Welcome to PSY 351- Personality Psychology! In this course, you will learn about the six\ud
important domains of personality research (dispositional, biological, intrapsychic, cognitive/experiential, socialcultural,\ud
adjustment). Within these domains, we will explore a variety of fascinating and diverse topics to learn\ud
about ways in which we are the same, similar, and different from others. This course will provide you with an\ud
understanding of personality, personality research, and applications to the real world

D'Eon, Maya

CSUN ScholarWorks

Personality Psychology PSY 351 Section 2 
Spring 2015 (Tuesdays, Thursdays 8:00am to 9:15am) 
 
Instructor: Maya Santoro D’Eon, M.A. 
Office & Phone: 6505 Alvarado Road, Suite 110,  (619) 594-8044 
E-Mail Address: mdeon@mail.sdsu.edu	  (preferred mode of contact) 
Meeting Time/Place: Tuesdays/Thursdays, 8:00am – 9:15am, Storm Hall West (SHW) – Room 11 
Office Hours:                   I will be available to meet immediately following class on Thursdays (i.e., 9:15 am).  
       
Graduate Teaching Assistant:  
Name and Email: Sangeeta Nair, snair@mail.sdsu.edu; Office: LS 24C 
Office Hours: Wednesdays, 11:30am to 12:30pm and by appointment 
 
Course Description: Welcome to PSY 351- Personality Psychology! In this course, you will learn about the six 
important domains of personality research (dispositional, biological, intrapsychic, cognitive/experiential, social-
cultural, adjustment). Within these domains, we will explore a variety of fascinating and diverse topics to learn 
about ways in which we are the same, similar, and different from others. This course will provide you with an 
understanding of personality, personality research, and applications to the real world.  
 
Course Objectives: By the end of this course, you should be able to: 
1. Describe the basic principles, theories, and methods used to study personality 
2. Identify practical applications of personality research   
3. Describe similarities and differences among personality domains 
 
Additional Department Level Learning Objectives: In addition to the course-specific objectives, other learning 
objectives identified as important across Psychology Curriculum that overlap with this course are: 
1. Identify notable individuals with their contributions to psychology (SLO 1.1) 
2. Explain the roles of persons, situations, and person-situation interactions as causes of behavior (SLO 1.3) 
3. Use concepts, language, and major theories of the field to account for psychological phenomena (SLO 2.1) 
4. Apply psychological concepts, theories, and research findings as these relate to everyday life (SLO 2.4) 
5. Explain the similarities and differences among the research methods used by psychologists (SLO 3.2) 
6. Explain how individual differences influence beliefs, values, and interactions with others and vice versa 
(SLO 6.4) 
7. Understand that research findings may not generalize to all people (SLO 6.7) 
 
Required Textbook: 
Larsen, R. J., & Buss, D. M. (2014). Personality Psychology: Domains of Knowledge About Human Nature (5th 
Edition). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. 
 
Blackboard: SDSU Blackboard (http://blackboard.sdsu.edu/) will be your online resource for this course.  You will find 
the course syllabus, lecture slides, and exam grades posted on Blackboard. Also, any important class announcements will 
be made on Blackboard, so you are encouraged to check on a weekly basis.  
 
Pre-Requisite for this course: To take PSY 351, you must have completed PSY 101 (Introductory Psychology) or an 
equivalent Introductory Psychology course from another school.   
 
Lecture Format: This course is delivered in a lecture format, twice a week. Lectures will cover content from chapter in 
the textbook and will introduce additional learning material.  Although the class size is relatively large, active 
participation is encouraged, and quite frankly, it makes the experience of learning more engaging and enjoyable. 
Because of the breadth of material covered in this course, it is strongly recommended that students complete the chapter 
readings prior to the lecture. This helps to provide a foundation that the lectures will build on. I encourage students to 
ask questions during class if clarification of the material is needed.  
 
Attendance: Class attendance is strongly recommended.  Exams will be based on material from class lectures and the 
textbook.  Lecture notes are not available from Teaching Assistants or the instructor.  If you are unable to attend a lecture, 
please borrow notes from a classmate.  
 
Cell Phones: When in class, please make sure your cell phones are turned off. If you need to take a phone call during 
class, please let the instructor know at the outset of class, turn your phone to vibrate, and leave the room to take the 
call.  
 
Emergency Preparation: Students are responsible for becoming familiar with the evacuation plan of the specific 
classroom. The evacuation plan is posted within each classroom. 
 
Exams: This course has 3 non-cumulative, multiple-choice exams that will test your knowledge of the lectures and 
textbook readings. Each exam is worth 1/3rd of your final grade.  The exams are each worth 100 points and consist of 
50 items. Please arrive on time for the exams. If you arrive to an exam after the first person has finished the exam and 
left the room, you will NOT be allowed to take the exam. Once you have started the exam, you may not leave the 
classroom for any reason (e.g., phone call, bathroom) until you have turned in the exam.  
 
Practice Quizzes for each chapter can be found on the Textbook website: 
http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/007803535x/student_view0/index.html 
 
 
The only exception for a missed exam will be for a medical or family emergency, and you must have documented proof of 
the emergency (a doctor’s note) that is provided to the instructor. You must inform the instructor of the emergency within 
2 days of the regular exam date. All make-up exams will be essay format. 
 
