Each chapter will start with an objectives slide, which is a preview of the content that will be covered in each chapter.
Psychological triad: especially interesting when the elements conflict with each other, which suggests the mind is complex and it can even be difficult to understand yourself
Personality psychology studies normal patterns; clinical psychology studies extreme patterns.
*Point out some normal traits that are problems in the extreme. Conscientiousness and obsessive-compulsive disorder is a good example.
How all other areas of psychology come together (especially social, cognitive, developmental, clinical, biological)
Explain the different parts of the definition, and discuss how “characteristic” does not mean always the same thing in all situations and with all people.
The second definition is an alternative that can be used to emphasize that personality is what makes people unique and that personality is only RELATIVELY consistent.
Mission: Impossible – It is impossible to account for everything at the same time.
Reader: McAdams – What do we know when we know a person? Discuss how this is related to the goal of explaining the whole person.
A way to limit what part of personality is examined so the task of personality psychology is not overwhelming and impossible
Biological approach includes anatomy, physiology, genetics, evolution; example: depression as a function of abnormal levels of neurotransmitters
Psychoanalytic approach example: Anxiety results from mental conflict.
Uniquely human attributes: existential anxiety, creativity, free will, and happiness
Classic behaviorists focus on overt behavior.
They address different questions: Psychoanalysis is good for explaining why someone misplaced his keys, behavioral approach is not.
One Big Theory (OBT) disagreement: Personality psychologists have not figured out how to solve this dilemma. Some would like to find One Big Theory, some believe their approach is the OBT, some would like to organize the existing theories into one framework, and some believe that the different approaches address different questions and should be left as is.
Other areas of psychology treat all people as if they were the same: Individual differences are seen as error
pigeonholing: putting people into specific categories
Activity 1–2: Creativity in Education: Ken Robinson’s TED Talk