HowtoTeachThe Intro Section

How to Teach the Introductory Psychology Unit on Personality Psychology: 

How to Teach the Introductory Psychology Unit on Personality Psychology …Using the Systems Framework by John D. Mayer

The Step-by-Step Approach: : 

The Step-by-Step Approach: What The Personality Chapter in the Introductory Psychology Book Should Do What the Personality Chapter in the Introductory Psychology Book Actually Looks Like How to Fix It

1. What the Personality Chapter in the Introductory Psychology Book Should Do: 

1. What the Personality Chapter in the Introductory Psychology Book Should Do

Wundt’s Conception of Personality: 

Wundt’s Conception of Personality Personality is a system A system is a set of interrelated parts. Examples are: The solar system A college or university Subfields are organized from those studying smaller units to those studying larger units. Personality was the large system that organized the parts of psychology

Wundt’s Vision for Personality(updated a bit) : 

Wundt’s Vision for Personality (updated a bit)

Most Introductory Psychology Books Proceed from Smaller to Larger Systems : 

Most Introductory Psychology Books Proceed from Smaller to Larger Systems The Neuron Sensation Perception Memory Motivation Emotion Intelligence Personality

Intro Books & Personality…: 

Intro Books andamp; Personality… Introductory Psychology books have an 'institutional memory' of what Wundt envisioned: That personality would integrate what had come before (and transition to the study of people in groups). That is why they usually place personality at the end of the section on parts of the person, just before the chapter on social psychology, or a series of chapters on applications of psychology

2. What the Personality Chapter in the Introductory Psychology Book Actually Looks Like: 

2. What the Personality Chapter in the Introductory Psychology Book Actually Looks Like

Does Your Introductory Psychology Textbook’s Chapter Look Like This? : 

Does Your Introductory Psychology Textbook’s Chapter Look Like This? Psychodynamic: Freud: Conscious/Unc; Id Ego, Superego Trait Theorists: Allport’s traits Eysenck’s Big Three Costa andamp; McCrae andamp; Goldberg’s The Big Five Humanism Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Social Learning: Rotter’s expectancy theory Mischel’s behavioral expression Bandura’s self-efficacy

Just When You Wanted To Pull It All Together…: 

Just When You Wanted To Pull It All Together… The personality section adds more fragmentation Many theories All contradictory Contradictions within theoretical perspectives Much of it is historical and lacks evidence – but the textbook author doesn’t necessarily say so for risk of offending professors who love the old perspectives (as do I – but I’m not offended by change)

3. How To Fix It: 

3. How To Fix It

Most Introductory Psychology Textbooks Provide all The Coverage You Need: 

Most Introductory Psychology Textbooks Provide all The Coverage You Need Your introductory psychology book has adequate coverage of personality psychology. It is just organized in a fragmented way It likely goes perspective-by-perspective (although a few use other organizations)

There are better organizations: 

There are better organizations The Systems Framework for Personality (Mayer, 1998) is an Outline with Four Topics What is personality: It is the organization of the major psychological subsystems we have studied thus far What are personality’s parts: They are motives, emotions, cognition…as we have studied thus far What is personality’s organization? Structure: The Big Five; Conscious/unconscious Dynamics: Mental Defense Development (or leave until the Development chapter)

Or, In a Bit More Detail… : 

Or, In a Bit More Detail… What Is Personality? Now we come to the part that begins to pull psychology together. Define personality as a system Personality’s Parts We have already examined many of personality’s parts throughout this semester. Attachment; object relations Memory = Autobiograhpical memory Emotions = A person’s emotional style Motives = A person’s motives Personality Organization Structural Trait Organizations The Big Three (Eysenck) The Big Five (Costa, McCrae, Goldberg, etc.) Global Structural organization: Conscious-unconscious e.g., Freud: Conscious/Unc; Id Ego, Superego But there are newer, better organizations (e.g., the Systems Set) Personality Organization (continued) Dynamics of Action Mischel’s interactionism Rotter’s expectancy Bandura’s self-efficacy Dynamics: Self Control Freud (and others): Defense and coping Personality Development You may want to postpone this to the Development chapter, but if not: Erikson’s stages Maslow’s concept of self-actualization Now you can tell your own story about the whole personality… Then say, 'In the Next Chapter, We’ll Move up a Level of Analysis, and Discuss People in Groups: Social Psychology'

Or use the systems framework lecture reorganizer…: 

Or use the systems framework lecture reorganizer… See: http://www.personalitysystem.com/PVBAssets/creatinglectures/sidebysidelectures.pdf

Conclusions: 

Conclusions The Introductory Psychology book typically places 'Personality' at the conclusion of many chapters on major psychological subsystems. In this sense, the are 'remembering' Wundt’s idea that personality should draw the field together Most Introductory Psychology books provide the coverage you need to teach personality in a systems manner Its (almost) as simple as re-ordering your lectures

Further Readings: 

Further Readings Overview of the systems framework: Mayer (1998). A systems framework for the field of personality. Psychological Inquiry, 9, 169-179. Extensions Relevant for Introductory Psychology: Mayer, J. D. (2004). Classifying change techniques according to the areas of personality they influence: A systems framework integration. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 60, 1291-1315. Mayer, J. D. (2003). Structural divisions of personality and the classification of traits. Review of General Psychology, 7, 381-401. A personality textbook based on the system: Mayer (2005). Personality psychology: A systems approach (3rd Classroom Test Edition). Boston: Pearson Custom.