MONASH UNIVERSITY FACULTY HANDBOOKS
Medicine Handbook 1996
Published by Monash University
Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia
Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996
MPM2008
Personality theory (semester 2)
Associate Professor S Bloch and Mr L Rodriguez
Synopsis The focus of this subject is the study of the theory of
personality and its clinical and therapeutic implications. Its chief aim will
be to consider the various theoretical approaches which have been applied to
the understanding of an individual's intra and interpersonal psychological
world. Topics to be covered include the concept of personality, different
theoretical approaches to the conceptualisation of personality and
psychological functioning and the relationship between these approaches and the
empirical study of personality. Throughout the subject links will be made
between the theoretical subject matter and its relevance to the clinical
situation. In particular, psychotherapeutic implications will be considered.
Although the subject will not serve as an introduction to practical
psychotherapy, there will be a regular opportunity to study relevant aspects of
the different schools of psychological treatment. Students will be encouraged
to share their clinical experience and there will be scope to present case
material from their ongoing therapeutic encounters. An important goal in
linking theory and practice in this way will be to enable students to learn how
to apply various theories of personality and human behaviour to their patients,
and how to become more critically aware of the relative strengths and
limitations of these theories.
Assessment Essay (4000 words on an assigned topic)
Recommended texts
- Brown J A C Freud and the post-Freudians Pelican, 1964
- Fisher S and Greenberg R P The scientific credibility of Freud's
theories and therapy Basic Books, 1977
- Hall D S and Lindzey G Theories of personality Wiley, 1978
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