Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences · Psychology · Undergraduate
Course Objective
The aim of this course is to go beyond classical personality theories and examine current issues in contemporary personality psychology, especially on the axis of freedom, relationality, biological foundations, self-development, search for meaning and existential orientations. Students' personalities are not one-dimensional; It is aimed to evaluate them as a biological, social, humanistic and existential whole.
Course Content
Contemporary trends in personality psychology; themes of freedom and anxiety; interpersonal relationships and the self; biologically based personality models; behavioral and learning-based approaches; self-actualization in humanistic psychology; meaning, will, responsibility, death and authenticity in existential psychology.
Required Resources
Fromm, E. (1941). Escape from Freedom.
Sullivan, H. S. (1953). The Interpersonal Theory of Psychiatry.
Eysenck, H. J. (1967). The Biological Basis of Personality.
Cloninger, C. R. (2004). Feeling Good: The Science of Well-Being.
McCrae, R. R. & Costa, P. T. (1990). Personality in Adulthood.
Miller, N. E. & Dollard, J. (1941). Social Learning and Imitation.
Maslow, A. H. (1970). Motivation and Personality.
Rogers, C. R. (1961). On Becoming a Person.
Frankl, V. E. (1959). Man’s Search for Meaning.
May, R. (1975). The Courage to Create.
Yalom, I. D. (1980). Existential Psychotherapy.
Core Area Distribution
Teaching Methods
Assessment & Evaluation
ECTS / Workload
| Activity | Quantity | Duration (h) | Total Workload |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course Duration (Including Exam Week) | 16 | 3 | 48 |
| Out of Class Study Period | 16 | 5 | 80 |
| Midterm | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Quiz | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Assignment | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Practice | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Final | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Course Schedule
| Week | Subject | Preparation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Current Debates in Personality Psychology - Introduction | Personality Theories I and II lecture notes |
| 2 | Freedom, Anxiety, and Escape Mechanisms | Erich Fromm's book Escape from Freedom |
| 3 | Relatedness and the Self: The Social Context of Personality | Related Articles |
| 4 | Biological Tendencies and Behavioral Patterns | Eysenck, Gray and Cloninger's articles, studies and scales |
| 5 | Dimensional Approach to Personality and Psychopathology | The Five Factor Model and the DSM-5 Personality Disorders Division |
| 6 | Behavior, Learning, and Personality Dynamics | Learning Psychology and Psychodynamic Psychology notes |
| 7 | Self-actualization and Human Potential | Karen Horney theory lecture notes and Maslow's books |
| 8 | MIDTERM EXAM | Lecture notes and related resources |
| 9 | Self-Congruence, Self-Relationship, and Integration Processes | Related Articles |
| 10 | Existential Anxiety and the Search for Meaning | Frankl, V.. Man’s Search for Meaning. |
| 11 | Creativity, Courage and Authentic Living | May, R. (1975). The Courage to Create. |
| 12 | Death Anxiety | Yalom, I. D. (1980). Existential Psychotherapy. |
| 13 | Freedom Anxiety | Yalom, I. Existential Psychotherapy. |
| 14 | Existential Isolation | Yalom, I. D. (1980). Existential Psychotherapy. |
| 15 | Meaninglessness Anxiety | Yalom, I. D. (1980). Existential Psychotherapy. |
| 16 | FINAL EXAM | Lecture notes and related resources |