter

• Is personality set by 1st grade?  Article

Weekly Activities

Getting Started

• Print Module D Objectives
• Read Chapter 11 - Personality

 Projects

• The Individual Project - Human Behavior must be completed no later than 11:59pm Sunday.  Students should also read Chapter 12, as it will help to provide some context for this project.  Below are some links that students will need to access in order to complete this project:

The Stanford Prison Study: http://www.prisonexp.org/

Comparison to Abu Ghraib: http://www.slate.com/id/2100419/

BBC's Prison Study: http://www.bbcprisonstudy.org/bbc-prison-study.php

Optional links:

Philip Zimbardo at TED: http://blog.ted.com/2008/09/23/how_ordinary_pe/

"Celebrating Heroism": http://www.lucifereffect.com/heroism.htm

"Resisting Influence": http://www.lucifereffect.com/guide.htm

Quizzes

• The D2 Quiz will be available 12am Friday - 11:59pm Sunday and covers Chapter 11.