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Personality Theories: Course Outline (APSY-2202)

Personality theories study how an individual develops their personality and can be utilized in studying personality disorders

Course Objective

To cover Islamic and different perspectives and theories explaining personality. Main concepts and principles, explanation of personality development, assessment, and proposed interventions will be covered in this course.

Recommended Books

Course Contents

Introduction to Personality
Definition and meanings of personality
Components of a personality theory
The Psychoanalytic Perspective
Basic Assumptions and main Proponents
Sigmund Freud
b) Basic concepts
c) Personality structure: Three interacting systems
d) Personality development: Stages of Development
e) Personality dynamics and Defense mechanisms
f) Application of psychoanalytic theory: Assessment and Intervention
g) Critical evaluation
Carl Jung
a) Basic concepts: Conscious and unconscious; Archetypes, personality typology, personality development
b) Assessment and Intervention
c) Critical evaluation

Alfred Adler
a) Basic concepts
b) Assessment and Intervention
c) Critical evaluation
Karen Horney
a) Basic concepts
b) Assessment and Intervention
c) Critical evaluation
Erik Erikson
a) Basic Concepts
b) Psycho-social stages of personality development




 

Object Relation Theory Cognitive Perspective
a) Major assumptions and main Proponents
a) Basic concepts
b) Assessment and Intervention
c) Critical evaluation
Albert Ellis
a) Basic concepts
b) Assessment and Intervention
c) Critical evaluation
George Kelly
a) Basic concepts
b) Personality as a system of constructs
c) Personality Development
d) Critical evaluation                                                   
Dispositional and Trait Theories
a) Major Assumptions and main Proponents
Gordon Allport
a) Basic Concepts
b) Personality traits
Raymond Cattell
a) Basic concepts
b) Assessment and Intervention
c) Critical evaluation
Humanistic and Existentialist Theories
a) Major Assumptions and main Proponents
Abraham Maslow
a) Basic concepts
b) Five basic human needs
Carl Rogers
a) Basic concepts
b) Personality development

Course outcome

Upon successful completion of this course, the student is expected to:
a) Comprehend classical theories, their major postulates, concepts, assessment and interventions proposed by different theorists. They will be able to make compare different theories and be able to comprehend human personality in the light of Islamic and different Western perspectives.

Recommended Books