Personality Theories

Personality Theories is a comprehensive survey course that examines the fundamental principles behind our most valued schools of psychological thought. The course, taught by Professor Terri P. Schwartz of Governor State University, covers five major trends in personality analysis: Early analytical theories; Behaviorist approaches; Social and interpersonal theories; Academic techniques of personality study; Growth-oriented techniques of personality study. As a survey course, Personality Theories offers a landscape view of modern psychology. The course helps students identify and inter-relate the contributions of each psychological theory by assigning it to one of five distinct categories: Early analytical theories, as exemplified by Adler, Jung, and Freud; Behaviorist approaches advocated by Bandura, Dollard, and Skinner; Social and interpersonal theories advanced by Adler, Horney, Sullivan, and Fromm; Academic techniques of personality study used by Allport, Eysenck, Murray, and Kelly; Growth-oriented techniques of personality study typified by the theories of Laing, Maslow, and Rogers