6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL
Undergraduate - Unit
Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.
Faculty
Organisational Unit
Politics and International Relations
Chief examiner(s)
Coordinator(s)
Unit guides
Prerequisites
Twelve credit points of first-year Arts units. It is highly recommended that students only take this unit after they have completed two gateway units in Behavioural studies.
Prohibitions
ATS3400, GSC2711, GSC3711, PSS2711, ATS2819
Synopsis
This unit will introduce students to the development of personality theory from the late 19th century to the present time. It will examine a range of theories reflecting dominant paradigms and the ways in which they shaped contemporary thinking across a number of disciplinary areas including abnormal psychology, psychiatry, sociology and criminology. Each theory will be explored in relation to the historical, cultural and social context from which it emerged and the personal history of the originating theorist.
Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this unit students will be able to demonstrate:
- familiarity with the major theoretical approaches to personality and individual differences
- an understanding of the historical, cultural and social contexts in which these theoretical approaches emerged
- an in-depth knowledge of one of the major theoretical approaches to personality and its connections to other disciplines.
Assessment
Within semester assessment: 60%
Exam: 40%
Workload requirements
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
See also Unit timetable information