In this topic students become familiar with the major theories about personality: psychoanalytic, humanistic, trait, behavioristic, and cognitive. Students should also become the names of people associated with the different theories: Alfred Adler, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow, Raymond Cattell, Gordon Allport, Hans Eysenck, and Albert Bandura. These theories of personality also give insights to both what is considered to be normal and abnormal behavior, the assessment of one’s personality, the development of personality, and the treatment of abnormal behaviors.
Students should also learn about the methods of research such as case studies and surveys as well as the strengths and weaknesses of each as well. The topic also exposes the student to assessment techniques such as personality inventories, projective tests and naturalistic observations of people. The reliability and validity of each of these techniques is also part of this topic. Students also learn about the self, self-concept, and self-esteem. They learn how the self develops, how self-concept is assessed, and how both are involved in functioning.