Anglo-American University in Prague Personality Psychology
| Course Name | Personality Psychology |
| Course Code | PSY270 |
| Description | This course introduces students to key theories, directions, and research approaches to understanding personality within psychology. The course focuses on the concept of personality as a complex set of traits, processes, and patterns of behavior that shape individual differences among people. Students will gain an overview of the major models of personality, including the lexical approach and the Big Five model, biologically grounded theories (temperament, genetics, neuropsychology), and dynamic, cognitive, and narrative approaches. In addition, attention is given to the relationship between personality and environment, and the influence of learning, culture, and interpersonal relationships on the formation of personality traits. The course also includes an overview of diagnostic methods used in the study of personality and how they can be applied in psychological practice. It reflects on the development of personality across the lifespan, the links between personality, adaptation and coping, and provides a basic orientation to personality disorders within current classification systems (e.g., DSM-5, ICD-11). |
| Learning Outcomes | Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: – Explain the basic terms, concepts and approaches to understanding personality in psychology and describe its importance within psychological theory and practice. – Characterize the major theoretical orientations and models of personality, including the lexical approach, biological theories, cognitive, dynamic, and narrative approaches. – Compare different methods of measuring personality and evaluate their applicability and limitations in different contexts of psychological diagnosis and research. – Evaluate the influence of biological, developmental, cultural, and interpersonal factors on personality formation and change across the lifespan. – Analyse the links between personality traits and adaptive or maladaptive behaviour, particularly in relation to stress, coping strategies and personality disorders. – Apply the findings of personality psychology to specific examples from the individual’s life and wider social contexts and reflect on the potential for applying these findings in practice. |
| School | School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Level | BA |
| Number of credits (US / ECTS) | 3 US / 6 ECTS |