IMPORTANT EXAM PREP: 
a) Bring the Wide Red Par Score (#F-288-PAR-L) test form to Exam 1 
b) Bring the Narrow Red Par Score (#F-289-PAR-L) test form to Exam 2 and Exam 3  
c) Bring a #2 pencil to each exam.   
d) Bring your Red ID or other photo ID to each exam to show it as you turn in your exam.  
 
Final Grading Scale: The final grading scale based on total points for the 3 exams is as follows: 
279-300 --> A 
270-278 --> A- 
264-269 --> B+ 
249-263 --> B 
240-248 --> B- 
234-239 --> C+ 
219-233 --> C 
210-218 --> C- 
204-209 --> D+ 
189-203 --> D 
180-188 --> D- 
000-179 --> F 
 
Extra Credit Assignment: For students who want to boost their final grade, there is an optional extra credit assignment 
that students can choose to complete, which is worth up to an additional 20 points (added to the total of 300), which is 
equivalent to up to a half a letter grade increase. Extra credit assignments will be due on April 23rd at 8:00am. The 
assignment must be handed in as a hard copy in class using the form that is provided on blackboard. Electronic versions 
will not be accepted.  
 
For the assignment, you will be expected to answer two of three critical thinking short-answer questions that are posted on 
blackboard. You are expected to use your lecture notes, textbook, and personal experience (where applicable) to answer 
the questions. Your answers must be in your own words. Re-using the phrasing in your lecture slides and textbook will 
be considered plagiarism and will result in a loss of points for the assignment. Your answer should be no more than 1 page 
each (i.e., total of 2 pages for both answers). 
 
To receive full credit, your short-answer responses must demonstrate your understanding of the core concepts and provide 
logical rationale for your answer based on what you were taught in the course. Please ensure that you use spell check and 
that your responses are grammatically correct. 
Students with Special Needs: If you are a student with a disability and need accommodations for this class, you are 
responsible for contacting Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473 or online at http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/sds. To 
avoid any delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should contact Student Disability Services as soon as 
possible. After Student Disability Services is contacted, students should contact me about accommodations needed as soon 
as possible. Once I have received an accommodation letter from Student Disability Services, I will be able to provide 
accommodations.  
 
Plagiarism, Cheating, and Academic Dishonesty: Plagiarism and cheating of any form will not be tolerated, and will 
be dealt with through the appropriate university channels. If you are caught cheating on an exam, you will receive a 
zero on the exam, and you are likely to receive an F in the course. In addition, the incident will be reported to campus 
authorities and may lead to probation, suspension, or even expulsion from the University. If you have any questions 
about what constitutes plagiarism or other violations of the academic integrity policy, please speak with the instructor 
and review the Student Code of Conduct: http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/srr/conduct1.html. 
 
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE 	  
     Dates                                                 Scheduled Topics                                               Chapters and Due Dates 	  
Thurs Jan. 22 Course Overview, Introduction to Personality Psychology 1 
Tues Jan 27 Personality Assessment, Measurement, & Research Design 2 
Thurs Jan 29 Personality Assessment, Measurement, & Research Design  
Tues Feb 03 Traits & Trait Taxonomies 3 
Thurs Feb 05 Traits & Trait Taxonomies  
Tues Feb 10 Personality Dispositions over Time: Stability, Coherence, & Change 5 
Thurs Feb 12 Personality Dispositions over Time: Stability, Coherence, & Change  
Tues Feb 
17 
17 Coverage of missing material and Exam Review  
Thurs Feb 19 Exam #1 1, 2, 3, 5 
Tues Feb 24 Genetics & Personality 6 
Thurs Feb  26 Physiological Approaches to Personality 7 
Tues  Mar 03  Psychoanalytic Approaches to Personality 9 
Thurs Mar 05 Psychoanalytic Approaches to Personality  
Tues Mar 10 Motives & Personality 11 
Thurs Mar 12 Motives & Personality  
Tues Mar 17 Cognitive Topics in Personality 12 
Thurs Mar 19 Cognitive Topics in Personality  
Tues Mar 24 Coverage of missing material and Exam Review  
Thurs  Mar 26 Exam #2 6, 7, 9, 11, 12 
Tues Mar 31 Spring Break- No Class  
Thurs Apr 02 Spring Break- No Class  
Tues Apr 07 Personality and Social Interaction 15 
Thurs Apr 09 Personality and Social Interaction  
Tues Apr 14 Sex, Gender, & Personality 16 
Thurs Apr 16 Sex, Gender, & Personality  
Tues Apr 21 Stress, Coping, Adjustment & Health 18 
Thurs Apr 23 Stress, Coping, Adjustment & Health Extra Credit  
Assignment Due 
Tues Apr 28 Disorders of Personality 19 
Thurs Apr 30 Disorders of Personality  
Tues May 05 Coverage of Missing Material and Exam Review  
Thurs May 07 Exam #3 15, 16, 18, 19 
Tues May  12 Review of Exam (8am)  
Note: Dates and topics for course schedule are tentative, and students are responsible for any announcements made 
in class concerning schedule, exam, and reading assignment changes. 


PSY 351 Personality Psychology

http://sdsu-dspace.calstate.edu/bitstream/handle/10211.3/138673/Final%20PSY%20351_2_Spring2015%20Syllabus.pdf?sequence=1

PSY 351 Personality Psychology

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